A passing of the torch

December saw the Chinese national athletics team gather in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, for a 16-day winter training camp, building toward next year's Nagoya Asian Games, the 2027 Beijing World Athletics Championships and, ultimately, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This year's training roster reflects a generational shift: the majority of the athletes are young new faces, while veteran stars are increasingly rare — a mirror of the broader landscape of Chinese athletics in 2025. Legendary figures like Su Bingtian and Gong Lijiao have retired, while rising talents such as Chen Yujie and Deng Xinrui are beginning to make their mark. The story of Chinese athletics in the past...