For table tennis legend Ma Long, a man who has won everything there is to win on the international stage, one major gold medal had always remained elusive.

At his sixth, and likely final, National Games, Ma, the only paddler in history to achieve a “double Grand Slam” — having won the singles title at the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup at least twice each — finally secured that coveted team gold, posting a single, fitting word on social media: “Perfect.”

His long journey to completing his collection of titles also epitomizes the unique intensity and significance of the National Games, a stage where legends fulfill their legacies, and new stars emerge.

As China’s table tennis continues to set the global standard, the domestic showdown at the National Games remains the ultimate test of excellence.

Paris Olympic gold medalist Fan Zhendong was crowned the men’s singles champion at the National Games, successfully defending the title he first won in 2021. The victory, sealed with wins over world No 1 Wang Chuqin and world No 2 Lin Shidong, in the semifinal and the final, respectively, solidifies his top form, despite his self-enforced absence from the ITTF circuit since last December.

However, the table tennis titan stressed that nothing can be taken for granted at the National Games. “In these matches, I constantly remind myself that, against such high-level opponents, any momentary lapse in concentration could change the entire course of a match,” said Fan.

“Winning a few key points doesn’t guarantee you the win.”

Wang, who took home bronze, underscored the sheer competitiveness of the tournament.

“The National Games gather the best of the best, and we all know each other’s games inside out. In a competition like this, anyone can beat anyone. There’s no such thing as an upset.”

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Two-time Olympic women’s singles gold medalist Chen Meng had never reached the top step of the podium in the women’s singles event across her four previous National Games appearances. This time, again, she missed out on the top prize, having to settle for bronze.

She was defeated 4-0 in the semifinals by Wang Manyu, who then went on to beat Sun Yingsha in the final to claim the National Games title once again. Earlier this year, Sun had successfully defended her World Cup title in Macao and her World Championships title in Doha.

“The level of every player at the National Games is extremely high. The Games are held once every four years, and everyone takes it very seriously. You can feel every athlete is giving their all,” said Chen, who led the Shandong provincial team to a 3–2 victory over Sun’s Hebei squad in the women’s team final on Nov 19, securing the gold.

“With players representing their home provinces, everyone is aiming for the top. The importance placed on the Games is completely different from regular WTT events, which are held almost every month,” she added.

Veteran paddler Liu Shiwen, 34, who helped Guangdong province to claim the title in mixed doubles with her playing partner Lin Gaoyuan, agreed.

Having left the national team in 2022 after a career that yielded 20 World Championship titles, Liu said the chance to compete at home was too compelling an opportunity.

With Guangdong serving as one of the three co-hosts for the Games, alongside the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, she felt a strong drive to represent the team that nurtured her.

Record breakers

The intensity of the Games was further highlighted by the shattering of eight world records, 13 Asian records, and 14 national records, as reported by the General Administration of Sport of China.

One of the most electrifying moments came from weightlifter Liao Guifang, who lifted 158kg in the women’s 76kg clean and jerk, surpassing the previous world record held by Chinese lifter Zhang Wangli.

“My goal is definitely the Los Angeles Olympics,” Liao said, noting that, with the weight class set to change from 76kg to 77kg for LA28, “the adjusted category will suit me even better.”

In shooting, a remarkable 10 performances across five events set new world records. Paris Olympic champion Liu Yukun won the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions gold with a score of 470.1, decisively breaking his own world record of 468.9 set in 2024 and setting a new national record.

“I’m very happy to have surpassed my own record, but compared to my training level, this was just a standard performance,” said Liu, revealing he had previously shot 474.0 in training.

Meanwhile, Zhejiang’s Wang Zifei, Huang Yuting, and Han Jiayu set a new national record with a combined score of 1903.6 in the women’s 10m air rifle team qualification, a score that also surpassed the previous world record set by the Chinese team at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kazakhstan this August by 1.6 points.

Despite shooting being a sport known for the career longevity of its athletes, a youth movement was evident at the Games. The average age in the women’s 10m air rifle was just 19.1 years, while the average in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions was only around 25.

The Anhui provincial team clinched the gold in the men’s 10m air pistol team event, with one of its team members, 14-year-old Liu Ziyang, becoming the Games’ youngest shooting champion.

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“The performance of talented youngsters like Liu at this competition is truly encouraging for our preparations as we head toward LA28,” said Olympic champion Du Li, now the head coach of the national shooting team.

This youthful surge extended beyond the shooting range. On the athletics track, 16-year-old Chen Yujie delivered a stunning performance, winning the women’s 100m title on Nov 17 with a time of 11.10 seconds, shattering the Asian junior record.

Just two days later, she secured another gold in the 200m with 23.02 seconds, becoming the youngest female sprint double champion in National Games history.

In the swimming pool, alongside established stars like Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, Xu Jiayu and Pan Zhanle, new faces emerged.

Eighteen-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo from Shandong province delivered an extraordinary performance, competing on seven of the eight competition days across five individual events and one relay. He claimed five gold medals, broke one world junior record and reset three national junior records.

Thirteen-year-old Yu Zidi also made headlines, collecting three golds, one silver and one bronze. Her most remarkable achievement came in the women’s 200m individual medley, where she won gold with a time of 2:07.41, breaking the Asian record that had been held for 13 years by Olympic champion Ye Shiwen.

“The emergence of this promising pipeline of young athletes demonstrates that our sports talent development program is working well, strengthening our confidence for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics,” said Tong Lixin, vice-minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, following the conclusion of the Games.