On September 23, the women’s artistic gymnastics team final concluded at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Making her Asian Games debut, 16-year-old Dongguan gymnast Ke Qinqin teamed up with Zhang Qingying, Qiu Qiyuan, Zhang Yihan and Du Siyu in overcoming a strong challenge from the host nation, Japan. Team China came from behind to win gold with a total score of 166.462, securing its 14th consecutive Asian Games title in the event. The victory gave Dongguan its first Asian Games gold medal in women’s gymnastics and marked another milestone in the city’s sporting history.

Founded in 1992, Dongguan Gymnastics Team has spent decades nurturing young athletes at the grassroots level and constantly feeding talented young athletes into provincial and national teams. At the 2002 Busan Asian Games, Dongguan athlete Liang Fuliang won the men’s team gold with Team China, earning Dongguan its first Asian Games gold medal in gymnastics. Twenty-four years later, Ke Qinqin stood atop the Asian Games podium, securing Dongguan’s first gold medal in women’s gymnastics at the Games. Her achievement is another testament to Dongguan’s youth sports development system and reflects the strength and vitality of the city’s athlete pipeline.

Gymnastics competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are still ongoing. Later, Ke Qinqin will take part in individual finals including floor exercise, and keep fighting for a place on the podium.