From May 25 to 31, the 2025–2026 National Collegiate Swimming Championships Grand Final was held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. As the highest-level and most competitive collegiate swimming event in China, the championships brought together 1,512 athletes from 156 universities, including many of China’s leading institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Zhejiang University. With an exceptionally strong field, the event showcased the highest standard of university swimming nationwide. World champion Dong Zhihao competed for Shenzhen University, while Olympic champion Jiao Liuyang served as head coach at Sun Yat-sen University, further underscoring the championships’ prestige and competitiveness. Amid fierce competition from China’s top universities, our university’s swimming team delivered an outstanding performance, finishing among the top six teams nationwide.

Our university’s delegation was led by Guan Dapeng, Director of the Department of Physical Education, with coaches Wang Suwei and Liu Dan guiding a team of ten outstanding student-athletes selected from across our university. Throughout the competition, the swimmers demonstrated determination, resilience, and exceptional athletic ability. Remaining composed under pressure and giving their all in every race, they consistently challenged themselves and competed with distinction. After several rounds of intense competition, our team finished sixth in the overall Team Division A standings and fifth in the Women’s Team Division A standings. The team also earned three national runner-up finishes, one third-place finish, and numerous top-eight placements in both individual and relay events. These accomplishments reflected the athletes’ excellent physical fitness, solid technical skills, mental composure under pressure, and the teamwork, perseverance, and fighting spirit that characterize NEFU’s students.

Behind these impressive achievements lie the athletes’ unwavering dedication, countless hours of rigorous training, and years of persistent effort. Equally important were the coaches’ scientific, systematic instruction and careful mentorship, as well as our university’s long-standing commitment to holistic education and to integrating sports and education. Our university has consistently placed great importance on physical education and athletic development, using high-level competitions as platforms for practical training that enable students to strengthen their character, challenge themselves, foster teamwork, and develop well-rounded capabilities.

The team’s outstanding performance at this premier national event is strong testimony to the effectiveness of our university’s physical education and competitive sports programs. It also vividly demonstrates the determination, resilience, and sense of responsibility embodied by our students. Looking ahead, our university will continue to advance its integrated model of sports and education, promote the high-quality development of campus athletics, and encourage students to carry the perseverance and competitive spirit cultivated in sports into their academic pursuits and everyday lives. By striving for excellence and embracing challenges, they will continue to write a new chapter of youthful dedication and responsibility in the new era.