The Wushu Taolu competition of the 15th National Games of the People’s Republic of China concluded on November 10 at the Guangzhou Nansha Stadium in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province. IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Honorary President Thomas Bach visited the venue in the morning and afternoon respectively, interacting with multiple gold medalist athletes during the event.
In the morning, after watching the exciting competitions in men's jianshu and women's daoshu, President Coventry met with athlete representatives Li Jianming and Tong Xin. The two champions demonstrated basic movements of Taijiquan and Nanquan on site. The performance, blending power and grace, earned great praise from President Coventry, who presented them with IOC badges.
During an interview, she expressed that watching the wushu competition in Nansha today was a truly spectacular experience. She remarked on the athletes' exceptionally elegant techniques and described the event as "a perfect blend of strength and beauty." When discussing the globalization of wushu, she stated, "Wushu will debut as an official sport at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games. Notably, next year's Youth Olympics will also mark the first Olympic sports event to take place on African soil. We are very excited about that."
In the afternoon, IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach also visited Nansha Stadium to watch the competitions and present awards to the winning athletes. Before ascending the podium, he clasped his hands in a traditional "palm-fist" greeting towards the medalists, drawing enthusiastic applause from the entire venue.
During the event, he interacted with four champions—Yao Yang, Chen Huiying, Liu Dewen, and Yang Yalin—and observed their performances of Jianshu, Nangun, Taijijian, and Changquan. He engaged in a cordial conversation with the athletes, inquiring about their training events and competition experiences. When Yang Yalin expressed his strongest desire to compete in the Olympic Games, Bach responded with a knowing smile, encouraging him to participate in more competitions and achieve even better results.
In addition, both Ms. Coventry and Mr. Bach were deeply impressed by the grand and powerful traditional wushu performance at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games.
