The 10^thMiddle School Students’ Fencing Championship commenced in Changnan Gymnasium, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province and lasted from July 25 to 30. Han Yutong, a student in Class 6, Grade 1 of High School Attached to Shandong Normal University (AHS), attended the championship under the leadership of Qu Guoyong, AHS Coach.

With only one student registering for the championship, nevertheless it was the firs time that AHS had attended the national fencing championship, also being the only athlete from middle schools in Jinan.

As an amateur athlete, facing the high temperature up to over 30 degrees and the high humidity of 90%, Han challenged those professionals from National Fencing Youth Team as well as provincial teams with her courage, bravery and tenacity and finally dashed into the knockouts. In the match against Zeng Zhaolin, the top seed player of this championship from National Fencing Youth Team, Han lost the game and missed the chance into the quarter-finals. Han ranked the 13^thin this championship.

The championship attracted about 1,000 athletes with their coaches and team leaders from approximately 100 key middle schools in China’s first-tier cities, with many schools organizing their team to attend the whole 12 events. The high level the athletes displayed in the championship and the number of registered teams both created the new records in the history. The championship demonstrated the highest level of China’s middle school students’ fencing.

Reported by Zhu Yujun

Translated by Feng Zhao

English Editor: Feng Zhao

Net Editor: Yang Hua