CHENGDU, China, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Yu Yiting celebrated her 20th birthday with a gold medal in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay for Zhejiang Province at China's National Swimming Championships here on Friday.

Yu made a decisive final sprint to edge out Shandong by just 0.01 seconds, helping Zhejiang secure the win in 3:38.73.

"The gold medal was indeed quite difficult to win. Before I jumped in today, I took a look at the gap between us and the leaders. I felt I really needed to fight for it," Yu said. "This gold medal is also a birthday gift and the result of our team's hard work."

The National Championship represents a refreshing turnaround for Yu, who earlier this year faced challenges at the 2025 FINA World Championships in Singapore. Yu competed in the women's 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly but didn't win a medal in the individual events. She also played a key role in three freestyle relay races, earning a silver and a bronze.

Although the individual events yielded no medals, Yu said her experience in Singapore was a valuable one. "Walking out of my comfort zone, I found hope in disappointment," she reflected. "Taking on important responsibilities in the relay events made me realize the value of teamwork and resilience."

Yu also talked up her first experience in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. "Actually, this is my first time in Chengdu, whether for competition or otherwise. I always want to come here but never had the chance. So I took this opportunity to explore Chengdu a bit and experienced the warmth of the local people."

"I want to see Hua Hua, the panda. I didn't expect that Hua Hua would actually be part of the prizes at this competition, so now I kind of regret not signing up for more events," Yu said with a smile.

Turning 20 on Friday, Yu's birthday wish is clear. "I hope to win more gold medals at the National Games."

"I had a little personal wish today - to swim faster in the 200m individual medley. But after coming down from high-altitude training, I didn't adjust quickly enough, so I have some regrets about my result. But winning the gold in the 4x100 relay still makes me very happy," she added.

In addition to her endeavors in the pool, Yu is also a journalism student at Fudan University. "Learning journalism offers a different experience for athletes. For example, right now I'm being interviewed, and I hope to improve my speaking - to express myself better and more smoothly, to convey deeper meanings. Whether in Chinese or English, I want to be fluent enough to communicate effectively in interviews," she said.

With her high-altitude training phase completed, Yu is preparing for China's 15th National Games in November.

Also on Friday, Zhang Zhanshuo lowered the men's 400m freestyle world junior record with a personal best of 3:42.99 to take the gold medal. Mao Yihan claimed the women's 400m free gold in 4:07.80, while Guangdong triumphed in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay. Enditem