Zhao Jiayue poses for a photo at the 20th Asian Games. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong swimmer Zhao Jiayue has helped China win the men's 4x200m freestyle relay at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, where the team set a new Asian record.

The 19-year-old swam the second leg in the heats on Sept 21, helping China reach the final. In the final, Xu Haibo, Fei Liwei, Pan Zhanle and Zhang Zhanshuo secured the gold. Zhao, born in 2006 in Nantong, was part of the winning squad, giving Nantong its first gold medal of the Games.

Zhao began swimming at the Nantong Children's Amateur Sports School in 2013. He entered the Jiangsu provincial youth sports school in 2020 and the provincial team in 2023, focusing on freestyle.

He won the men's 100m freestyle at the 2025 National Swimming Championships in 48.67 seconds, a personal best, establishing himself as one of China's top sprinters. His earlier results include one silver in the 100m freestyle at the 2024 National Summer Swimming Championships in 49.36 and three golds at the 2024 World Middle School Summer Games. He was also named to China's squad for the 2024 Budapest Short Course World Championships.

In volleyball, Nantong's Wu Mengjie and Guo Zhongnan contributed to China's 3-2 comeback win over Thailand in the women's volleyball semifinal. Wu scored a match-high 28 points as China advanced to the final against Japan or South Korea.