On the final day of the diving competitions at the Asian Games-2026 in Nagoya, Lian Junjie won gold in the ten-meter platform event and brought China its historic 100th gold in this sport at the Asian Games.
Since 1974, when China first competed at the Asian Games, no other country has been able to break this streak. For 14 consecutive Games, Chinese divers have taken all the gold — this time all ten titles.
Lian Junjie's victory was not just another medal, but a symbol of systematic work: huge investment in children's sports, a scientific approach to training, and a culture in which a defeat in diving is considered almost a national failure.
At the same time, other Asian national teams, including the Japanese and Koreans, are showing progress in track cycling and swimming, where Asian records have already been broken. This is a reminder that even in sport a monopoly is not eternal if rivals invest in development.
The analogy is simple: just as in chess one school can produce champions for decades while others catch up, so in diving China has created a conveyor belt of talent in which each new athlete continues the tradition of their predecessors.
This anniversary highlights not only sporting superiority, but also how long-term state programs influence results decades later.
In the future, this dominance may face challenges if other countries strengthen youth training and infrastructure.
