Golden autumn in Shenzhen marks the perfect season for sports. On December 2nd, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen hosted its first Track & Field Meet at the university's track and field ground, where 800 students and faculty members gathered for spirited competitions in track and field events and entertaining contests. This event also marked the commencement of the "Dragon Steps the World – CUHK-Shenzhen 10th Anniversary Home-School Journey" and the official launch of the global alumni online running event.

During the opening ceremony, each college showcased its unique talents during the opening ceremony. Professor Wang Cong, the Associate Vice President of CUHK-Shenzhen and the Dean of Shaw College, made a memorable entrance with a robotic dog. Muse College showed its philosophy of "sports plus food" with lively and endearing rhythmic performance. And the Hurricane street dance performance by Harmonia College won enthusiastic cheers from all the audience. Notably, mascots from Shaw College, Harmonia College, and Muse College also appeared on the field to cheer for the students.

In the competitions, athletes from Ling College demonstrated formidable strength in the track and field events, securing the team championship. Shaw College students displayed remarkable teamwork and unity, clinching the group championship in the entertaining contests. This year’s sports meet also marked the second participation of Minerva College and The Seventh College in large-scale university sports events since the fifth Inter-college Basketball League. They also showed resilience and determination in overcoming all difficulties in the competition and gained a lot of applause and cheers.

Opening Ceremony

The event commenced at 8:30 AM with an energetic cheerleading performance by the Denim92 dance troupe. The opening ceremony, hosted by Sun Mingcheng from the School of Humanities and Social Science, Harmonia College, and Lin Caiwei from the School of Management and Economics, Ling College, set the tone for the day.

The presence of Professor Luo Zhiquan, Zhu Shiping, Wang Cong, Gu Yang, Ye Lixin, Lv Zongli, cheng shiuyuen, and Hong Mingyan graced the occasion. Heads of University administrative departments were also present to show support and cheer for the athletes.

Amid the drum beat of the marching song, representatives from Shaw College, Diligentia College, Muse College, Harmonia College, Ling College, Minerva College, and The Seventh College paraded into the stadium.

Following this, the audience enjoyed a dragon dance performance titled "Flying Dragon in the Sky, Moving Forward," presented by the university's dragon and lion dance practice project and the team of Flying Dragon in the Sky. This performance symbolized the vigor of young students and foreshadowed the university's promising future in the next decade.

The university flag guard, dressed in white military uniforms, solemnly raised the national flag. All attendees stood at attention and made salutations.

Prof. Zhu Shiping delivered the opening speech amidst enthusiastic applause, recalling the development of the university's sports undertakings and encouraging students that "Life lies in movement." He extended best wishes for the success of the first CUHK-Shenzhen Track & Field Meet, the "Dragon Steps the World - CUHK (Shenzhen) 10th Anniversary Home-School Journey", and the global alumni online running event.

Athlete representative Zhang Jiarui took the oath on behalf of all athletes, and referee representative, Zhou Manlu, a lecturer from the Physical Education Unit of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, took the oath on behalf of all referees.

The most exciting moment of the opening ceremony was the lighting of the torch, symbolizing not only a new stage in the university's sports development but also the official launch of the "Dragon Steps the World - CUHK (Shenzhen) 10th Anniversary Home-School Journey" and the global alumni online running event. Prof. Zhu Shiping, the vice president of CUHK-Shenzhen accompanied by student representative Duan Yihao, parent representative Mr. Zhang Yifei (father of Zhang Hanzhe from the Class of 2019), and alumni representative Wang Xin (Class of 2018), ignited the main torch amid the synchronized countdown by the entire university community. The flame, representing hope and dreams, illuminated the university's track and field ground, carrying beautiful symbolism to students, parents, and alumni around the world.

Track and Field Competitions

In the track and field events, students competed in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, high jump, long jump, and 4x100m relay. Ling College achieved the first place with 6 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals, accumulating a total of 164 points. Harmonia College and Muse College secured second and third places, respectively. Prof. Wang Cong, the Associate Vice President and the Dean of Shaw College, presented trophies and prizes to the winning colleges.

The event was reported and the awards ceremony was hosted by Liu Hanwen from the School of Science and Engineering, Feng Ziling from the School of Management and Economics, and Hu Qiaoxiang from the School of Management and Economics, all from Ling College.

In the fiercely competitive men's 100m event with 38 participants, Wu Xianzhi from Ling College gained victory in the final, standing atop the podium. Li Haoxian from Diligentia College displayed excellent performance in the preliminaries, reaching the national secondary level in the men's 100m electronic timing.

Ling College secured all the medals in the men's 200m and 800m events, achieving a dominant position in both sprint and long-distance categories.

The men's high jump event showcased a talented field, with Liu Liming from Diligentia College impressing the audience by successfully challenging the national secondary level height of 1.83m after clearing 1.78m in a single attempt, claiming the first place.

In women's track and field events, Yu Mi from Harmonia College achieved a double victory in the women's 400m and 800m events, concluding her campus track and field competition experience on the undergraduate stage on a high note. Similarly, Chen Xinyi from Muse College secured first place in both the women's 100m and long jump, leaving a vibrant mark in the school sports meet records.

Fun Games

In the afternoon, the university hosted its first campus-level fun games. After a brief warm-up, students participated in four entertaining events: "Chasing Dreams Together", “Blaze of Glory”, "Like the Moon among Stars", and "Tortoise and Hare Race" creating a joyful atmosphere on the track and field ground.

Athlete Reflections

Yu Mi, Harmonia College:

"I feel incredibly lucky to have participated in the first track & field meet, especially in my final year of undergraduate studies. It holds great significance for me. After entering university, I rarely practiced running on my own, and the campus track wasn't even built in the first two years of my undergraduate studies.

When I heard about the sports meet at the beginning of the month, I impulsively signed up for the 400m and 800m, just like the old days in high school. Since I hadn't seriously run in three years, I felt a bit guilty stepping onto the track. However, what was different this time was the overwhelming support from my teammates in the dance group, who were always standing along the track and cheering for me. In the morning, we performed Harmonia College's opening dance together, and I gained a huge amount of cohesion and energy.

It was unexpected for me to win the championship in two events, but I'm glad that I achieved it, adding a touch of brilliance to Harmonia College. At the same time, my 800m performance rebounded to the level of that in the middle school sports examination (namely, an extremely high level of 800m performance), which is also a recognition of my efforts in sports during the university years.

Finally, I would like to thank Harmonia College, every athlete who sweated on the track and field ground, and all my friends who cheered for me. It is on this occasion that I truly feel the sparkle of sports spirit through our collective efforts."

Zhong Ze Wei, Ling College:

"This was the first university Track and Field meet, and my goal was to break the 1500m university record and gain my personal best, so I invested a considerable amount of energy in preparation. However, anxiety about the goal and the eager expectations of my fellow teammates made me so nervous that I overtrained, almost injuring my right leg, and I felt continuous discomfort until the day of the sports meet. But fortunately, I didn't feel pain on the track. To be honest, I've never been so nervous even when I am preparing a half-marathon or a 100-mile race, I will never do that the next time.

There were some interesting moments during the competition: In the last 200 meters of the 800m race, I was originally planning to relax a bit, but I mistook my footsteps for those of other competitors (because I rarely wear these shoes, and I'm not familiar with the sound of my own footsteps, and fatigue caused my perception to be less accurate), so I was "forced" to accelerate.

In the 1500m event in the afternoon, just after the first lap, my friend from the running group played "Reset," and the familiar prelude made me speed up! Eventually, I successfully secured the first place.

Exceeding the goal was satisfying for me overall, and I hope more students at school will participate in running!"

Conclusion

The First Track & Field Meet of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen was a hard-earned achievement. Since its establishment in 2014, the university has been committed to providing quality education resources and comprehensive growth opportunities for students, adhering to the philosophy of all-round education. Looking back to the early days of the university, the location of the track and field ground was once a barren grassland, and the university had only one building, namely, "Liwen Building," converted from a disused warehouse, hosting all indoor cultural and sports activities.

After nine years of hard work, the university has grown from fewer than 300 students to seven colleges with over ten thousand students. With the support of the government and various sectors of society, the university not only has a Sports Hall but also officially opened a comprehensive Sports complex and a track and field ground in March of this year.

The university's sports and cultural undertakings have flourished, organizing diverse activities such as sports festivals, freshmen cups, and unique events like Illumiruns and color runs, striving to make sports enjoyable for every student. In just one year, more than ten thousand students have participated in various sports activities, enhancing both their physical health and mental resilience.

In recent years, the university's sports teams have achieved remarkable results in various competitions. In the recently concluded 2023 Guangdong Provincial University Swimming Championships, our student Wang Zituo won two gold medals in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle. In May, the men's volleyball team secured third place in the 12th Guangdong Provincial University Volleyball League. The men's football and badminton teams have also consistently ranked in the top three in provincial and municipal competitions. Each college has gradually cultivated its own sports clubs and teams. Just like the campus that approaches its 10th birthday, the students of the university are also young, vibrant, and full of limitless potential and possibilities for the future.