Taiwanese-Japanese Swimmer Zhang Yajia Wins 100m Backstroke Gold at National Games, Re-breaks National Record
18-year-old Taiwanese-Japanese swimmer Zhang Yajia won the gold medal in the women's 100m backstroke at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games with a time of 1:00.95, breaking her own national record and qualifying for the Nagoya Asian Games.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 23:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 19, 2026 at 00:01 (21 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 00:50 (48 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Rong-chuan, Taipei, April 18) Taiwan's new generation "Backstroke Queen" Zhang Yajia won the gold medal in the women's 100m backstroke final at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games today with a time of 1:00.95, re-breaking her own national record. She stated she was very happy to break through again and prove her continuously improving strength.
The 115th National Intercollegiate Athletic Games are being held in Chiayi. The 18-year-old Taiwanese-Japanese mixed-race new generation "Backstroke Queen" Zhang Yajia delivered an outstanding performance in the women's 100m backstroke final today. With a time of 1:00.95, she broke her own national record and strongly secured the gold medal. Not only did she re-qualify for the Nagoya Asian Games, but she also became the first Taiwanese female swimmer to break the "one-minute barrier" (Note: the time 1:00.95 does not break the one-minute barrier, indicating a discrepancy in the source text).
After completing her sixth consecutive victory in the 100m backstroke at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, Zhang Yajia told CNA in an interview that she hadn't even swum that time in training, so she was very excited to break through again. She shared that she noticed the "water feel" was quite good during the morning preliminaries, and her physical condition felt even better in the afternoon finals. "I just swam as hard as I could, wanting to break through in every race, so I'm very happy to achieve my goal."
After setting the national record for the 100m backstroke at last year's National Games, Zhang Yajia continued with the same training mode, improving her overall stamina and core strength. Combined with gradually stabilizing water techniques and improving physical condition, it became the key to rewriting the record again. "It's the result of these past few months of training, and it proves my strength is moving forward step by step."
In her final National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, Zhang Yajia hopes to also meet the qualifying standard for the 200m backstroke for the Nagoya Asian Games in September. She plans to study in the United States after graduation and challenge herself at a traditional NCAA Division I powerhouse, the University of Michigan. Her goal is to continue breaking through under the stimulation of a new environment. "In the US, I can study and be an athlete at the same time; I don't have to give up my studies." (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150418
Stand with the facts. Your sponsorship is the power to protect the freedom of news.
Download the CNA "One-Handed News" APP to get the latest news in real time.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or transmitted and used without authorization.
Keywords:
The 115th National Intercollegiate Athletic Games are being held in Chiayi. The 18-year-old Taiwanese-Japanese mixed-race new generation "Backstroke Queen" Zhang Yajia delivered an outstanding performance in the women's 100m backstroke final today. With a time of 1:00.95, she broke her own national record and strongly secured the gold medal. Not only did she re-qualify for the Nagoya Asian Games, but she also became the first Taiwanese female swimmer to break the "one-minute barrier" (Note: the time 1:00.95 does not break the one-minute barrier, indicating a discrepancy in the source text).
After completing her sixth consecutive victory in the 100m backstroke at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, Zhang Yajia told CNA in an interview that she hadn't even swum that time in training, so she was very excited to break through again. She shared that she noticed the "water feel" was quite good during the morning preliminaries, and her physical condition felt even better in the afternoon finals. "I just swam as hard as I could, wanting to break through in every race, so I'm very happy to achieve my goal."
After setting the national record for the 100m backstroke at last year's National Games, Zhang Yajia continued with the same training mode, improving her overall stamina and core strength. Combined with gradually stabilizing water techniques and improving physical condition, it became the key to rewriting the record again. "It's the result of these past few months of training, and it proves my strength is moving forward step by step."
In her final National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, Zhang Yajia hopes to also meet the qualifying standard for the 200m backstroke for the Nagoya Asian Games in September. She plans to study in the United States after graduation and challenge herself at a traditional NCAA Division I powerhouse, the University of Michigan. Her goal is to continue breaking through under the stimulation of a new environment. "In the US, I can study and be an athlete at the same time; I don't have to give up my studies." (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150418
Stand with the facts. Your sponsorship is the power to protect the freedom of news.
Download the CNA "One-Handed News" APP to get the latest news in real time.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or transmitted and used without authorization.
Keywords: