Jinan athlete strikes Asian Games gold

Two routines, two top scores. Jinan-born martial artist Liu Dewen scored 9.780 points in both taijiquan (tai chi) and taijijian (tai chi straight sword) to win the men's all-around title at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Sept 21, giving Jinan its first gold medal of the Games.

The competition was split into two sessions, with taijiquan in the morning and taijijian in the afternoon. Liu set the tone from the start, delivering a precise and fluid taijiquan routine to earn the highest score of the field. He maintained the same composure in the afternoon, combining agile sword movements with well-controlled rhythm to again receive 9.780 points.

The gold marks another milestone in the career of the 27-year-old, who began training in martial arts at age 7. At 12, he was selected for the Shandong provincial martial arts team, becoming its youngest professional athlete at the time.

Liu shifted his focus to taijiquan in 2015. Last year, he claimed the men's taijiquan and taijijian all-around title at the 15th National Games, securing Shandong's first gold in the event.

A record 19 athletes from Jinan are representing China at the 2026 Asian Games, competing in 14 sports and 19 events.

Jinan's Liu Dewen demonstrates his skills in the taijiquan (tai chi) and taijijian (tai chi straight sword) at the 2026 Asian Games. [Photo/VCG]