Teenagers dominated the skateboarding events as the competition at China's 15th National Games concluded on Monday, with young athletes claiming three of the four gold medals on offer.

Gao Qunxiang of Jiangsu competes during the men's street final of skateboarding at China's 15th National Games in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

The youngest champion of the day emerged in the women's park event. Zou Mingke, 13, of Guangdong edged out 12-year-old Meng Lingyan of Shandong by just 0.32 points to take the title.

Each competitor in the park event had three runs, with the highest score counting as the final result. In the decisive third round, six of the first seven skaters failed to complete their routines, allowing Zou - the final contestant - to seize victory with a score of 86.92.

"I was really nervous at the beginning, but by the last run I wasn't nervous anymore - I was just excited to show what I could do," Zou said after the event.

Zou landed a kickflip over the "volcano" obstacle - a move she had failed to complete in both the semifinals and her first two runs in the final. "I just wanted to go for the hardest line I could. I thought, maybe if I pull it off, I could get first place," she said.

Having started skateboarding at five, Zou is now a middle school student. "I go to class during the day and train at night. I usually have to do my homework in the morning, so it's pretty tiring," she said. "I was actually happy to take a break from school for the National Games, but the midterm exams are also coming soon."

In the men's park final, 2022 Asian Games champion Chen Ye of Guangdong won gold with a similar comeback. After losing his lead earlier in the last round, the 17-year-old stuck to his plan and landed a kickflip indy he had missed in the previous round, earning 87.23 points to secure victory.

Chen admitted he was already feeling the pressure from younger competitors. "I don't bounce back from falls as easily as I did when I was a kid," he laughed.

Looking ahead, Chen said he hopes to balance his sporting ambitions with education. "Maybe I'll try going to college," he said. "I've been skating for so long, and I want to experience studying with others. But I still want to keep competing, especially for Olympic qualification - so I haven't decided yet."

In the women's street event, 15-year-old Shandong skater Cui Chenxi - who finished fourth at the 2024 Olympic Games - claimed the gold medal, and said she had improved both technically and mentally since the Olympics.

"The ages between 10 and 15 are probably an upward phase for skateboarders," Cui said. "So I just want to make the most of this stage and work on landing the tricks I've always wanted to do."

The men's street title went to relative veteran Pan Jiajie, 25, of Guangdong, who landed two tricks in competition for the first time.

"I've been practicing those two tricks for three or four years, but never felt completely confident," Pan said. "I've had many injuries and setbacks along the way, so today really feels like a dream come true."

Asked what advice he would give to the younger generation, Pan said: "The kids are all amazing and have so much room to grow. Just keep a good mindset and don't treat skateboarding as training. Play, have fun and enjoy it."