China at Asian Games 2026: Squads, Stars & Medal Dominance
China has topped the medal table at essentially every recent Asian Games. Here’s what’s confirmed so far about China’s 2026 squads sport-by-sport, its historical dominance, and the athletes headlining the delegation in Aichi-Nagoya.
China’s Asian Games Track Record
China has finished 1st overall at every recent edition, and its lead only grew between 2018 and 2023 both in gold medals and total medal count. No other nation has come within roughly 150 medals of China’s total in the last two Games.
| Edition | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Jakarta-Palembang | 1st | 132 | 92 | 65 | 289 |
| 2022/23 Hangzhou | 1st | 201 | 111 | 71 | 383 |
Source: China at the 2018 Asian Games and China at the 2022 Asian Games, Wikipedia (compiled from official OCA results).
China’s Strongest Sports
China’s medal breadth is unmatched: it doesn’t just win in one or two sports, it wins across dozens. Swimming, athletics, gymnastics and diving alone accounted for over 120 medals in 2018.
| Sport | 2018 Medals (G-S-B) |
|---|---|
| Swimming | 50 (19-17-14) |
| Athletics | 33 (12-12-9) |
| Gymnastics | 23 (10-6-7) |
| Diving | 15 (10-6-0) |
Note: 2018 figures shown; China also traditionally dominates table tennis and badminton, though a full per-sport 2023 breakdown wasn’t confirmed in the sources checked.
China’s Official Squads by Sport
China’s national federations and the Chinese Olympic Committee have been publishing detailed 2026 Asian Games rosters through mid-2026, more comprehensively than most other delegations. Below is what we’ve confirmed, organized by how solid the sourcing is.
Confirmed via official federation/state media sources
| Sport | Key Named Athletes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming | 40 athletes named, headlined by Pan Zhanle (100m freestyle world record holder), Yu Zidi, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun | Confirmed |
| Diving | 12 athletes incl. Chen Yuxi, Wang Zongyuan, Chen Yiwen, Lian Junjie | Confirmed |
| Artistic Swimming | 10 athletes incl. Chang Hao, Lin Yanhan, Lin Yanjun | Confirmed |
| Table Tennis | Men: Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Wen Ruibo. Women: Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Yi | Confirmed |
| Badminton | Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, Wang Zhiyi, Chen Yufei, plus full doubles pairings; Wang Yiyu named at delegation uniform launch | Confirmed |
| Gymnastics (Artistic, Trampoline, Rhythmic) | Zou Jingyuan, Lan Xingyu, Ke Qinqin (artistic); Zhu Xueying (trampoline); Wang Zilu (rhythmic) | Confirmed |
| Weightlifting | Zhao Jinlan, Li Wenwen (women); Yang Yang, He Yuanji (men) | Confirmed |
| Fencing | Huang Qianqian, Zeng Zhaoran (foil); Tang Junyao, Lan Minghao (epee); Pan Qimiao, Shen Chenpeng (sabre) | Confirmed |
| Shooting | Sheng Lihao, Zhang Changhong, Liu Yukun, Jiang Ranxin, Xie Yu (all Olympic champions) | Confirmed |
| Esports | Full rosters named across Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Naraka: Bladepoint, and Identity V | Confirmed |
| Tennis | Men: Kong Weiyi, Zhang Tianhui. Women: Wang Xiyu, Zhang Shuai | Confirmed |
| Sport Climbing | Squad named incl. Long Jianguo, Deng Lijuan, Zhou Yafei | Confirmed |
Training-pool or in-progress squads (not yet the final confirmed cut)
| Sport | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball (Women’s) | 19-player training pool named incl. Li Yueru, Han Xu, Zhang Ziyu; men’s roster not found | Training Pool |
| Football (Men’s, U23-eligible) | Training-squad list incl. several Asian Cup U23 players; not confirmed as final Asian Games squad | Training Pool |
| Athletics | 72 athletes (36 men/36 women) publicized by the Chinese Athletics Association, but individual names weren’t extractable from the announcement | Count confirmed, names pending |
| Volleyball | Men’s and women’s rosters confirmed published by the China Volleyball Association; specific names not yet verified by us | Announced, names pending |
Announcement/selection process confirmed, but no named roster found yet
| Sports |
|---|
| Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing, Archery, Cycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Sailing, Equestrian, Wushu, Breaking, Skateboarding, Surfing, Squash, Golf, Handball, Rugby Sevens, Field Hockey, Water Polo, Baseball/Softball, Triathlon, Modern Pentathlon |
Why China Keeps Winning
Breadth, not just depth: China doesn’t rely on one or two dominant sports, it medals across dozens, from swimming and gymnastics to esports and sport climbing, which is why its total medal count dwarfs every other nation’s.
Star power: Pan Zhanle, the current 100m freestyle world-record holder, headlines a 40-strong swimming team that alone could outscore most countries’ entire delegations. Table tennis legend Chen Meng and badminton’s Wang Yiyu were both featured at China’s official delegation uniform-launch ceremony, signaling their continued involvement.
New-sport investment: China named full official esports rosters across four game titles (Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Naraka: Bladepoint, Identity V) well ahead of most competitors, reflecting a deliberate push into the Games’ newer, younger-audience sports alongside its traditional Olympic strengths.