Adapting to life in the fast lane

"Wait, what? I'm the Asian Games gold medalist now?"

This was the genuine, shocked reaction of 17-year-old sprint sensation Chen Yujie moments after dominating the track at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

Affectionately dubbed "kid sister" by Chinese fans online, the high school student from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, went from watching the Hangzhou Asian Games on television three years ago to becoming the undisputed star of the Nagoya athletics stadium.

Yet, behind that youthful disbelief lies a fearless competitor who thrives under immense pressure — perhaps most notably in the chaotic and highly intimidating 4x100m mixed relay.

With the leg order switching back to male-female-male-female this year, Chen was tasked with receiving the baton from a male teammate. It was a challenge that tested both her nerves and her reflexes.

"Having a male runner hand off the baton to a female runner was really terrifying," Chen told China Daily afterward.