Track World Championships debut in Shanghai

From October 14 to 18, the highly anticipated UCI Track Cycling World Championships are being held at the Shanghai Velodrome for the first time in China. The event also serves as the first major points-scoring competition for track cycling at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

As of midday on October 17 local time, China had won two gold medals and one bronze on home soil, marking a breakthrough for the team. On October 16, Italian star Jonathan Milan stormed to a new world record in qualifying for the men's 4,000m individual pursuit, clocking 3:58.850 to break his own record and become the first rider in history to go under the 3:59 barrier.

On the opening day of competition, China's women's team sprint trio of Jiang Yulu, Yuan Liying and Tong Mengqi claimed gold in 45.578 seconds, defeating Great Britain and setting a new Asian record. China won the world title in the event for the first time in a decade. Luo Xuehuang, who competed in qualifying and the semifinals as part of the team, also shared in the gold medal triumph. 

In the men's team sprint, Jin Zhiheng, Li Zhiwei and Liu Qi defeated Japan to secure China's first-ever World Championships bronze medal in the event, marking a historic breakthrough. On the evening of October 16, Yuan Liying defeated British star Emma Finucane 2-0 in the women's sprint final to claim the individual sprint title, becoming a double gold medallist at this year's World Championships.