Song Cuifang, an athlete born in Binzhou, Shandong province, won the gold medal in the Women's Nandao (Southern Broadsword) event at the Chengdu FISU World University Games on July 29.

Born in 1999, Song has been learning wushu since the age of 10 and is currently a postgraduate student at the Henan Polytechnic University majoring in martial arts and ethnic traditional education.

Wushu is the collective term for martial art practices which originated in China. Wushu is categorized into two main categories: Taolu (Routines Competition) and Sanda (Free-Fighting Competition). Athletes are competing for a total of 20 gold medals in Taolu and Sanda in Chengdu.

The routines at the Chengdu games include men's changquan (long fist), daoshu (broadsword), gunshu (cudgel), nanquan, nangun (southern staff), taijiquan (tai chi) and taijijian (tai chi straight sword) as well as women's changquan, jianshu (straight sword), qiangshu (spear), nanquan, nandao, taijiquan, and taijijian.

China has sent eight wushu athletes to compete at the Chengdu games.

The Chinese delegation comprises more than 700 people, including 411 student-athletes from 25 provincial regions. Team China has 206 male and 205 female athletes. A total of 387 athletes are making their debuts at the World University Games, while 344 will be representing the national team for the first time at an international sports event.

Song Cuifang competes in the Women's Nandao of Wushu tournament of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu on July 29. [Photo/People's Daily]

Song Cuifang competes in the Women's Nandao of Wushu tournament of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu on July 29. [Photo/People's Daily]