University students exercise and take part in a hurdles race. [Photo by Zhao Qirui/Hao Qunying/for China Daily]

More than medals

However, not all student-athletes can win medals at events such as the World University Games. For the most of them, taking part in sports is important, as this can have a deep influence on their lives.

For example, failing to win a medal at the Games in Chengdu will not change the love of athletics harbored by Chinese twin brothers Xing Jiadong and Xing Jialiang. In 2020, they entered Peking University, and since childhood, sports have played a key part in their lives.

The twins' father, a PE teacher at a middle school in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, specialized in events such as the shot put and discus.

Xing Jiadong, who finished ninth in the men's discus at the Chengdu Games, said: "We learned these sports from our father when we were kids, and we trained more professionally in middle school. We first practiced the shot put, and then the discus. Our father initially just wanted us to have healthy bodies, but sports gradually became our hobby and passion."

The twins attended middle school in Beijing, where they continued to train.

Xing Jialiang, who was born first, said this was quite a tough time for them. Each day, they had to train late at night after completing their school work, but their passion for sports and their support for each other helped them get through.

"If my brother trains alone, he might miss some details of his training, so I have to be there. We look after each other and offer advice and encouragement to one another. It's always better for us to be together," said Xing Jialiang, who finished fourth in the men's shot put in Chengdu.

Despite failing to win a medal at the Games, the brothers' love of athletics remains as strong as ever.

Xing Jiadong said: "I was so proud to attend the opening ceremony as a member of the Chinese delegation. I felt the passion of Chengdu and all the people here. This will be a lifetime memory for me. I will now train harder in sports and also at law school."