Zhangjiagang, a county-level city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, has developed a comprehensive sports education system spanning from elementary to high school, with each school focusing on a particular sport.
To date, the city is home to 36 national football-specialized schools, four national basketball-specialized schools, three national volleyball-specialized schools, one national tennis-specialized school, and three provincial model schools for football talent reserve.
Zhangjiagang Donglai Elementary School, which specializes in shooting, collaborates with professional coaches to train students. Sheng Lihao, a double gold medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was discovered while attending the school, highlighting the effectiveness of the city's sports talent cultivation system.
At Zhangjiagang Foreign Language School, sports such as basketball, fencing, racquetball, cheerleading, and rock climbing have been integrated into the curriculum, with several students from the school having already won championships in provincial and national racquetball competitions.
A student takes rock climbing lessons at Zhangjiagang Foreign Language School. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
Over the past five years, Zhangjiagang has trained more than 500 athletes who have collectively earned 233 gold medals, 135 silver medals, and 130 bronze medals in competitions beyond the provincial level, demonstrating the effectiveness of the city's sports education system.