"Rising Stars" Unite! Over 300 Young Second-Graders in Shanghai Compete in the Pool for the "Seedling Cup"

The young swimming talents of second grade embrace the future as they compete in the pool. On March 15, Shanghai’s swimming scene witnessed a city-wide showdown among these budding athletes, with the 2025 Shanghai “Yumiao Cup” Primary School Swimming Competition taking place at the Xieqiao Swimming Pool of Shanghai Datong Junior High School.

Thirty-four2 young swimmers from 31 schools across the city gathered for the competition, creating an electrifying atmosphere that kept building with each wave of excitement. Born between September 1, 2016, and August 31, 2017, these kids showcased their boundless passion and unwavering dedication to swimming in the pool.

Unbeknownst to many, this marks the 35th annual "Yumiao Cup" swimming competition. The "Yumiao Cup" was first held in Shanghai back in 1988, with its initial participants coming from just a few swimming teams based in the city center. The event’s name, "Yumiao Cup," reflects its mission: nurturing young talents for the sport of swimming, helping children grow and thrive through competition. At its core, the event features 25-meter kick events focusing on four primary swimming strokes—designed specifically to help kids at this age group build a solid foundation, master essential swimming skills, and enhance their body coordination and water confidence.

Yan Yumin, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Swimming Association and coach at Huangpu-Luwan Youth Sports School, has witnessed 20 years of the "Yumiao Cup." What impressed him most is that, nowadays, in addition to swimming teams from all districts across the city, an increasing number of privately-run training groups are also joining the competition—demonstrating the vibrant growth of youth swimming in Shanghai.

After a two-hour bus ride and a half-hour competition, the young swimmers from Chongming District’s Youth Sports School, along with their parents, still enjoyed a meaningful day at the "Yumiao Cup." For these swimmers, getting the chance to participate in the "Yumiao Cup"—a once-in-a-lifetime event—and growing stronger through the competition made the trip well worth it.

Zhou Siyi has been practicing swimming for less than two years but has already competed in two city-wide swimming competitions: he took part in the "June 1st Baby Cup" as a first-grader and this year joined the "Youmiao Cup." He’s eager to improve even further each year. This time, he swam the backstroke leg in the relay race, saying, "Although I’m nervous, I always enjoy competing!"

Coach Zhang Tianyang explained that compared to teams from the city center, the Chongming District Youth Sports School hasn’t been running its junior swimming team for very long. However, parents in Chongming are generally very supportive of their children learning to swim. "Swimming training requires a gradual, step-by-step process to help athletes ultimately achieve success," Coach Zhang noted. He added that frequent participation in city-level competitions has undoubtedly played a key role in boosting the swimmers' skills. Meanwhile, the kids beamed with innocent smiles as they told reporters from Xinmin Evening News: "Our idol is Pan Zhanle—he swims super fast, like a flying fish!"

Liu Qiuping, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Swimming Association, explained: "Swimming should start with children from an early age. Second grade in elementary school is a crucial stage—children aged 7 to 8 are naturally active, making it the perfect time to develop their agility and coordination. Mastering the technical movements of all four swimming strokes during this period lays a solid foundation for further improving training efficiency. In particular, leg technique becomes the top priority at this stage; strong kicking skills help maintain body balance, minimize unnecessary body movement, enhance the quality of your arm strokes, and ultimately boost your swimming speed."

With the growing popularity of swimming, improving physical fitness among young athletes, and enhanced training capabilities, she suggests that the "Yumiao Cup" events could be expanded slightly—perhaps introducing 50-meter and 100-meter races in all four swimming styles—to use competition as a form of practice and ultimately boost competitive skills.

Column Editor: Huang Yongsun Featured Image Source: Shanghai Swimming Association Image Source: Shanghai Swimming Association

Source: Author – Tao Xingying, Xinmin Evening News