University basketball players compete in a match in Chongqing this month. [Photo/China Daily]

"I don't have any regrets in appearing at my last World University Games. I know how hard it is to win an athletics gold medal at these Games, so I just wanted to give it a try. I was determined not to give up," Xia added.

"My biggest wish after winning is that my story can inspire more young people to embrace sports. Throughout my competitive career, I have aimed to show the best sporting spirit of a Chinese student-athlete. I have a never-say-die spirit, and I hope this will have a positive influence on the younger generation."

The growth of university sports in China is not solely due to student-athletes, as coaches also play a crucial role — one example being Xia's coach, Cao Zhenshui.

"No words can express my excitement. Xia Yuyu is a student with great ambition, and she has put in a lot of hard effort. We achieved our dream," Cao said.

After graduating from Beijing Sport University, Cao joined Tsinghua University as a physical education teacher in the 1980s. Recalling that time, he said the equipment used was not up to standard.

The coach told China Youth Daily: "When I first took charge of the middle- and long-distance running team at the university, we didn't have that many runners. It was hard for us to win a title at a municipal-level tournament in Beijing.

"We didn't have enough equipment. A jersey bearing the name 'Tsinghua' was shared by several runners. One of them washed the jersey after competition, before handing it to another runner for the next tournament."

Cao said that due to the growth of university sports in China, training conditions have improved rapidly in recent decades.

Now, with considerable support from the government and other areas of society, a number of promising Chinese student-athletes have shone on the world stage thanks to scientific training methods and state-of-the-art venues, facilities and equipment.