After the President's Cup basketball tournament, the Office of Physical Education organizes the "TKU Water Sports Competition" as a follow-up event every year. Due to the pandemic, the competition had been suspended for 3 years. Finally, on May 17th, it returned with great enthusiasm at the Shao-Mo Memorial Natatorium Complex. Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hui-Huang Hsu, attended the event to encourage the athletes. In his opening speech, he emphasized that swimming benefits both physical and mental health. Taiwan is an island with various water activities, so swimming is an essential skill to avoid danger. He expressed his wishes for a successful event and hoped that all participants would achieve good results.
In this competition, a total of 4 individuals broke 5 event records. In the Men's General Division, Jun Hou, a junior from the Department of Global Politics and Economics won 2 championships, breaking the record in the 100m freestyle with a record of 1:02.54 and the 50m butterfly with a record of 29.4 seconds. In the Men's General Division, Chao-Shiang Chen, a senior from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering broke the record in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 35.12 seconds. In the Men's General Division, Ting-An Chou, a junior from the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering broke the record in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:21.44. In the Women's General Division, Fang-Chieh Chen, a freshman from the Department of Architecture broke the record in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:31.76.
Before the competition, a water safety demonstration was conducted to explain the potential risks such as drowning, shipwreck, and other maritime accidents. The correct techniques for rescuing others and seeking help were demonstrated to ensure that the students are familiar with water safety guidelines.
In the individual events, each athlete competed fiercely, striving to move forward with every second. Their teammates on the shore and the spectators cheered them on enthusiastically. The fun competitions were full of excitement and laughter. "Teamwork Challenge," "Water Volleyball," and "Water Basketball" showcased the spirit of teamwork as they strived for better rankings. In the "Underwater Treasure Hunt," participants held their breath and searched for key items underwater. In the " Rope-Throwing Rescue," rescuers on the shore skillfully threw ropes like cowboys. 3 individuals in the water, 10 meters away, grabbed onto the rope and vigorously swam towards the rescue point. The rescuers took turns pulling the rope, just like in a tug of war, until they reached the finish line at the edge of the pool. In the "Manikin Drag," initially, each swimmer attempted different tactics without fully understanding the rules. After a reminder from the referee that "the manikin's face needs to emerge above the water surface," everyone realized the correct technique and unified their approach by swimming in a backstroke style to complete the task.
Chao-Shiang Chen, who recently won the silver medal in the "Men's 100m Breaststroke" event at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games 2023, once again broke the tournament record at the TKU Water Sports Competition. He mentioned that before the competition, he and his teammates would simulate the race, challenging each other to swim their best time. Chen expressed his gratitude for the cheers and encouragement from everyone during the competition, which boosted his confidence and contributed to his excellent performance.
