全国残疾人游泳锦标赛暨东京聋奥会选拔赛在江苏南通开赛，参赛人数较往届大幅提升

Core Points - The 2025 National Disabled Swimming Championships and Tokyo Deaf Olympics selection event opened in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, with significant participation from various officials [2] - This event is crucial for selecting athletes for the Tokyo Deaf Olympics and has attracted 286 disabled athletes from 26 teams, marking the highest participation level in history [4][5] - The event features various categories including physical, intellectual, visual, and hearing disabilities, with a notable increase in younger athletes participating [5][6] Participation Growth - The number of participants has increased by 61 compared to the previous event, with over half of the athletes born after 2005, indicating a growing interest in disabled swimming [4][5] - The youngest athlete, born in November 2016, represents a new generation of competitors in the sport [5] - The success of Chinese swimming in previous Paralympics has likely inspired younger athletes to engage in the sport [5] Classification and Support - A primary goal of the event is to classify athletes who have never participated in such competitions, which is essential for their future participation in national and international events [6] - The organization of the event has seen significant improvements, with strong support from local government and various sectors, allowing for a quicker setup compared to past events [9] - The involvement of private sponsors, such as Minchi Sports Technology, highlights the increasing support for disabled sports from the community [10] Performance Highlights - The event has already seen record-breaking performances, such as Wang Zhiqing from Shandong breaking the meet record in the women's 100m backstroke S13 category [10]