The Chinese national swimming team on Monday released its 43-participant list for the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, scheduled to take place from July 12 to 28. The country's best swimmers, including Sun Yang, Xu Jiayu, Wang Shun, Ye Shiwen, Fu Yuanhui, Wang Jianjiahe and Li Bingjie, are all on the list.

Sun Yang is the doubtless leader of all 20 male athletes and this will be his seventh World Aquatics Championships. Two years ago in Budapest, Hungary, he won two of China's three gold medals in men's 200m and 400m freestyle competitions. That 200m race was Sun's first and the 400m one was his third in a row, which he won by defeating Australia's Mack Horton and Italy's Gabriele Detti.

According to Tencent Sports, Sun will attend men's 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle events in Gwangju. The first two hold the most hope for golds.

China's third gold medal in Budapest came from Xu Jiayu in men's 100m backstroke event. This time, he will compete in men's 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke as individual events. Xu said he's happy that he finally gained some weight and his preparation and training have gone well.

Veteran Wang Shun is aiming for gold in his fifth World Championships, or in his words: "change the color of his medal." So far the best he could get was a bronze medal. He will be participating in men's 200m and 400m medley for individual events.

The 23 female swimmers include Ye Shiwen, a 2011 world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, as well as 50m backstroke world record holder Liu Xiang. Ye told reporters that she will compete in 200m, 400m medley and 200m breaststroke events. "I feel more relaxed than before and enjoy more fun from the competition," said Ye.

Liu revealed that she has been working on improving her strength, which has been one of the major limits of her career. "I want to grow stronger both physically and mentally and compete with those great foreign swimmers," said Liu, who will attend the 50m freestyle in Gwangju.