When Zhang Yufei set the new Olympic record to win the women's 200m butterfly gold medal for China at the Tokyo Olympics, many were surprised by her performance. But she was not: winning medals had always been her goal since she first jumped into a swimming pool at the age of three to train with her parents.

In 2016, 18-year-old Zhang competed in her first Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and finished eighth in the women's 200m butterfly event. The one thing that held her back was nervousness before the final.

Fans already saw her as China's next star after Liu Zige and Jiao Liuyang – who had won gold in the women's 200m butterfly at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, respectively – and the pressure was huge.

Zhang's performance at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, where she won the women's 200m butterfly title, proved she was among the best.

But ahead of Tokyo 2020, she decided to start over, beginning with changing her swimming style, a huge challenge. She studied, optimized and refined every move under the instructions of coach Cui Dengrong.

At the same time, Zhang worked hard to build up her strength. Previously, a 15kg weighted pull-up was the most she could do. But after intensive training, she could perform pull-ups with up to 40kg weights.

Zhang's efforts produced immediate results. She broke the Asian record in the women's 100m butterfly and the national record in the 100m freestyle at National Swimming Championships in Qingdao in September 2020.

On October 1, also at national championships, Zhang and her teammates set a new world record in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

In May, with the Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, Zhang claimed five titles in a domestic Olympic trial event. Finishing the women's 200m butterfly in 2:05.44, she was already faster than anyone else in the discipline in almost four years.

This only increased her motivation and confidence and in Tokyo, she delivered.

Alongside 200m butterfly gold, Zhang took home team gold and a world record in the women's 4x200m freestyle, as well as silver in the women's 100m butterfly and the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

At just 23 and on one of the world's biggest stages in the world, Zhang has emerged as China's new swimming ace.