Zhang Yufei of China wins the women's 100-meter butterfly gold medal in the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, July 24, 2023. /CFP
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei has won nine gold medals and set eight event records in the 31st International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games that just came to an end in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Tuesday.
Before coming to Chengdu, Zhang just finished the competitions at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, where she won the women's 100-meter butterfly gold with a new World Championships record of 56.12 seconds. She didn't take much rest before jumping into the pool at the Chengdu Universiade.
"I turned on my competitive mode from the beginning of this year," Zhang said in an interview with Xinhua news Agency. "I picked the events and worked on refining my mindset as a part of my preparations for the Paris Olympics in 2024."
Zhang takes nine gold medals at the 31st International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, August 7, 2023. /CFP
Zhang revealed that she decided to participate in so many events at such an intensive level to enhance her ability to swim at a stretch. "If I have to face a similar situation in Paris, I need to know how to deal with it," she said.
Back in 2021, Zhang secured the women's 200-meter butterfly gold and the women's 100-meter butterfly silver in the Tokyo Olympics. She also set a new Olympic record for the 200-meter event. Two years after that, Zhang believes there is still room for her to improve, both in performance and in mindset.
"I only began to feel like an Olympian gold medalist this year," Zhang told Xinhua. "As for performance, I'm only getting close to what I was in the Tokyo Olympics. I will definitely work hard to achieve breakthroughs, to surpass myself next year."
Zhang in the women's 100-meter butterfly final in the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, July 24, 2023. /CFP
Zhang said that the victory in Tokyo changed her view of swimming. "Before the Tokyo Olympics, I felt I was being pushed to practice by people who wanted me to win the gold and people who wanted to see a new Chinese Olympic gold medalist swimmer. I won it in full view of many observers," she said in the interview.
"But now I swim to see how much potential I have, to see if I can defend the Olympic gold medal and to see where my limit is," Zhang added.
The rise of Qing Haiyang, who won four golds in the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, including setting the new world record for the men's 200-meter breaststroke event, became a good motivation for Zhang to push herself to work harder.
L-R: Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei and Cheng Yujie of China win gold medals of the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay final in the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, July 26, 2023. /CFP
"Now Qin Haiyang is here, and he works so much harder than I do in practice. Coach Cui Dengrong had the same conversation with me many times," Zhang recalled. "He said: 'If you had worked as hard as Qin does, you would have broken the world record a long time ago.' And then I said, 'Yes, you're right.' That's why when I see how Qin trains, I keep telling myself, 'You can't spare yourself anymore; you must try to do the best with every detail.'"