In 42 swimming pool competitions of the 2019 Guangzhou World Championships, the Chinese swimming team won 7 medals in Sun Yang, Xu Jiayu, Ye Shiwen, Yan Zibei and Wang Jianjiahe, ranking sixth in the medal list.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 31 (Zhou Xin, Huang Xinxin) at 8:30 am on the 31st, the temperature showed minus 13 degrees Celsius. In the Natatorium of the State General Administration of Sports, swimmers welcomed 2020 with hot training. For them, December 31, 2019 is only Tuesday, which is an ordinary day to create beauty and realize dreams. Their common wish for the new year is: Tokyo Olympic Games on the highest podium!
It is said that the single world championship in the year before the Olympic Games indicates the trend of the coming year, but not exactly. In 42 swimming pool competitions of the 2019 Guangzhou World Championships, the Chinese swimming team won 7 medals in Sun Yang, Xu Jiayu, Ye Shiwen, Yan Zibei and Wang Jianjiahe, ranking sixth in the medal list. The team’s performance seems not optimistic, but if problems are found and solved reasonably, it is still full of hope.
As the captain of the Chinese swimming team, Sun Yang won the gold medals in the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle in the world championships. Since 2007, Sun Yang has won 11 gold medals in the 7th World Championships, which has become the second only gold in the history of the world championships, the player with the second most gold medals in individual projects.
28-year-old Sun Yang said, “2020, which is about to start with 2 words, is coming soon. I am looking forward to it and longing for it, because next year is very special-Tokyo Olympic Games, from Rio to Tokyo in a flash. After Rio, many people thought that I would retire. I lasted for four years. Today, my goal is of course to go to the highest podium.”
Xu Jiayu, who won the men’s 100 m backstroke champion in the Guangzhou World Championship, affirmed himself. “2019 was a good result. The defending champion of the world championships did not make a big breakthrough, but the new competition record of 52 seconds 17 showed its due strength in the international competition. Compared with the previous two Olympic Games, I am more mature and experienced to face the Tokyo Olympic Games. This time, I have the most hope and strength to compete for the championship. I have a heart that will win.”
Ye Shiwen, who won the Grand Slam championship at the age of 16, took part in the world championship for the fifth time. In Gwangju, Nirvana was reborn: both the 200-meter and 400-meter medley were runner-up, he also ranked fourth in the 200-meter breaststroke of the new battlefield, which made “small leaf” show a confident smile: “My 2019 year was perfect, and everything exceeded expectations! If I give myself a score, it is more than the full score, 100 +! The biggest gain of the Guangzhou World Championship is to truly enjoy the competition. My New Year’s wish is of course to hope that the Olympic Games will achieve good results and still enjoy the competition.”
Yan Zibei, the new frog king, broke the Asian record of 1 Ping in Guangzhou 4, and supported the hope of Chinese men’s breaststroke with a bronze medal of 100 m breaststroke: “In 2019, my performance in the world championships was very ideal. The next step was to fully prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games. I will cooperate with the coach and do not want the results. I just want to be happy every day and fight with my teammates.”
In contrast, Wang Shun was not satisfied with his Guangzhou World Championship. He has participated in five world championships since 2011, with medals in each tournament, but this time it was the sixth in the 200-meter medley, 400 m medley missed the final.
“I am not particularly satisfied in 2019. If the full score is 10 points, I will give myself 7 points. The World Championship failed to win the medal. In fact, the results of the winners were not good, which I feel more regretful. Fortunately, at the military games in October, I got a satisfactory result. I won the third place in the last Olympic Games. This time I hope to stand on the highest podium in the Tokyo Olympic Games. Whether it is 400 or 200, I want to have a shock.” Wang Shun said.
However, Liu Xiang, Zhang Yuyi, Wang Jianjiahe, Yang Junzhen, Yan Haiyang and other masters chose to be “a quiet strength faction” and greet better themselves with practical actions.