London Games sensation Ye can’t walk away from pool

by sportswriter Li Jia

HANGZHOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — For China’s Ye Shiwen, competing against her younger counterparts at the Hangzhou Asiad is a daunting task. Yet, winning a gold medal is no longer her primary objective.

At 27, Ye outpaced South Korea’s Kim Seo-yeong, securing a silver in the women’s 200m individual medley on Monday night. The gold was clinched by her 18-year-old teammate, Yu Yiting.

“Although I was a little bit slower than I expected, I am still very happy to take a silver here. The home crowd gave me encouragement,” she said.

Ye, hailing from Hangzhou, burst onto the international scene at the 2012 London Olympics where she won the women’s 400m individual medley in a then-world-record time. Her final lap in the event was even faster than that of the men’s champion, Ryan Lochte of the United States. She also secured the 200m title. However, her performance waned in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she candidly spoke of the “heavy mental pressure” she faced.

“I was afraid of defeat at that time and I was troubled with my ankle injury,” said Ye, referencing her Rio 2016 performance where she placed eighth in the 200m final and didn’t qualify for the 400m final.

She took a year-long break from swimming and began her academic journey at Tsinghua University, studying law. Recognizing her deep-rooted passion for swimming, Ye returned to the pool. She won silver medals in both the 200m and 400m medley at the 2019 World Championships but didn’t qualify for the Tokyo Games.

With the Asian Games taking place in her hometown, Hangzhou, Ye was motivated to return to competitive swimming. She embarked on her second comeback earlier this year, but with a renewed mindset.

“I still have passion in medley and breaststroke,” said Ye, who now frequently sports a smile and appears more relaxed. “I had to tell myself all the time ‘you are very strong’ in my first comeback, but this time I don’t need to do that.”

“Winning is not the most important thing for me anymore,” added Ye. “Now I enjoy myself in the pool and I like the atmosphere in the competition.”

No longer singularly focused on victory, Ye exudes a sense of calm and confidence.

“I have already found my problems, and I will make improvements in the winter training,” she said. ■