Zhang_Yufei_(swimmer)

Zhang Yufei (swimmer)

Zhang Yufei (swimmer)

Chinese swimmer (born 1998)

Zhang Yufei (Chinese: 张雨霏; pinyin: Zhāng Yǔfēi; born 19 April 1998) is a Chinese competitive swimmer who specializes in sprint freestyle and butterfly events.[2] Considered one of the most promising swimmers in the international scene, she produced a tally of thirty-seven medals (eighteen gold medals, seven silver medals, and twelve bronze medals) in her swimming career, spanning the Youth Olympics, Asian Games, World Championships and the Summer Olympics. In 2023, she was named as the most valuable player in the women's division, in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.[3]

Quick Facts Personal information, National team ...
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.


A 2024 article recently published in the New York Times alleges that medically significant levels of trimetazidine were detected in her blood stream prior to and during the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games[4]="New York Times Doping Article">Vrentas, Jenny. "Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive For Banned Drug, Then One Three Olympic Gold Medals". The New York Times. New York Times Company. Retrieved 23 April 2024.</ref>[5][6]. However, during a press release, the World Antidoping Agency, clarified that the levels of TMZ found in Chinese swimmers were not capable of producing any enhancement in performance at the concentrations found and were due to an environmental contamination. The resolution of the case followed WADA guidelines and was treated in a similar way as previous cases, some of which involved athletes in the USA[7].

Career

Born in Xuzhou (Jiangsu), Zhang began swimming at the age of four partly because of the encouragement and influence of her mother, who acted as her personal coach. Two years later, she started training professionally as a member of the Jiangsu Swimming Team, and eventually held numerous records for her age group. As more records followed, Zhang's rapid improvement culminated on her major debut in an international sporting event at the age of fourteen, when she beat 2008 Olympic champion Liu Zige for the gold medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 2012 FINA World Cup meet in Beijing.[8] The following year, she was selected for China's national swimming team.[9]

Zhang's international debut came as a member of the host nation China at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, where she achieved a total of five medals: three golds and two silver. Zhang started off the competition with a powerful butterfly split of 58.56 in the girls' 4 × 100 m medley relay that tremendously helped her Chinese foursome break the junior world record (4:03.58) for the gold medal. On the same night, she managed a strong swim to take the silver in the 200 m butterfly with a time of 2:08.22, finishing farther behind Hungary's Liliána Szilágyi by less than two seconds.[10] In the girls' 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, Zhang posted a third leg split in 54.09 until her host nation's foursome celebrated again with another relay victory in 3:41.19.[11][12] On 22 August, Zhang relegated to her second silver in the 100 m butterfly at 57.95, narrowly losing the race again to Szilagyi by almost three tenths of a second. Despite missing out her first individual gold, Zhang and her teammates Li Guangyuan, He Yun, and Yu Hexin powered their stretch to grab another relay title for the Chinese squad in the mixed 4 × 100 m medley (3:49.33).[13]

Zhang (right) at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships

One month later, at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Zhang set a 54.10 split on the third leg to put the Chinese squad ahead to a marvelous victory in the women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, with a time of 3:37.25.[14]

At the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, Zhang swam her two finals on the fifth night of the competition with forty minutes in between. First, she lowered her own junior world record with 2:06.51 to take home her individual bronze in the 200 m butterfly.[15][16] Forty minutes later, Zhang set a third leg split of 1:58.73 to deliver the Chinese foursome a bronze medal in the women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay with a combined time of 7:49.10.[15]

On 22 August 2018, Zhang won the Women's 200 m butterfly gold medal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia with 2:06.61.[17]

On 25 July 2021, Zhang went 55.64 to win silver in the Women's 100 m butterfly at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics behind Maggie Macneil, who went 55.59.

On 28 July 2021, Zhang broke the Olympic record and the world record in the Women's 200 m butterfly and the Women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay respectively, winning the gold medals in both events.[18] Subsequently, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that a drug considered to enhance athletes performance was found at medically significant levels in 23 Chinese Swimmers prior to the Summer Olympics.[19] Including Yufei.

On 24 July 2023, Zhang won the women's 100 m butterfly gold medal at the 2023 Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships.[20]

At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhang topped the podium in the women's individual 50 m freestyle,[21] 50 m butterfly,[22] 100 m butterfly[23] and 200 m butterfly,[24] while also contributing to her national women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay and mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay gold medals, securing 6 golds in all.

Personal bests

As of July 30, 2023[25]

Long course (50-meter pool)

More information Event, Time ...

Short course (25-meter pool)

More information Event, Time ...

Key: NR = National Record ; AS = Asian Record ; OR = Olympic Record

See also

References

  1. [1]
    https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n2008023-zhang-yufei.htm
  2. [2]
    "Zhang Yufei". Incheon 2014. Archived from the original on 27 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. [3]
    Race, Retta (2023-10-09). "Zhang Yufei & Qin Haiyang Both Named MVP Of 19th Asian Games". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  4. [4]
    <ref name
  5. [5]
    Davis, Jack. "Olympics Scandal: Anti-Doping Agency Admits Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Substance". Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  6. [6]
    Koons, Zach. "U.S. Swimmers Informed of Alleged Doping Violations at Tokyo Olympics by China". Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  7. [7]
    https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-publishes-media-conference-recording-regarding-environmental-contamination-case-swimmers
  8. [8]
    Liu, Weiguo (6 November 2012). "Teenage Swimmer Defeats Olympic Champion". All-China Women's Federation. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  9. [9]
    "98年江苏姑娘，3岁学游泳，曾因太美被国家队教练禁止谈恋爱原文網址". 16 August 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  10. [10]
    "Youth Olympic Games: Liliana Szilagyi Vaults to 3rd in World in 200 Fly". Swimming World Magazine. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  11. [11]
    "Youth Olympic Games: Sprints Take Center Stage on Fight Night". Swimming World Magazine. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  12. [12]
    "YOG: China adds two swimming gold medals". Xinhua. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  13. [13]
    "Youth Olympic Games: World Junior Record Bonanza on Final Night". Swimming World Magazine. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  14. [14]
    "Japanese Men Turn In Fabulous Night of Swimming at Asian Games". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  15. [15]
    "Roundup: Chinese swimming shows strength at Kazan worlds". China Internet Information Center. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  16. [16]
    "Natsumi Hoshi Captures 200 Fly World Title at 2015 FINA World Championships". Swimming World Magazine. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  17. [17]
    "Zhang Yufei wins 200m butterfly at Asian Games". Xinhuanet News. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 27 Aug 2018.[dead link]
  18. [18]
    "China wins women's 4x200 freestyle relay with world record". Japan Today. Retrieved 2021-07-29. China's Zhang had earlier won gold in the 200m butterfly... China took the title after holding off a late charge by America's Katie Ledecky, who threatened an incredible comeback during the final leg... The team of Yang Junxuan, Zhang Yufei, Li Bingjie and Tang Muhan touched in 7 minutes, 40.33 seconds ahead of the United States (7:40.73) and Australia (7:41.29).
  19. [19]
    Schad, Tom. "The Chinese Swimming Doping Scandal: What we know about the bombshell allegations and WADA's response". U.S.A Today. USA Today. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  20. [20]
    "World Aquatics Championships 2023: Zhang Yufei wins tight women's 100m fly for first world title". olympics.com. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  21. [21]
    "Asian Games 2023: Zhang Yufei storms to fifth Hangzhou gold in women's 50m free". olympics.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  22. [22]
    "Asian Games 2023: Zhang Yufei bows out of Hangzhou by tying Ikee Rikako's record of 6 swimming gold medals". olympics.com. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  23. [23]
    "Asian Games 2023: Zhang Yufei eases to women's 100m butterfly, 4x100m mixed medley relay in record times". olympics.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  24. [24]
    "China rule in pool and beyond on first day of Asian Games". Dawn. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  25. [25]
    "FINA personal best results".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zhang Yufei.
Preceded by Mixed 4 x 100-meter medley relay
world record-holder
1 October 2020 – 31 July 2021		 Succeeded by
Great Britain
Preceded by 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
world record-holder
29 July 2021 – 31 July 2022		 Succeeded by
Australia
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