A few days ago, Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei posted a group of photos on his personal social media to celebrate his 24th birthday. Netizens have sent their blessings, of course, for this Chinese swimming leader, everyone's expectations are far more than this, the Paris Olympic cycle, whether the new butterfly can once again soar to the sky, more attention.
Zhang Yufei, who was born on April 19, 1998, celebrated her 24th birthday on the 19th, and she especially posted on her personal social media to celebrate. Among the photos posted by Zhang Yufei, in addition to a recent photo of her sitting by the pool, there is also a childhood photo dressed as a mermaid that is very eye-catching. In the contrast between the old and new photos, people can't help but sigh that the once young "Little Mermaid" has grown up.
Zhang Yufei can be described as a young celebrity, representing the Chinese team at the age of 14, and in the 2012 Short Pool Swimming World Cup, she even defeated the 2008 Olympic champion Liu Zige, which is also the first time Zhang Yufei has really been paid attention to by everyone. After officially entering the national team at the age of 15, Zhang Yufei continued to soar, first winning 4 gold and 2 silver at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, and then winning the bronze medal in the women's 200m butterfly at the 2015 Kazan World Championships with a record-breaking women's youth world record. And just when people were expecting Zhang Yufei to soar on the field of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the "talented girl" accidentally encountered Waterloo. In the final of the 200-meter butterfly event, 18-year-old Zhang Yufei not only failed to stand on the podium as desired, but also the sixth place was far from expectations. Zhang Yufei, who felt defeat for the first time, ushered in his own bottleneck period.
Later, in the preparation cycle for the Tokyo Olympics, she began to try the 100m butterfly and the 200m butterfly, but the inability to change the technique also made her fall into self-doubt. Although the Jakarta Asian Games 200-meter butterfly championship gave Zhang Yufei hope for a while, the subsequent defeats in a series of competitions such as the World Championships and the National Championships once again faced a huge psychological test. With the Tokyo Olympics postponed for a year, Zhang Yufei can only strengthen herself in continuous exploration. It turns out that genius lies in accumulation. In July 2021, Zhang Yufei, who stood on the Olympic field again, finally proved herself. She won a silver medal in the women's 100m butterfly and then rode in the 200m butterfly to win gold and break olympic records.
Not only that, Zhang Yufei and his teammates also won the Gold Medal in the Women's 4×200m Freestyle Relay for the Chinese team, the silver medal in the men's and women's 4×100m medley relay, becoming the person who won the most medals in a single Olympic Games for Chinese swimmers, and becoming a veritable leader in Chinese swimming. Zhang Yufei, who is now one year older, is at her peak, and she will also aim at a new stage, whether it is the 2023 Budapest World Championships or the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, everyone is also looking forward to the new "Butterfly Queen" taking off again.