Chinanews.com, Beijing, April 9 (Reporter Xing Rui) "Moving China" 2023 Person of the Year was announced on the evening of the 8th, and swimming star Zhang Yufei won the honor of "Moving China 2023 Person of the Year".
The citation for her reads: "It is better for your muscles to burn in the middle of the night than for your emotions to sink in failure." Nezha is to be reborn, and after the butterfly, it must be after the butterfly changes. Explore the limits of sports, reap the gold medals of youth, the champion is the winner, but also the person who rises in adversity. ”
For Zhang Yufei, the past 2023 has been a year of harvest and breakthrough. In many international competitions, Zhang Yufei won gold and silver, showing the world the strength and level of Chinese swimming.
At the World Championships in Fukuoka held in July last year, Zhang Yufei won 2 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes in 6 small events. In order to challenge for the men's and women's 4x100m mixed relay championship with his teammates, Zhang Yufei gave up his main event, the 200m butterfly, and finally won the historic mixed relay gold medal for the Chinese swimming team.
Data map: Zhang Yufei shows medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Photo by China News Service reporter Tang Yanjun
"Some competitions are for the country, and the responsibility of the country is shouldered, and there is only one word, do!" Zhang Yufei said at the award ceremony.
Immediately after the Chengdu Universiade, Zhang Yufei won all the championships in the 9 events he participated in, becoming the swimmer with the most gold medals in the competition.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Zhang Yufei continued to maintain an excellent competitive state despite his illness, won 6 gold medals, and broke the record in individual events many times. Not only that, but she and her teammate Qin Haiyang were also awarded the Most Valuable Athlete (MVP) of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In the subsequent World Cup sub-tournaments, Zhang Yufei won in Berlin, Athens and Budapest one after another, ranking third in the World Cup annual standings with 6 golds and 3 silvers.
Data map: Chengdu Universiade, Zhang Yufei "compared" to the audience. Photo by China News Service reporter An Yuan
Zhang Yufei, born in 1998, has been involved in swimming since he was 3 years old. In 2016, she finished sixth at her first Olympic Games. Entering the Tokyo Olympic cycle, Zhang Yufei began to change his technique with the help of his coach.
Unexpectedly, in the process, Zhang Yufei discovered his own flaw - scoliosis. "My spine is S-shaped and I can't handle much weight. This causes me injuries and back pain. ”
Such a blow was almost devastating for Zhang Yufei. At the 2019 World Championships, Zhang Yufei suffered a heavy defeat, and the main event of the 200m butterfly did not even enter the semifinals. During the trough period, Zhang Yufei kept cheering himself up: "As long as you can't kill me, I will be stronger tomorrow." ”
Data map: Zhang Yufei in the World Championships in Fukuoka. Photo by China News Service reporter Tang Yanjun
By training harder, Zhang Yufei ushered in a "butterfly change" at the Tokyo Olympics. She has handed over a palmares of 2 golds and 2 silvers, and she is in the world
At the same time as the new generation of "butterfly queens" in the world of swimming, their careers have also begun to take off.
In a previous interview, Zhang Yufei scored 95 points for his performance in 2023. "The remaining five points are because I feel like I can do better, so I'll take the experience and lessons learned to next year. ”
Talking about her future goals, Zhang Yufei said frankly that the Paris Olympics is the "highlight" of the Year of the Dragon, and she hopes to continue her form in 2023 to the Paris Olympics, and also hopes to surpass her achievements in the Tokyo Olympics.
"I want to be the queen of the world. Zhang Yufei said firmly. (ENDS)