Ye Shiwen Teases Retirement after ‘Likely Last’ National Games
Ye Shiwen hinted at the end of her swimming career after the conclusion of China’s National Games this week.
Ye, 29, said it was likely her last appearance at the quadrennial celebration of Chinese athletes. She had just finished up winning the women’s 400 medley relay, alongside the team of Lu Xingchen, Yu Yiting and Wu Qingfeng, representing Zhejiang province.
“This National Games was all about the women’s medley relay,” Ye told Xinhua News Agency. “I’m glad I didn’t let the team down. This is likely my last National Games. I’ll decide next year whether to keep competing. If I have to leave the pool, I’ll definitely be reluctant.”
Ye has appeared at the National Games since 2013, when she did the individual medley double among five total medals. Ye burst onto the international scene at the 2011 World Championships, when she won gold in the women’s 200 individual medley at age 15. A year later, she won the 200 IM and 400 IM gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London with a historic freestyle leg.
Ye has swum at three Olympics, returning for the Paris Games after missing the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. She’s reinvented herself as a breaststroker, finishing sixth in the 200 breast and 10th in the 200 IM in Paris in 2024. Ye finished eighth in the 200 IM and 27th in the 400 IM at the Rio Games in 2016 in her bid to repeat as champion.
Ye also won the 200 IM at the 2012 World Short-Course championships. Her career rallied in 2019 to include silver medals in the 200 IM and 400 IM at the World Championships in Gwangju. She has seven total Worlds medals (two gold) in long- and short-course. She’s a six-time Asian Games medalist.
