As Youth Emerge in Singapore, China’s Female Future is Bright
The Chinese women’s program has held solid as the world’s third-ranking power behind the United States and Australia. If the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore are any indication, the gap on the top two might be closing.
Youth is on the side of the Chinese, who had five different female swimmers hit the medal podium, not including medal threat Yu Zidi at age 12. While her youth is an extreme, there are plenty of swimmers in their late teens and early 20s with a chance to grow into genuine medal threats over this Olympic cycle.
China’s performance at the Paris Olympics in 2024 was generally excellent. It didn’t win a women’s gold medal, with a silver and six bronzes. But those seven medals were larger than the return of the entire European continent’s female contingent (six medals, two of each color). China was the bronze medalist behind the U.S. and Australia in each women’s relay.
But from an individual perspective, the last two Olympics have only involved three individual medalists. Zhang Yufei has four individual medals over the last two Olympics. Tang Qianting won silver in the 100 breast in Paris. Li Bingjie took home bronze in Tokyo’s 400 free.
So for the Singapore Worlds to introduce three new Chinese swimmers to the individual podiums marks a massive opportunity for generations to collide in Los Angeles in three years.
“We’ve shown that there is great depth in the Chinese team,” Tang said after the medley relay. “That goes to show that there’s more to come from us in the future.”
Wan Letian of China; Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Li and Tang won two medals each, contributing to China’s tally of 14, third on the table behind the United States (29) and Australia (20). Wu Qingfeng and Cheng Yujie won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 50 free. Wan Letian grabbed bronze in the 50 back. A relay title remained elusive, with China third in the 800 free and 400 medley and fourth in the 400 free. (China did win the 800 free relay at the 2024 Doha Worlds, though against a diminished field. It was the Olympic champ in Tokyo in the 800 free relay.)
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The relay program has long been excellent, but few of those valuable pieces have made the leap to individual contention. Yang Junxuan led off both free relays in Paris, but the 23-year-old has never replicated her 2022 world title in the 200 free. Liu Yaxin has been steady in the relays if not an individual threat. Yu Yiting, who only turns 20 in September, warrants mention for her consecutive 200 IM bronzes in Fukuoka and Doha, with still runway to improve.
In Wan, who turns 21 in August, the Chinese might have a long awaited solution to backstroke. With Tang and Zhang, the only weakness is on the medley’s first leg. In the Paris final, for instance, Wan split 59.81, two seconds behind Kaylee McKeown of Australia and 2.5 behind Regan Smith. The final gap between China and Australia was .12 seconds, recovered by Mollie O’Callaghan on the anchor.
“In the past, I’d find myself looking at my opponents,” Wan said after the 50. “Tonight, I just focused on myself, didn’t think about anything else. But my past experiences was also a way of me learning that I’m not good enough, and learning where I still have to improve. Growing pains.
“My shortcomings in the 100m are mainly in what happens immediately after the turns,” she added. “I place more emphasis on the 50m personally, but I want to play my part in the team relays. After all, backstroke is traditionally our weaker stroke.”
Yang anchored that relay. In Singapore, Cheng anchored the medley relay. She finished seventh in the 100, with Wu 15th. Cheng turns 20 in September. Wu is 22.
Turn the clock forward to 2028. Zhang will be 30; if she gets there, it’ll likely be her last Olympic run. But she could fit into an elder stateswoman role with the burgeoning talent around her. Tang will only be 24. Li will be 26, both still squarely in their prime. Wan, Yu, Qu and Cheng will have time to develop. Yang should remain in the relay picture. And if Yu Zidi is any indication, the next star to emerge might be still learning multiplication tables in primary school.
A lot has to go right – and yes, a lot of rules need to be followed with the international transparency and accountability that they are being adhered to. But it’s a daunting prospect of what may lie ahead for China.
“I think we still have room for improvement,” Zhang said. “It’s the last day of the meet – we’re all a little fatigued whether in our body or in the mind. On paper, we can still be better. It’s not impossible for us to fight Australia for silver at LA 2028.”
