China News Service, Xi'an, September 20th, title: "Feiyu" won the first gold without suspense: always swimming towards the world record
China News Agency reporter Hu Jian
Without suspense, Zhang Yufei, the "Medical King" of the Chinese Army in the Tokyo Olympics, won her first gold medal in the National Games.
For her, this is not enough.
On the evening of the 20th, in the women's 100m butterfly final of the 14th National Games, Zhang Yufei won the championship with a time of 56.24 seconds.
This result is 0.6 seconds away from the 55 seconds 64 she swims in Tokyo, and 0.62 seconds away from the Asian record she swims in the 2020 National Swimming Championships.
"Participating in the national competition, ranking is no longer important to me. My goal has always been to swim towards the world record. From the Olympics to the present, there has been no systematic training, and I am very satisfied to be able to swim out of this performance. "Zhang Yufei said.
This is the third National Games that Zhang Yufei participated in.
Four years ago in Tianjin, she won two gold medals in the women's 200m butterfly and women's 4*100m freestyle. In the women's 100m butterfly final, she swam 57.44 seconds and won the runner-up with a difference of 0.03 seconds.
The scene on the podium four years ago is still fresh in Zhang Yufei's memory.
"I was second that year and Sister Ying (Lu Ying) was third. On the podium, we shook hands across the champion. I am very happy to take Coach Cui (Cui Dengrong) on the highest podium this time. It can be regarded as fulfilling his wish." Zhang Yufei said.
At the Tokyo Olympics more than 40 days ago, Zhang Yufei, born in 1998, won the 200m butterfly, 4×200m freestyle relay champion, 100m butterfly, men’s and women’s 4×100m medley relay runner-up, and she became the winner of 2 gold and 2 silver. The Chinese sports delegation has won the most medals in the Tokyo Olympics.
As the "Medical King" of the Tokyo Olympics, Zhang Yufei participated in the competition for 8 events in this National Games. "I originally reported 6 but the coach secretly added 2 relays to me." How many medals can be won in the Games is a big suspense in this swimming competition, but for her, the world is her real stage.
"I prefer to participate in world competitions, which can stimulate my potential." Zhang Yufei said with a smile.
At the age of 13, Zhang Yufei, who was still a middle school student, won 3 golds and 1 silver at the National Middle School Games.
Since then successively breaking the youth world record in the World Championships, winning gold and silver in the Asian Games, when to break the record again has become the focus of attention from the outside world.
After the semi-finals the day before, the reporter asked her if she had any plans to break the record in the current National Games. Which projects are more confident? The laughing Zhang Yufei said mischievously: "I won't tell you." (End)