Sun Jiajun recalls his gold-medal journey at the Paris Olympics: "The pressure was so intense I couldn’t sleep—so in the final 8 meters, I held my breath and pushed through to the very end."
Eight months have passed since the thrilling men’s 4x100m medley relay final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which took place in the early hours of August 5, 2024, Beijing time. Yet, recalling that unforgettable moment still sends shivers of pride—and excitement—through countless Chinese hearts. Back then, four young Chinese heroes—Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, and Pan Zhanle—teamed up to deliver a stunning performance, defeating the U.S. team—the dominant force that had held onto this title for an impressive 40 years—and clinching a gold medal that truly shines with its immense value.
Sun Jiajun, who raced the third leg for the Chinese team, bravely withstood immense pressure and delivered his personal best split time in the butterfly event—living up to expectations. That moment marked a pivotal turning point, as it officially ushered in his "coming-of-age" in the swimming world. Now, even more mature and confident, Sun Jiajun carries the pride of being a Paris Olympic champion as he sets his sights on his next ambitious goal.
From April 1 to 4, the "Decisive Battle in Paris, Blooming at the Olympics — Olympic Champions Face-to-Face" touring lecture series held its Shaanxi stop in Yan'an. During his speech titled "Fearless and Persistent: Keeping Our Country Close to Our Hearts," delivered to local students and residents, Sun Jiajun shared his experience as China's third swimmer in the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As he recounted how he held his breath during the final sprint to achieve an even faster pace—completely skipping his usual breathing rhythm—gasps of astonishment filled the audience of students and locals.
“At that moment, I just kept telling myself I had to hold my breath and push through to the very end—better to pass out than give up,” Sun Jiajun recalled during an exclusive interview with a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network on April 3.
Two days ahead of the highly anticipated showdown between the U.S. and Chinese teams at the Paris Olympics swimming venue, on August 2 local time, Sun Jiajun and his teammate Wang Changhao both concluded their respective heats in the men’s 100m butterfly event. Sun Jiajun delivered a strong performance with a time of 51.85 seconds, edging out Wang Changhao, who struggled due to a fever that affected his form, finishing in 52.37 seconds. Based on the Chinese swimming team’s previously announced selection criteria for the relay events at the Paris Olympics, Sun Jiajun has now automatically earned the right to swim the butterfly leg for China’s men’s 4x100m medley relay final.
The men's 4x100m medley relay is typically the final event of swimming competitions, serving as the ultimate showcase of each team's overall strength and collaborative teamwork in men's swimming. As a long-standing global powerhouse in swimming, the United States has dominated the Olympic men's 4x100m medley relay title for the past 40 years. However, China, emerging as a rising force on the world swimming stage, now possesses the capability to challenge America's dominant position in this prestigious event. The Paris Olympics will mark a thrilling face-off between the U.S. and Chinese teams in the men's 4x100m medley relay.
Sun Jiajun, who is about to face the men's 4x100m medley relay final, finally realized that this monumental task has already been placed squarely in his hands.
Sun Jiajun said the Paris Olympics mark his second Olympic journey. Compared to his debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, he already felt significantly more pressure this time in Paris. "Back in Tokyo 2020, I was a young team member competing in my first-ever Olympics. Plus, veteran teammate Yan Zibei—from the Hubei team—was leading the way, and Coach Zheng Shan was with us too, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the pressure. But this trip to Paris is different—Veteran Yan Zibei isn’t competing, and Coach Zheng Shan isn’t accompanying me either. Now, I’ll have to face all the challenges—and difficulties—on my own."
Sun Jiajun, already under considerable pressure, unexpectedly found himself as the starting swimmer for China’s butterfly leg in the men’s 4x100m medley relay final at the Paris Olympics after a teammate suddenly fell ill. Fully aware of the Chinese team’s burning desire to clinch the gold in this event, he couldn’t help but feel extra anxiety—fearing that a subpar performance might end up holding the entire team back.
"I literally couldn't sleep for those two days—couldn't get a wink of rest all night," Sun Jiajun recalled. "The pressure was overwhelming, but not getting enough sleep would only worsen my physical condition, making me even more anxious."
At that time, Wang Shun, the veteran member of the Chinese swimming team who shared a dormitory with Sun Jiajun, offered him some comfort. Sun Jiajun said: "Shun ge must have noticed my anxiety. He encouraged me by sharing his own experience—before the men's 200m individual medley final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he couldn't sleep all night either. He ended up talking with his coach, Zhu Zhigen, for hours that entire night. Yet surprisingly, his performance the next day wasn’t affected at all, and he went on to clinch the gold medal effortlessly. Shun ge’s words really put things into perspective for me: it turns out everyone feels so nervous during moments like these that they can’t even sleep—but despite that, Shun ge still managed to win the championship. So I realized, after hearing this, that this challenge isn’t insurmountable after all."
After realizing everything clearly, Sun Jiajun felt much relieved. He said he’d made up his mind to give it his all until the very end. "That's why, in the final stage of the race, I chose not to breathe—this was a decision I’d already made before the competition."
"When the starting gun sounded, all the pressure and tension were instantly forgotten," said Sun Jiajun. "At that moment, I was completely immersed in the race."
In the men's 4x100m medley relay, the Chinese team boasts world-class performances in three of the four legs—backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle—while their weakest link remains the butterfly leg. For Sun Jiajun, the key to success will be minimizing the gap between himself and top competitors from teams like the U.S. and France in this particular leg.
During the race, Sun Jiajun could feel the strong competitive edge of the U.S. and French teams in the butterfly leg. He gave it his all, especially during the final 8 meters of the sprint—pushing through without even pausing to breathe, charging straight to the finish line.
After handing off the baton to Pan Zhanle, China’s anchor swimmer and the men’s 100m freestyle Olympic champion and world record holder from Paris, Sun Jiajun recalled, “When I saw I was handing off in third place, I initially felt pretty disappointed, thinking I hadn’t swum well enough.”
But Sun Jiajun didn’t yet know at the time that his 51.19-second split in the butterfly was already his personal best for that stroke—a performance that gave teammate Pan Zhanle just enough of a cushion to mount a stunning comeback and claim the top spot.
45.92 seconds later, Pan Zhanle crossed the finish line first, and the Chinese team finally defeated the American team. This historic moment belonged to China—and to the four young Chinese athletes who gave their all and worked together seamlessly throughout the race.
Sun Jiajun burst into tears of joy at that moment, relieved that he had finally succeeded—proof that he hadn’t let down his team or his teammates.
"Finally, I’ve become the shining version of myself," said Sun Jiajun. This was also Sun Jiajun’s message to every student who listened to his speech: "Believe in yourself, hold firm to your dreams, and you’ll surely become the radiant, glowing version of who you are."
From being unexpectedly entrusted with the task to successfully fulfilling it, the challenges came suddenly—and so did the moments of sheer joy. In the span of just a few days leading up to and following this epic showdown on the swimming pool deck at the Paris Olympics, Sun Jiajun underwent the toughest test of his career, ultimately emerging as he completed the "rite of passage" that marks the true beginning of a swimmer's journey.
After the Paris Olympics concluded, unlike many Olympic champions who are now enjoying their well-deserved long vacations, Sun Jiajun has already returned to rigorous training and competition, kicking off the new Olympic cycle ahead of schedule. He said, "Results are behind us—I know there are still areas where I can improve. As for the next Olympics, I’ve set even higher goals for myself."
The high-pressure test of the Paris Olympics has completely transformed Sun Jiajun’s mindset—now, he sets a personal standard of "ensuring the process is flawless," while leaving the outcome entirely to fate. He firmly believes there’s "no upper limit" to what he can achieve.
Source: China Youth Daily
Standing on the podium, from left to right: Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, Pan Zhanle
On the podium, from left to right: Xu JiaYu, Qin HaiYang, Sun JiaJun, and Pan ZhanLe.
The moment of victory: Sun Jiajun (far left), Qin Haiyang, and Xu Jiayu
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