Huang Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Swimming Association: The competition will be fierce during the Los Angeles Olympic cycle, and we’ll be training under the philosophy of "Three Stricts and One Innovation."
BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) – Reporters Gao Meng and Zhou Xin: On April 22, Huang Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Swimming Association, stated after the association's leadership transition meeting that the competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is expected to be fiercely competitive. He added that the Chinese swimming team will rise to the challenge and strive for outstanding results.
Huang Wei believes that China's swimming team will face a tough competitive landscape at the 2028 Olympics. On one hand, the U.S. sports delegation, competing on home turf, enjoys the clear advantage of being the host nation. On the other hand, numerous young swimmers with outstanding performances have already emerged in international competitions held this year, while seasoned medalists who excelled at the Paris Olympics are also poised to deliver a strong challenge to China's swimming program.
Huang Wei explained that during the new Olympic cycle, they will adopt a "multi-pronged approach," focusing on national team development, talent selection mechanisms, expanding the pool of swimming talent at the grassroots level, and refining training philosophies— all aimed at comprehensively boosting the overall strength of China's swimming program.
"We plan to hold the National Swimming Training Conference before this year's National Championships, where we’ll comprehensively review China’s progress in developing and refining its swimming training system, share best practices from each province, region, and city, and discuss efforts to cultivate the next generation of swimming talent. Following the conclusion of the National Games, the national team will swiftly transition into Olympic preparation mode for the Los Angeles Games, restructuring training groups, reassigning athletes, and ultimately building a team that blends Eastern and Western approaches," said Huang Wei.
He also revealed that the association will expand the pathways for identifying swimming talent, breaking away from the traditional model of development limited to provincial (regional/municipal) teams and specialized squads. By creating seamless access between registered and non-registered athletes, the association aims to allow non-registered athletes who meet professional performance standards to compete in national-level professional events. This move will provide them with clear opportunities for advancement and the right to participate, ultimately motivating more coaches to nurture talent and fostering a new, nationwide collaborative system that engages society as a whole.
When discussing training philosophy, Huang Wei emphasized the "Three Focuses and One Innovation" principle. "Focus on Difficulty" means conducting specialized training tailored to challenging aspects of swimming, such as starts and turns. "Be Strict" involves setting high standards, rigorously adhering to the training schedule, and incorporating intense, high-volume workouts. "Focus on Real-World Application" encourages athletes to compete frequently—when official competitions aren’t possible, they should still engage in internal trials, regional training sessions, and simulated matches to continually refine their competitive edge. Finally, "One Innovation" refers to adopting creative and forward-thinking approaches to training methods.
Huang Wei also emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to enhance athletic performance. "Currently, some athletes have been stuck at a low level for an extended period, struggling to break their personal bests. To address this, we must innovate our training approaches, elevate overall training standards, and tackle key challenges—such as technical and physical limitations—while avoiding inefficient training methods."
Huang Wei concluded by saying, "China's swimming community is confident in continuously pushing the overall level to new heights."
Huang Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Swimming Association. Photo by Gao Meng, Xinhua News Agency.Recommended:
