Report No. 2 from the 2025 National Youth Swimming U-Series Competition: Wu Keyou: Passion Ignites Dreams
2025 National Youth Swimming U-SeriesThanRaceThe Zaozhuang station competition in the first half of the year,14-year-old Wu Keyou, from Jiangsu, has just brokenWomanU13-14 Age Group1500RiceFreestyle (17:04.51）800m freestyle (8:56.79), 200m butterfly (2:18.40) – Triathlon EventRecord,The 1500m freestyle also earned him/her a master-level qualification, with outstanding results and a wealth of achievements.
A photo of Wu Keyou taken during the Jiangsu Provincial Swimming Championships
“Master every turn technique—make sure your underwater kicks are smooth and continuous.” After each day’s training, Wu Keyou carefully notes down her coach’s advice. Her motto is “Give it your all in everything,” and it’s precisely this relentless determination that keeps propelling her forward, helping her steadily improve in swimming practice.
Wu Keyou's swimming story began with herAt the age of seven and a half, like many children, she began learning to swim to improve her physical fitness. Yet, as time went on, her passion for swimming outgrew its original purpose—it transformed from a simple exercise into a dream that lived in her heart. By the time she was 11, just before the provincial games, Wu Keyou officially embarked on systematic training.
Wu Keyou’s main event is long-distance freestyle swimming, and while monotonous training is inevitable, it’s her passion and inner strength that keep her going. On her journey of growth, coach Deng Zeyang has played a pivotal role. Coach Deng deeply understands that maintaining a joyful mindset during training is essential for achieving high performance—and that’s precisely why he carefully crafts flexible, ever-changing workout plans. By constantly varying the training methods, he ensures his team stays engaged, motivated, and excited about their progress.To help team members improve their water awareness,He has also drawn inspiration from the synchronized swimming team's water-feeling training methods.
Wu Keyou during the competition
Deng Zeyang also utilized a variety of training aids: heart rate bands allowed for precise control of training intensity, while underwater photography and slow-motion playback of mobile phone videos helped meticulously analyze technical movements, enabling highly refined and optimized training sessions.
During the recent training cycle, Wu Keyou achieved remarkable progress in specialized training focused on cardio, breathing techniques, and rhythm. At the same time, her strength and speed workouts advanced in tandem, comprehensively enhancing her overall athletic capabilities—and laying a solid foundation for her outstanding performance on the competition stage.
Gou Keyou remained remarkably calm and composed despite her outstanding performance, which saw her break three meet records in a single event. She admitted candidly that her form hadn’t yet reached its peak at the time.For her, the U-Series competition serves primarily as a practical training exercise—using actual matches to evaluate the results of her previous training, gauge her current standing among peers in her age group, and fine-tune her preparation for the upcoming Spring Jin Tournament. Ultimately, meeting the qualifying standards at the Spring Jin Tournament will directly determine whether she earns a spot in this year’s National Games—this, after all, is her main objective at this stage.
Wu Keyou looks up to Li Bingjie, a member of the Chinese swimming team, as her role model. The Asian queen of women's long-distance swimming has inspired and deeply moved Wu Keyou with her unwavering determination and remarkable qualities. Whenever Wu Keyou feels exhausted during training or faces tough challenges, Li Bingjie’s relentless spirit instantly comes to mind, motivating her to persevere, push through the pain, and keep moving forward with courage and resilience.
AsOne personJunior high school student, Wu KeyouAlso facingAcademic pressure—she openly admitsDuring swimming trainingInitially, indeedWith a balance between training and academicsIt’s challenging, but by creating a plan and studying efficiently, I’m gradually finding my rhythm.She’s now a master at balancing her studies and training effectively.Organize your schedule meticulously，“Finish homework after daily training sessions, and focus on reviewing over the weekend.”
Besides training and studying, Wu Keyou enjoys playing the piano, finding unique peace and joy in the playful dance of its black and white keys—and she was even awarded second prize in the Magnolia Cup Piano Competition. HabitShe approaches everything with "all-in" dedication, vividly demonstrating the power of steady, consistent effort—like water slowly wearing away stone over time.When persistence becomes a habit and passion turns into everyday life, even the most ordinary days will eventually shine brightly, allowing your dreams to sparkle with brilliance.
Wu Keyou's hobby is playing the piano in her spare time.
Coach Deng Zeyang poses for a photo with Wu Keyou after the match.
[Introducing Coach Wu Keyou]Deng Zeyang:National-level sports master,Former member of the Jiangsu Provincial Swimming Team, who once2013 National Swimming Championships – Men's 50-meter ButterflyDuring the matchWinning the runner-up position，Retired in 2016Led the team to win the gold medal in swimming at the Jiangsu Provincial Games.Several athletes have been sent to the provincial professional team.Several people.
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