Ye Shiwen: I still have a strong desire for the 400m individual medley.

•5 min read
Ye Shiwen: I still have a strong desire for the 400m individual medley.
On March 22, at the 2025 National Spring Swimming Championships (referred to as "Spring Championships") held in Qingdao, Shandong, Olympic swimming champion Ye Shiwen appeared on a competition stage that was relatively new to her—competing in the women’s 100-meter backstroke. She advanced to the final with a time of 1:01.63 in the heats, also setting a new personal best in the event.
At this year's Spring Championships, in addition to the 100m breaststroke, Ye Shiwen has also entered the less-traditional events of the 200m backstroke and 100m backstroke. "Competing in these events—especially after my main events like individual medley and breaststroke—definitely leaves me feeling a bit mentally fatigued," she explained. Speaking to China News Service, Ye revealed that last year, during the Paris Olympic cycle, her body was severely overexerted. She hopes that switching to these different events will help reset her energy levels and refresh her mindset. "Trying out these secondary events gives me a fresh boost—it’s incredibly exciting!"
On March 22, during the women's 100m backstroke preliminaries at the 2025 National Spring Swimming Championships held in Qingdao, Shandong, Olympic swimming champion and Zhejiang team athlete Ye Shiwen advanced to the final with a time of 1:01.63. Photo by China News Service reporter Tian Yuhao.
The Paris Olympics marked Ye Shiwen’s third Olympic Games, where she was eliminated in the semifinals of the women’s 200m individual medley but finished sixth in the women’s 200m breaststroke. Though she missed out on a medal podium finish, Ye Shiwen maintained a calm and confident smile throughout her post-event interview, saying: “I believe I still have untapped potential, and I’m confident I can do it!”
Having reached the pinnacle in London, stumbled in Rio, narrowly missed out in Tokyo, and now returning to Paris—since she was 16, Ye Shiwen has already navigated four Olympic cycles. Throughout this journey, she twice stepped away from the spotlight—and twice came back stronger than ever. Once, Ye found herself trapped by the weight of her Olympic champion status, feeling she "had to win every single race, which made it incredibly tough." But today, at 29, the veteran athlete has grown accustomed to moments without a gold medal. What keeps her standing strong on one competitive stage after another is her unwavering, lifelong passion for swimming.
As the opening competition of China's swimming season, this Spring Championships serves as a crucial event to assess the results of winter training and identify promising young talent. The vast majority of competitors are athletes born in the 2000s—or even younger, with several "2010s" making their debut. Notably, Ye Shiwen, born in 1996, is the second-oldest female athlete at the meet, surpassed only by backstroke swimmer Chen Jie, who was born in 1995.
As age advances, so does the decline in physical condition. Last year, Ye Shiwen suffered a fractured rib at the National Swimming Championships and didn’t engage in structured winter training—instead, her focus was primarily on recovery and adjusting her body. Yet, having grown mentally stronger, she’s learned to embrace injuries and now strives to strike a balance between rest, rehabilitation, and competitive training. "Every day of training brings me joy, and competing is equally exhilarating," she says. "Of course, results matter—but more than anything, I’m learning to savor the journey itself. As long as I give it my all, I’ll have no regrets."
After her second comeback in 2022, Ye Shiwen shifted her focus to the 200m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley. Meanwhile, she has rarely returned to the 400m individual medley—event in which she once famously clinched an Olympic gold medal by breaking the world record. This event, alongside the 200m butterfly and the 1500m freestyle, is often dubbed the "triathlon of swimming," pushing athletes to their physical and mental limits. Yet deep down, the passion for the 400m individual medley—a race that once defined her career—still burns brightly within Ye Shiwen.
At the 2023 National Swimming Championships, Ye Shiwen clinched the women’s 400m individual medley title with a time of 4:38.58, marking her personal best in the event since 2019. Back then, she had expressed that she finally overcame the "inner demons" that had plagued her for years.
“Even when I’m in good shape, I still have a strong desire to compete in the 400m individual medley. There might be some regrets along the way, but I believe in going with the flow and focusing first on perfecting my training.” Speaking about her future plans, Ye Shiwen emphasized that her top priorities this season are preparing for the World Championships and the National Games, while also expressing ambitious goals across multiple events. “I’ve already confirmed my participation in the 200m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley relay at the National Games.”
"If my body allows it, I’ll consider competing until next year’s Asian Games." Ye Shiwen, who will turn 30 next year, is eager to explore even more possibilities in her career.

Source: China News Service

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