Who is Ye Shiwen? All you need to know about the Chinese swimmer who broke the 400m IM world record at 16 years of age
Ye Shiwen is a Chinese swimmer specializing in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley (IM). She won two gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She broke the Olympic record in the former event and the world record in the latter.
At 16 years of age, Shiwen broke the world record when she won the 400m IM gold at the 2012 London Olympics in a blistering time of 4:28.43. America’s Stephanie Rice held the previous record.
In the 200m IM, Shiwen set a new Olympic record at 2:07.57 to win the second gold medal. She didn't win any Olympic medals later in her career.
Ye Shiwen was born on 1 March 1996 in Hangzhou capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China. She started her international swimming career when she was only 14 years old and contested in the Asian Games in Guangzhou China held in 2010.
Shiwen’s parents, Ye Qingsong and Ning Yiqing, are both from athletic backgrounds and supported her swimming ambitions. The 28-year-old started swimming at the age of six after her teacher noticed her large feet and hands, which are important traits for a swimmer.
After impressive performances in the junior circuits, Shiwen was selected for the national team in 2008. She went to Australia after graduating from high school to train under Olympic medalists Ken Wood and Dennis Cotterrel, before returning and taking the world by storm at the London Olympics.
An overview of Ye Shiwen’s international career
At the 2010 Asian Games, Ye Shiwen won gold medals in the 200m IM and the 400m IM at the age of 14. A year later, she won the gold medal in the 200m IM at the FINA World Championships.
Following her record-breaking performances at the 2012 London Olympics, Shiwen didn't enjoy the same success in the next part of her career. She failed to win any medals at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships, as well as the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
However, the 28-year-old is witnessing a resurgence in her career and has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won a gold medal in the women's 200m breaststroke at China's national Swimming Championships, finishing with a time of 2:22.55, which bettered the Olympic qualifying time of 2:23.91.