China's 'breaststroke king' shakes off fatigue to power to more golds

Qin Haiyang pushed through the fatigue barrier to keep the medals flowing for Team China at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu.

Last month, the 24-year-old lit up the World Aquatics Championships with a hat-trick of men's breaststroke titles and a relay silver with his teammates.

Just a week after his four-medal haul in Fukuoka, Japan, Qin demonstrated his pool prowess yet again by securing victory in the same four events — all in FISU-record times.

On Monday night at Dong'an Lake Sports Park Aquatics Center, gold was the reward for Team China in the men's 4x100m medley relay, again showcasing China's strength in the event following the silver medal behind the United States in Fukuoka.

"I am quite satisfied with my performances because I had already competed in numerous events before this one. My stamina was depleted, and I felt somewhat fatigued. However, the final results were faster than what I had anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise," Qin said after clinching victory in the 50m breaststroke on Sunday.

Qin arrived in Chengdu at 3 am on Aug 1, and after only four hours' sleep, had dived into the pool for his first race in the 100m breaststroke.

"With the competition schedule being so tight, the only way to recover is by making the most of the evenings and prioritizing getting plenty of rest," said Qin, who sped to a world record in the 200m breaststroke in Fukuoka.

He insisted there wasn't much disparity between the competition level at the FISU games and the world championships, but added that the enthusiastic home support in Chengdu was greatly appreciated.

"I approach every race with the utmost seriousness," Qin said.

"Although the World University Games are generally considered less intense, they still present an excellent opportunity for improvement and growth."

Born in 1999, Qin started to practice swimming at the age of 5. Qin's name "Haiyang" means "ocean", and he likes to think fate or destiny may have led him to the sport.

Now dubbed the "breaststroke king" by Chinese media, fans might be surprised to learn that it used to be his weakest stroke.

"Because I wasn't proficient in breaststroke initially, I dedicated myself to practicing it more intensively," Qin explained.

Prior to the Fukuoka worlds, Qin's biggest wins were back-to-back 200m breaststroke titles at successive National Games. Despite his domestic success, international glory had proved elusive — until last month.

He endured a miserable Olympic Games debut in Tokyo in 2021, where he was disqualified in the first round for a technical violation. He had finished first in his heat, suggesting a medal was within his grasp.

Qin attributes his consistent performances in Fukuoka to his relentless pursuit of excellence in the pool and the unwavering support of his team.

During his downtime, Qin's main priority is to relax his mind. Like any athlete, getting a good night's sleep is a key element in his recovery, but Qin believes that mental relaxation is even more important because his training is so demanding.

He likes to harness the power of social media, too. After the Fukuoka worlds, for instance, he posted a quote on Weibo from Brazilian martial artist Charles Oliveira: "Life once declared I was nothing, but look at me now, I am a world champion."

With the Paris Olympics around the corner, Qin says his training focus is on ensuring his gains in the gym count in the water.

"It involves effectively transferring and applying the performance boost from training on land to the swimming pool," he said.

Yamato Fukasawa of Japan won bronze in the 200m breaststroke final in Chengdu, and said he was looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Qin in Paris.

"Participating in next year's Olympics is a goal of mine, and I eagerly look forward to the opportunity of again going head-to-head with Qin," Fukasawa said.