How Did China's Young Artistic Swimmers Perform at Home World Cup?

Xi'an (China), June 15 (NationPress) - The World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final wrapped up in Xi'an on Sunday, showcasing China's prowess as they clinched seven out of eleven events. In the final discipline, the team acrobatic title was secured, complementing a silver and bronze medal from earlier in the day, as reported by Xinhua.

As reigning Olympic champions in both duet and team categories, the Chinese squad is currently undergoing a transition phase ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, blending seasoned and emerging talents.

Prominent young athlete Xu Huiyan, aged 19, has emerged as a standout with her unparalleled technical abilities and impressive consistency. In Xi'an, she delivered a stunning display, earning five gold medals from six events.

After triumphing in the women's solo technical and duet technical events on the previous days, Xu secured a bronze in the solo free on Sunday and contributed to China's success in three team events.

The demanding schedule tested her resilience. "This competition was quite intense for me, with a full schedule from morning until night," she shared. "With better stamina, I could have controlled my movements and techniques more precisely and maintained focus. However, when my energy levels dip, like today, it significantly impacts my performance."

Her coach, Shen Yingsha, initially harbored concerns about Xu's endurance, given this was her debut in multiple events. "Her performance surpassed expectations," Shen remarked.

In the final, Vasilina Khandoshka topped the women's solo free event with a score of 229.8476, while Germany's Klara Bleyer followed in second place at 227.5688. Xu finished third with a score of 226.5251.

Having begun artistic swimming at age seven, Xu is passionate about the sport and is rigorously preparing for next month's World Championships.

"During regular training, I engage in around eight to nine hours daily. If things don’t go well, I might extend it to ten hours," she noted.

On Saturday, Xu teamed up with Lin Yanjun to seize victory in the women's duet technical event, despite only having trained together for three weeks. Their dynamic routine garnered an impressive 289.6150 points, surpassing Japan's accomplished duo Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato by 8.1841 points.

This new partnership was a tactical move by head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, who guided China to Olympic glory last year in Paris. "We’re experimenting with different duet combinations before finalizing our pairs - it keeps everyone sharp and motivated through healthy competition," Zhang explained.

The experienced coach sees even greater promise in Xu. "As one of China's elite artistic swimmers, Huiyan can still elevate her performance, especially in achieving more fluid extensions and refining the delicate accuracy of her leg movements. She has the potential to reach even greater heights."

The Lin sisters, Yanjun and Yanhan, later reunited to secure gold in the duet free event. China previously won the duet event at the Paris Olympics, thanks to the twin sisters Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi, who did not compete in Xi'an.

"In comparison to Qianyi and Liuyi, we have numerous areas to improve upon," Lin Yanjun admitted. "We are not yet at their level."

China's supremacy was evident in all three team events, where a balanced team comprising four Olympic veterans and four newcomers consistently delivered strong performances.

Their Terracotta Army-inspired routine in the team acrobatic event on Sunday earned them 233.0430 points for the gold medal, with Spain and Mexico taking second and third places, respectively.

"They performed excellently," Zhang remarked. "Both veteran and young swimmers showcased impressive capabilities. I'm thrilled with the three team gold medals."

The men's artistic swimming also caught attention with 17-year-old Guo Muye rapidly rising through the ranks. Guo began artistic swimming at eight, inspired by China's renowned artistic swimmer Shi Haoyu, a two-time mixed duet world champion.

"I was selected by coaches while training in competitive swimming," Guo recalled. "At that time, very few men were involved in artistic swimming. My family has been incredibly supportive."

Guo's family traveled from Beijing to Xi'an to cheer him on. "My father, aunt, uncle, and little sister are all here supporting me," said Guo, whose twin brother, Guo Muxi, is also an artistic swimmer.

Guo earned one gold and three silvers in Xi'an, including a win in the men's solo free. On Sunday, he and Liu Jinhan secured silver in the mixed duet free with 275.0896, finishing over 15 points behind Spain's duo Dennis Gonzalez and Iris Tio, who won with 290.2184.

Demonstrating self-awareness, Guo recognized areas for improvement. "My strength lies in the smooth execution of technical elements, but I still need to enhance my artistic expression, which remains a weaker aspect," he stated.

Zhang expressed satisfaction with the performances of younger swimmers but noted there's still much to work on. "We’ve pinpointed weaknesses but also potential. Moving forward, we will focus on enhancing team cohesion and perfecting our synchronized execution," she emphasized.

"Competing at home in this pre-worlds event has instilled us with a lot of confidence - a perfect warm-up prior to the world championships," the coach added.