2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
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- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
After winning the women’s 100 fly gold medal at the 2023 World Championships, Zhang Yufei did an interview with Chinese TV broadcast company CCTV (China Central Television), where she described how she felt about her race. In that interview, she said she wasn’t at her best and was in 90% of the shape she was in two years ago during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. However, she also said that she was also happy to finally be standing on top of the podium after getting beaten by rivals Maggie MacNeil and Torri Huske in the past.
Here is the full interview video in Chinese, courtesy of @swimcoverage:
Very good insight from Zhang! It’s interesting how she said she was only 90% of her Tokyo form.
Though she said she was happy to be on top now because she’s been beaten by MacNeil and Huske in the past. https://t.co/GeP0wQKACv
— Yanyan Li (@yyanyanli1) July 25, 2023
Full Interview, Translated Into English:
I finally got World Championships gold in the 100 fly!
Actually, my time wasn’t very fast. But I’ve competed with MacNeil and Huske for many years and I’ve always been defeated by them, so this time I was happy I finally could beat them. I understand that my form right now isn’t the best—at most, I’m around 90% of where I was at during the Tokyo Olympics.
What I’m content about this time is that in my prelims, semi-finals, and finals races, every start and every meter of my swims met my expectations and I understood how I was performing. If I believe, I can be the best!
In addition, Zhang was also asked to conduct an interview with World Aquatics in English.
“I think this time is not very good because it’s slow,” Zhang said in English. “But this is my first gold medal, so I feel amazing and I feel wonderful. I still have the 50 and 200 fly and many relays, and I hope I can win many more medals.”
女子100mバタフライ金メダル
張雨霏選手
「タイムはそんなによくないけど、この種目で初めての金メダルなのでアメイジングでワンダフルよ！残りの種目でもたくさんメダルを獲りたいです」Zhang Yufei pic.twitter.com/JWCdyD056k
— 競泳NEWS (@swimcoverage) July 24, 2023
Zhang won her 100 fly race in a time of 56.13, which was her fastest performance since the Tokyo Olympics. In Tokyo, she went 55.64 to take silver and become the third-fastest performer ever. In that same race, MacNeil took silver while Huske got bronze. MacNeil had beaten out Zhang for Tokyo Olympic gold, while Huske beat her to win gold at the 2022 World Championships. At the 2022 Short Course World Championships, MacNeil and Huske tied for 50 fly gold while Zhang took bronze.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Zhang set her personal best times in both the 100 and 200 fly. In the 200 fly, she dominated to win gold, clocking a 2:03.87 to set the textile World Record. However, Zhang’s 50 fly personal best came from the 2022 World Championships and 2023 Chinese Nationals—at both meets, she went 25.32 to set the Chinese record.
Zhang still has the 50 and 200 fly, as well as the 50 free left to swim at the 2023 Worlds. In addition, she will also be expected to compete on several Chinese relays.
Very sweet interview.
And while the time wasn’t super fast, she raced the race and got herself gold.
it wasn’t her second fastest performance btw, she was 55.7 back in May 2021 and was under 56 for all 3 rounds in Tokyo
Beautiful girl! Her father passed away when she was four years old, she has worked so hard to achieve her dreams, really proud of her!
That’s the entire field. No one even broke 56
I’m sure it’s a culture thing and the intention it to be humble but by saying her time is slow did she basically insult everyone else?
I interpreted it more as that she felt like she wasn’t at her best time-wise, but was happy that she won. And she’s not wrong—she was nearly half a second faster in 2021.
It’s not that uncommon for swimmers to say they aren’t happy with their time in interviews, regardless of where they come from.
Not really. Basically everyone was swimming way below their best compared to Tokyo.
Her English is limited. What she said in Chinese is it “wasn’t very fast” which is true given that no one broke 56 this year.
In the Chinese interview, she basically says that her time wouldn’t be considered very fast, which is definitely true if you’re comparing it to the last 2 years of this event.
Edit: not even just comparing it to the last 2 years, the last time the winning time wasn’t sub 56 was at 2013 worlds, although ofc half of the time since then has just been Sjostrom dominance
Americans projecting and pushing their culture and values on everyone else.
Never change.
Such snarky people in this forum.
Try not being so eager to think the worst of a Chinese athlete based off garbage you heard on Fox News.
She’ll be 100% in Asian Games.