Ye Shiwen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ye Shiwen
叶诗文

Personal information
Born	(1996-03-01) 1 March 1996 (age 29) Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Height	1.72 m
Weight	64 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Individual Medley, Breaststroke
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  China Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 200 m medley Gold 2012 London 400 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m medley Silver 2019 Gwangju 200 m medley Silver 2019 Gwangju 400 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Istanbul 200 m medley Silver 2010 Dubai 200 m medley Silver 2010 Dubai 400 m medley Silver 2012 Istanbul 400 m medley Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou 200 m medley Gold 2010 Guangzhou 400 m medley Gold 2014 Incheon 200 m medley Gold 2014 Incheon 400 m medley Gold 2014 Incheon 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2022 Hangzhou 200 m breaststroke Silver 2022 Hangzhou 200 m medley

Ye Shiwen (Chinese: 叶诗文; pinyin: Yè Shīwén; born March 1, 1996) is a famous swimmer from China. She became well-known at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, she won two gold medals in individual medley races. She even set a new world record in the 400-meter event and an Olympic record in the 200-meter event.

Early Life and Training

Ye Shiwen was born in Hangzhou, a city in eastern China. Her parents were both athletes when they were young. Her dad, Ye Qingsong, was a runner, and her mom, Ning Yiqing, was a champion long jumper.

Ye Shiwen started swimming when she was six years old. Her kindergarten teacher noticed she had big hands and feet, which are helpful for swimming! She joined a sports school and quickly showed talent. By 2007, she was on the provincial swimming team. A year later, in 2008, she joined the Chinese national team.

She also trained in Brisbane, Australia, with top coaches. Ye said this training was "really harsh" but very helpful. Her coach, Xu Guoyi, explained that the training helped her improve her weaker swimming styles. Her strongest styles were backstroke and freestyle.

Early Successes in Asia and the World

Ye Shiwen was very young when she started winning big. At just 14 years old, she competed in the 2010 Asian Games. She won gold medals in both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races. Her times were among the fastest in the world that year.

In 2011, she competed at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. She won another gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. This showed she was a rising star in swimming.

Olympic Glory in 2012

Winning the 400-meter Individual Medley

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Ye Shiwen made a huge splash. In the 400-meter individual medley final, she won the gold medal. She also broke the world record with an amazing time of 4 minutes and 28.43 seconds. She swam the last 50 meters of the race incredibly fast.

Some people wondered how she could improve so much. However, experts explained that her growth spurt played a big role. She had grown taller, which helped her swim faster. Also, she had to swim very hard at the end of the race to catch up to other swimmers. She passed all drug tests and was recognized for her amazing talent.

Winning the 200-meter Individual Medley

A few days later, Ye Shiwen competed in the 200-meter individual medley final. She was in third place at the start of the last part of the race. But just like before, she sped past her competitors in the freestyle leg. She won another gold medal and set a new Olympic record with a time of 2 minutes and 7.57 seconds.

Later Competitions and Comeback

After her Olympic wins, Ye Shiwen continued to compete.

• 2013 World Championships: She did not win any medals at this event in Barcelona.
• 2014 Asian Games: She bounced back at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. She won two more gold medals in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races, setting new games records. She also helped China win a gold medal in a relay race.
• 2015 World Championships: She did not win any medals at these championships.
• 2016 Summer Olympics: At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she reached the final of the 200-meter individual medley but finished 8th. She did not qualify for the final in the 400-meter individual medley.

2019 Chinese Nationals: A Strong Return

In 2019, Ye Shiwen showed a great comeback at the Chinese Nationals. She won three individual gold medals! She won the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races, and also the 200-meter breaststroke, setting a new personal best in breaststroke. She said, "It was a good sign that I am a reborn swimmer," showing her renewed spirit and success.

Personal Best Times

Ye Shiwen has set impressive personal best times in her swimming career.

Long Course (50 m Pool)

Short Course (25 m Pool)

Images for kids

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  Gold Medal

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  Silver Medal

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  Bronze Medal

See also

In Spanish: Ye Shiwen para niños