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 1 March 1996) is a famous Chinese swimmer. She became well-known at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, she won two gold medals in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races. She even set a new world record in the 400m event and an Olympic record in the 200m event.

Early Life and Training

Ye Shiwen was born in Hangzhou, a city in eastern China. Her parents were both good athletes when they were young. Her father, Ye Qingsong, was a runner. Her mother, Ning Yiqing, was a champion long jumper in school.

Ye started swimming when she was only six years old. Her kindergarten teacher noticed she had unusually large hands and feet. These features are often helpful for swimmers. She joined a special sports school in her city. By 2007, she was on the swimming team for her province. 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, noted that the Australian training helped her improve her weaker swimming styles. Her strongest styles were backstroke and freestyle.

First Big Competitions

When Ye was just 14, she competed in the 2010 Asian Games. She won gold medals in both the 200m and 400m individual medley races. Her 200m time was the fastest in the world that year.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Ye won another gold medal. She beat strong swimmers in the 200m individual medley.

Olympic Success in 2012

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were a huge moment for Ye Shiwen.

Winning the 400m Individual Medley

In the 400m individual medley, Ye swam incredibly fast. She won the gold medal and broke the world record. She swam the last 50 meters of the race very quickly. Her speed in the final part of the race was even compared to male swimmers.

Some people wondered how she improved so much so quickly. However, experts explained that her growth spurt helped a lot. She grew taller, which gave her longer strokes in the water. Other Olympic champions also had big improvements after growing taller. Ye also passed all drug tests, proving her wins were fair.

Winning the 200m Individual Medley

A few days later, Ye competed in the 200m individual medley. She was in third place at the start of the last part of the race. But she sped up again in the freestyle section. She won another gold medal and set a new Olympic record.

Later Competitions

After her amazing Olympic wins, Ye continued to compete.

2013 World Championships

At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Ye did not win any medals. She finished fourth in the 200m individual medley and seventh in the 400m individual medley.

2014 Asian Games

Ye returned to top form at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. She won two more gold medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley races. She also helped China win gold in a team relay race.

2015 World Championships

Ye did not win medals at the 2015 World Championships. She struggled in her events, finishing last in the 200m individual medley final.

2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Ye reached the final of the 200m individual medley. She finished eighth in that race. She did not qualify for the final in the 400m individual medley.

2019 Chinese Nationals

In 2019, Ye Shiwen showed a great comeback at the Chinese Nationals. She won three gold medals: in the 200m and 400m individual medley, and the 200m breaststroke. She said she felt like a "reborn swimmer."

Swimming Achievements

Ye Shiwen has won many medals throughout her career. Here are some of her key results:

• 2010 Asian Games – Gold in 200m and 400m individual medley
• 2010 World Championships (25m) – Silver in 200m and 400m individual medley
• 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Gold in 200m individual medley
• 2012 Summer Olympics – Gold in 200m and 400m individual medley
• 2012 World Championships (25m) – Gold in 200m individual medley; Silver in 400m individual medley
• 2014 Asian Games – Gold in 200m and 400m individual medley; Gold in 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
• 2022 Asian Games – Gold in 200m breaststroke; Silver in 200m individual medley

Personal Best Times

These are Ye Shiwen's fastest times in different swimming events.

Long Course (50m Pool)

Short Course (25m Pool)

Images for kids

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  Gold Medal

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  Silver Medal

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  Bronze Medal

See also

• China at the 2012 Summer Olympics