Is it really "cannons hitting mosquitoes"?, Observation: World champions Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang participated in the Universiade and easily won the gold medal. Zhang Yufei | Finals | World Champion
On the 2nd, the swimming pool competition venue of the Universiade won 6 gold medals. In the championship, without any doubt, those two names appeared again - Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang.
These two leading figures in the Chinese swimming industry, participating in the Universiade seems to be just a training session; "Just finished the World Championships, it's better for them to rest well"... A few netizens feel sorry for the hard work of star players and express their opinions on their World Championships' participation in the Universiade. This statement somewhat reflects the love and protection of two high-level athletes by swimming fans, but the author believes that this matter needs to be viewed dialectically.
"Dimension Reduction Strike" in the Swimming Pool
The term "dimension reduction strike" was used by some media to describe the match between the two on that day.
In the women's 50m butterfly final, Zhang Yufei took the lead and won the championship with a record breaking performance at the Universiade. In the semi-finals, Zhang Yufei demonstrated her ability to strike with reduced dimensions. She swam with a time of 25.29 seconds, breaking the competition record.
In the final, her starting reaction time was 0.63 seconds, which was the fastest among all the contestants. In the second half, Zhang Yufei pressed against the record line she had just set for the Universiade the day before and sprinted hard, reaching the finish line first. After the 50 meter butterfly final, Zhang Yufei didn't have time to rest and adjust, and appeared again in the men's and women's 4x100 meter medley relay final. The Chinese team, composed of Wang Gu Kailai, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei, and Li Bingjie, had a clear advantage and won the championship with a time of 3 minutes and 44.02 seconds. Zhang Yufei's third gold medal from the Universiade has been credited.
In the 50m butterfly final of the Fukuoka World Swimming Championships, which concluded a few days ago, Zhang Yufei won the runner up with a time of 25.05 seconds and broke the Asian record in the event. Compared to the World Championships, the results of the Universiade seem to have fallen slightly. However, considering that she returned to China without stopping after the competition, she arrived at the Chengdu Universiade in the early morning of August 1st and only slept for 4 hours. She immediately embarked on a journey to the Universiade, steadily winning three gold medals in two days, demonstrating her ability to surpass her opponents by a large margin.
Qin Haiyang is also terrifying. Eight days ago, he won the gold medal in the men's 100m breaststroke at the 2023 World Swimming Championships with a good time of 57.69 seconds. From Fukuoka to Chengdu, the newly crowned "Frog King" continued to dominate the swimming pool - in the final, Qin Haiyang led Lithuania's Andreus by 0.22 seconds in the 50 meter turn. Subsequently, Qin Haiyang continued to exert his strength, expanding his lead to half a body position at a distance of 25 meters from the finish line. In the end, he easily won the men's 100m breaststroke gold medal with a time of 58.92 seconds, which was also his first Universiade gold medal.
This is far from over. It is understood that Qin Haiyang has signed up to participate in 7 events at this year's Universiade. In addition to all individual breaststroke events, there are also medley relay events. Zhang Yufei is even more impressive: currently, there are a total of 9 individual competitions found, including not only butterfly but also freestyle. A swimming fan carefully reviewed the competition schedule and registration status, giving this prediction: "The two of them have a chance to win 16 gold medals together at this year's Universiade!"
The Gold Content of the Universiade Gold Medal
The World Championships have just ended. If we only measure the significance of the Universiade for the two champions based on personal achievements and achievements, perhaps netizens will feel that "cannons hit mosquitoes". But it should be noted that the "gold content" of the Universiade gold medal cannot be fully reflected by numbers.
In the author's opinion, the Universiade is not a simple logic of "killing chickens and using ox knives" for the two champions. The "risk" mentioned by some swimming fans, although the starting point is good, is definitely within the controllable range of the evaluation of the two high-level world champions and their professional support team.
The participation of the world's top athletes in the college sports meet actually has many meanings. Firstly, for top athletes, adjustments are necessary after a major competition, but adjustments are not a complete rest. The Universiade can also become a platform for their adjustment after the competition, or a good opportunity to maintain their competitive status.
The intensity of competition at the Universiade cannot be compared to the competition it faces in international competitions, but it is precisely because of this that they can compete as substitutes, helping them maintain the pace of the competition and maintain a good competitive mentality. They can also use events like the Universiade to try new skills or strategies without pressure. If there are any physical problems due to fatigue, as two such high-level athletes, their coaching team and themselves believe that they will definitely "stop" in a timely manner.
Secondly, for other participating athletes and spectators, having the opportunity to see the world's top athletes in such a competition is a very exciting and inspiring thing - it can not only enhance the viewing experience of the competition, but also inspire other athletes to improve their own level.
Furthermore, as long as top athletes appear on the field of the Universiade, it will undoubtedly have a positive impact on promoting the development of swimming in China and enhancing the influence and attractiveness of domestic swimming.
Finally, and most importantly, every athlete has the right to choose to participate in the competition. Regardless of his technical level, the size of the competition, and who the opponent is, as long as they meet the qualification requirements, they have the right to choose which games are meaningful to them. This is also one of the basic principles of fairness and impartiality in sports competitions.
Anyway, I am delighted to see two newly crowned world champions at the Universiade and continue to write their "Universiade stories". This precisely reflects their self-improvement and confidence, as well as their sunny personality with a strong sense of collective honor and responsibility. I believe they will also become role models for more and more young people, inspiring more college students to be interested and passionate about sports.
