Smiling Together - Dialogue with "Butterfly Queen" Zhang Yufei, Meeting Big Brands | "Difficult Journey to the Universiade | Chengdu | Zhang Yufei
Chengdu, August 9th (Xinhua) - "I feel tired from the first day, relying on a nap to make up for it. The nap in Chengdu is really good." After finishing her trip to the Fukuoka Swimming World Championships, Zhang Yufei rushed to the Chengdu University Games without stopping, participating in 9 events and winning 9 gold medals - the "Butterfly Queen" once again rode the wind and waves in the swimming pool.
Even though she was "tired," Zhang Yufei still smiled brightly. "Versailles," she said, "The medal cabinet at home is too small and has been replaced with a new one. I estimate it will be filled again when I return to the Universiade."
The road of glory is full of thorns, and no one can always maintain its peak. Faced with inevitable pain and challenges, 25-year-old Zhang Yufei remained confident and smiled eagerly. "Unhappy things can be forgotten after sleeping for a while. If not, then let's take two sleeps. If not, let's have a hot pot."
The picture shows Zhang Yufei in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters
The original intention of "model workers" was to prepare for the Paris Olympics
The double champion of the Tokyo Olympics and the gold medal in the women's 100m butterfly at the Fukuoka World Championships are enough to justify Zhang Yufei. At the Chengdu Universiade, she also signed up for 9 events and broke the competition record 8 times. What was her original intention as such a high-quality "model worker"?
"Actually, I have been in competition mode since this year, and my reporting and mentality have gradually compared to the Paris Olympics. People ask why I have to report so many 9 events, and I can see myself playing every day, with two or three shots in each game. I want to exercise my ability to continue fighting, and I know how to deal with and better solve this situation when it happens at the Paris Olympics next year."
In Zhang Yufei's mind, the Chengdu Universiade is "a station worth checking in on in life.". "The Youth Olympic Games and the Universiade may only have one chance in an athlete's lifetime to participate, so I am honored to participate in these two competitions, both at my appropriate age."
On August 7th, Zhang Yufei showcased her nine gold medals. On that day, the 31st Summer Universiade Swimming Competition concluded with Chinese athlete Zhang Yufei winning two gold medals in the women's 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay events, resulting in a total of 9 gold medals in this event. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Gang
As a rare experience, Zhang Yufei particularly enjoyed the relaxed and lively atmosphere of the Universiade. "Whether in the village or in the swimming pool, everyone is not influenced by strong competition emotions like they are at the World Championships and Olympics. More often than not, it's like 'let's go play together, we compare who is faster'. If you are faster than me, I also wish you well, and we will compete again in the next game."
In the relay project, Zhang Yufei and several other veteran players from the Chinese team "use the old to lead the new" to pass on experience and energy to the new players. "Before they went on stage, they said to me, 'Sister, I'm nervous.' I said you don't have to be nervous. What are you afraid of when we're here? I was also nervous when I participated in the World Series for the first time like you, trembling all the time. You have to believe in yourself, believe in us."
"I also made many friends on the swimming field, and we discussed topics that girls discussed together. It was very happy. There are also many small fans in the village, and every day they say, 'Fei Jie, can I take a group photo with you? Can I ask you to sign my name?' Seeing how much they like me, I am also quite happy. I hope to be a high-quality idol and bring them more strength."
On August 7th, after the competition, Zhang Yufei. On that day, in the women's 50m freestyle final of the Chengdu Universiade, Chinese athlete Zhang Yufei won the championship with a time of 24.29 seconds. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Gang
"I also made a friend from South Africa. We competed in 50 meter butterfly, 100 meter butterfly, and 100 meter freestyle together. She was always present in almost all of the events I competed in, and she was always in the lane next to me. We would also chat when we sat down. She praised my good personality and English, and said she really wanted to go see giant pandas. I recommended her to go see 'Hua Hua' and eat hot pot, and we talked a lot."
"A few days ago, I started receiving badges from fans, volunteers, and exchanges with others, weighing about two pounds. I hung them one by one on my athlete identification strap, and now I found that they were actually full. Before coming, I thought that there would be many spectators cheering for us in Chengdu, but everyone's enthusiasm was really beyond my expectations."
"The light boat has crossed thousands of mountains"
At the Chengdu Universiade, behind Zhang Yufei's seemingly effortless performance in each game was actually the arduous process of carrying a weight of 45 kilograms during training, doing pull-ups and burning her muscles in the late night. Looking back on this experience, Zhang Yufei said, "There's a feeling... what's the name of that very popular movie? It feels like 'a light boat has crossed ten thousand mountains'."
From the national team's "little one" to the Olympic champion and crowned "butterfly queen", Zhang Yufei has not been smooth sailing step by step. When she is in high spirits, reality always slaps her. Faced with the title of "Butterfly Queen", she once felt a bit guilty. "But as my strength gradually stabilizes over the past two years, I feel that I can afford it. I am still quite happy to hear this kind of nickname on the field."
Zhang Yufei admitted that before the Fukuoka World Championships, her mentality was "confident and nervous". "I haven't competed in world-class competitions for half a year, and I don't know how my opponents are doing, nor do I know what I can do. I know that my level has always been among the top in the world, but what I'm even more afraid of is winning another pile of bronze medals, so I'm still quite nervous before the 100 butterflies. I really hope to have a personal gold medal for my own individual event."
On July 24th, Zhang Yufei attended the award ceremony. On that day, in the women's 100m butterfly final of the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan, Chinese athlete Zhang Yufei won the championship with a time of 56.12 seconds. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Chang
56 seconds 12! Zhang Yufei broke the world championship record in Fukuoka and won the championship, which also made her firmly remembered by her idol Shesteren. "Shesteren is the world record holder for the women's 100m butterfly. For us chasers, only by getting close to her can we attract her attention. I think that's how I approach her endlessly. She is my idol, but I still want to surpass her one day. The greatest respect for my opponents is to give it my all to compete. I look forward to that day."
"Far from reaching its peak state"
Zhang Yufei believes that she has not yet reached her peak state in both mentality and strength. "In terms of mentality, I have only gradually acquired the mentality that Olympic champions should have since this year; in terms of strength, it can only be said that I am approaching the level of the Olympics. Next year, I will definitely strive to break through and surpass myself in the year of the Tokyo Olympics."
The 200 meter butterfly is actually a thing that made Zhang Yufei feel "scared". When she gave up this event at the Fukuoka World Championships to ensure the men's and women's 4x100 meter medley relay race, she breathed a sigh of relief while hesitating.
On July 26th, Chinese team players Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei, and Cheng Yujie took a group photo after the award ceremony. On that day, the Chinese team won the championship in the men's and women's 4x100m medley relay final of the 2023 World Swimming Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Chang
"I belong to the kind of person who, the more I fail, the less I want to face it. The coach is trying his best to help me break through, but it has not been completely cured. So I try to find some happy points to motivate and comfort myself, such as' 200 butterflies can bring me a lot, promote short distance ',' 200 butterflies is a traditional advantage project in China ',' 200 butterflies - what's wrong with you? '"
Under external expectations, she is also afraid of failure, and her way of healing herself is through optimism and forgetfulness. "As a young athlete, the biggest advantage is having the courage to sprint and not afraid of failure. After winning the championship, I will be afraid of my hands and feet, worried about not winning the championship next time, which is also what I face. I hope young athletes can have more confidence and not be afraid of losing."
Speaking of opponents, Zhang Yufei admitted that her ability to surpass Canadian athlete McNeill and American athlete Heske and win the gold medal at the World Championships was due to luck. "The level of the three of us is similar, and we all have a good chance of competing for the championship and breaking the world record. It depends on who has the better timing and luck. Last year, my form was not comparable in all aspects, but this year their performance may have declined a bit. My own form is improving, so I succeeded in winning this gold medal."
"I want to see where my limits lie"
Faced with arduous and tedious training, Zhang Yufei believes that her mentality has undergone a significant change. "The training before the Tokyo Olympics was more like being pushed away by someone. Everyone hoped that you could win this Olympic championship, and everyone longed for China to create another Olympic champion. I was the champion who achieved success under the watchful eyes of thousands of people. But now, more importantly, I want to see how much potential I have, see if I can win the Olympic championship again, and explore where my limits lie."
Zhang Yufei is very clear about where her weaknesses lie. "I am too careless as a person. I can't do many details that the coach said, but I can always think of them. However, I always find some excuses to be lazy, so I just 'forget it, forget it'."
Since the newly crowned "Frog King" Qin Haiyang joined Coach Cui Denrong's training team more than a year ago, Zhang Yufei's fighting spirit has been ignited. "I just have an indomitable personality. Just like when I practiced pull ups before, boys can pull 15 kilograms, why can't I? Boys can pull 40 kilograms, and I can also pull 40 kilograms."
On August 1st, Chinese team players Wang Gukai, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei, and Li Bingjie attended the award ceremony. On that day, the Chinese team won the championship in the men's and women's 4x100m medley relay final at the Chengdu Universiade. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Gang
"Now Qin Haiyang has arrived, and he is much more serious in training than me. Director Cui and I have discussed it many times. He said, 'If you were as serious as Haiyang, you would have broken the world record long ago.' I said, 'Yes, I admit it.' So when I see Haiyang training so diligently, I will encourage myself even more, 'You can't be lazy anymore, you need to do technical details.'"
With the help of technology, Zhang Yufei's training efficiency has greatly improved. The next stop is the Hangzhou Asian Games. Zhang Yufei still carried forward her "consistent style" and signed up to participate in 7 projects. "My goal for the Asian Games remains unchanged, striving to win gold medals in all competitions and win the MVP."
"Wishing me a gold medal in body protection, but also incredibly cute." As she displayed on her social media account, Zhang Yufei is an athlete with strong personal charm, and she also hopes to influence more young people.
On August 5th, Zhang Yufei presented her gold medal and mascot at the award ceremony. On that day, in the women's 100m butterfly final at the Chengdu Universiade, Chinese athlete Zhang Yufei won the championship with a time of 56.57 seconds. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Zeguo
"In the circles where we communicate with each other, people tend to be more talkative. However, in international competitions, I feel that Chinese people are a bit shy and afraid that their enthusiasm and liveliness will disturb others. I will still encourage our young athletes to boldly step out of themselves and into the world," said Zhang Yufei.
