China swim star Qin Haiyang back in Olympic gold form, eyes World Championships glory
By any metric, Chinese swim star Qin Haiyang struggled at last summer's Paris Olympics, failing to make the final of the 200m breaststroke and finishing seventh in the 100m event.
Advertisement
But the triple world champion, who dominated the 50m, 100m and 200m races in Fukuoka in 2023, was in gold-medal form at last week's Chinese Spring National Championships, showing the kind of speed that could make his rivals nervous.
The 25-year-old won the 200m breaststroke in two minutes, 7.44 seconds, which would have secured bronze in Paris, and swam a 58.66 in the 100m, a time good enough to have topped the podium in the French capital.
With the World Championships coming up in Singapore in July, Qin said his performance in Qingdao showed he was getting back to his best.
'My performance is similar to where I was in 2023 when I was approaching my peak,' he said. 'It's a good start and a sign that I'm regaining my best condition.
Advertisement
'I didn't expect this result. My goal was simply to swim under 2:09. Today's result is faster than my time at last year's National Championships [2:08.87].'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
McIntosh breaks world record in 200m individual medley
McIntosh breaks world record in 200m individual medley McIntosh broke the previous record held by Hungary's Katinka Hosszu. Photo: Reuters Summer McIntosh smashed the decade-old world record in the women's 200m individual medley, touching the wall in 2 minutes 5.70 seconds for her second record at the Canadian swimming trials. The 18-year-old eclipsed Hungarian Katinka Hosszu's mark of 2 minutes 6.12 seconds set at the 2015 World Championships to become the first woman to duck under 2 minutes six seconds. It was triple Olympic gold medallist McIntosh's second world record of the meet following her 400m freestyle world record on Saturday. The gifted Canadian teenager had also impressed during Sunday's victory in the 800m freestyle, clocking the third-fastest time in history in an event not typically regarded as her strongest. Yet McIntosh showed no signs of fatigue with another dazzling performance to delight the crowd in British Columbia on Monday. "Overall really happy with that time and always just trying to keep pushing forward," McIntosh said after her record-breaking display. "It's awesome. 200 individual medley is my main race out of my top five or six races where I really have to execute perfectly." "There's no room for mistakes and it's kind of a sprint event for me, so I'm really happy with that. It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Singapore," added McIntosh, referring to next month's World Championships. Asked how she had prepared herself for Monday's effort after a gruelling weekend, she added: "Just recovering, sleeping as much as possible and eating a lot. And also mentally calming myself down and taking it one race at a time – I've had a lot of practice at that these past few years." McIntosh laid the foundations for her assault on the record with flawless opening sections in the butterfly and backstroke before an improved breaststroke – her weakest discipline – left her on world record pace. From there she turned on the after-burners in the closing freestyle to obliterate Hosszu's record. (AFP)
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Olympic great Simone Biles shares mental health journey on first Hong Kong visit
Simone Biles has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship wins. She is considered one of the best gymnasts of all time. Still, even she has to deal with negativity online. 'That was hard for me to wrap my head around,' Biles, 28, told the audience during her first visit to Hong Kong last week. Reading such harsh words can be difficult, so she has learned to protect herself. 'When I'm not mentally well enough to read the comments, I turn them off or ignore them,' she said. She also reminds herself that many of these people are strangers: 'They don't know me, and they don't know my character, so how can they judge through a screen?' Biles spoke to more than 500 students at the one-hour event hosted by UBS investment bank. She talked about her record-breaking career and maintaining her mental health under public pressure. As a professional athlete, taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health, Biles explained. 'Elite athletes [face] a lot of mental effort to step onto the big stage and compete for your country. Obviously, it's such an honour, but it can be really tough,' she said. More than 500 students came to see Simone Biles on her first visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Handout Knowing when to step back The training schedule of a professional athlete is challenging. Biles and her team train 32 to 34 hours a week. They do two workouts on weekdays and one on Saturday, taking only Sunday off. Considering all this effort, Biles stunned the world at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She withdrew from several events, including the team final, all-around final, and individual event finals. The reason for her decision was a mental condition called the 'twisties'. Having the twisties can make gymnasts feel like their rhythm is off and that they are not in control of their movements. It can lead to serious injuries. Biles looks back on the experience positively. She is proud that she put her mental health first. Sports psychologist discusses why teen athletes struggle to keep their head in the game 'It's the most courageous I've ever felt,' she said. 'The number one reason why I did it was to speak out and stand up for myself. I felt worth more than gold.' Having a strong support system helped her feel confident about her decision. 'My team, my family, the nurses and doctors and the mental health specialists, they all understood,' she said. 'Having people in your circle of trust that help you and you can confide in really, really helps,' she explained. 'If I'm ever having a bad day, they let me have bad days, and they cheer me up. On the good days, they still uplift me.' Biles competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics three years later. She took home three gold medals and one silver. Simone Biles poses with her gold medal during the podium ceremony after the artistic gymnastics women's all around final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS Meaning of mentorship Biles is also passionate about supporting children in the foster care community. She and her siblings entered foster care when she was only three years old. Their biological mom struggled with substance abuse. After a few years, Biles was adopted by her grandfather and his wife. 'I never let what happened to me stop me from believing in my dreams,' she said. 'It doesn't matter how you start; it matters where your journey takes you and how you walk that path.' For the last few years, she has worked with Friends of the Children. The organisation partners with community organisations, schools, and foster care systems. They pair children in need of long-term, nurturing relationships with an older friend who acts as their mentor. 'A lot of people think that foster kids can't do great things, but I think we've proven over so many years [we can]. Never let that determine who you are,' she said. 'Fly High' charity sports programme gets Hong Kong youth moving Students who listened to her story said they were inspired. Fifteen-year-old Ila Chan has been on the Hong Kong gymnastics team since she was nine. She said her biggest takeaway was learning how to handle high-pressure situations. 'She should keep going because she's an idol for lots of people around the world,' Ila said. Lexie Rhodes, 12, has been doing gymnastics for around five years. She said she felt encouraged to recharge. She also learned the importance of letting off steam and taking the time to relax. Biles appreciates the chance to serve as a role model, especially for young athletes. She offered up a tip for staying motivated and avoiding burnout: make sure you're always having fun. 'You never know how long your career is gonna last,' she said. 'So I would say to just have fun. Dream big, and then dream bigger after that. As long as you're having fun, you can accomplish anything and love what you do.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Olympic icon Simone Biles talks to Hong Kong students about protecting your mental health
Simone Biles has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship wins. She is often considered one of the best gymnasts of all time. Still, even she has to deal with negativity online. 'That was hard for me to wrap my head around, [but] since we are competing on a global stage, there is going to be feedback,' Biles, 28, told the crowd eager to hear her speak during her first visit to Hong Kong last month. Reading such harsh remarks can be difficult for her, and replying to them only puts her in a negative mindset, so she has learned to protect herself. 'When I'm not mentally well enough to read the comments, I turn them off or ignore them,' she said. She also reminds herself that many of these people are strangers: 'They don't know me, and they don't know my character, so how can they judge through a screen?' During the one-hour event hosted by UBS investment bank, Biles spoke to more than 500 students – many of them budding gymnasts – about her record-breaking career and maintaining her mental health under so much public pressure. As a professional athlete, taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health, Biles explained. 'Elite athletes [face] a lot of mental effort to step onto the big stage and compete for your country. Obviously, it's such an honour, but it can be really tough,' she said. Sports psychologist discusses why teen athletes struggle to keep their head in the game Knowing when to step back The training schedule of a professional athlete is gruelling: Biles and her team train 32 to 34 hours a week. They do two workouts on weekdays and one on Saturday, taking only Sunday off. Considering how much time is spent training, Biles stunned the world at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when she withdrew from several events, including the team final, all-around final, and individual event finals. The reason for her decision was a mental condition called the 'twisties', a term gymnasts use to describe the feeling of losing perception of their bodies while in the air. Having the twisties can make them feel like their rhythm is off and that they are not in control of their movements – and it can lead to serious injuries. Biles looks back on the experience – and the way she prioritised her mental health – positively. Simone Biles poses with her gold medal during the podium ceremony after the artistic gymnastics women's all around final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS 'I think the mental health journey is something so unique and special, and it's very personal to you, but really, it's the most courageous I've ever felt,' she said. 'The number one reason why I did it was to speak out and stand up for myself. And for the first time, I felt worth more than gold, and that people could relate to me.' Having a strong support system helped her feel confident about her decision: 'My team, my family, the nurses and doctors and the mental health specialists, they all understood, and we were all on the same page that this was the correct move,' she said. 'Having people in your circle of trust that help you and you can confide in really, really helps,' she explained. 'If I'm ever having a bad day, they let me have bad days, and they cheer me up. On the good days, they still uplift me.' Just three years later, Biles competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning three gold medals and one silver. 'Fly High' charity sports programme gets Hong Kong youth moving Meaning of mentorship Outside of gymnastics, Biles is also passionate about supporting children in the foster care community. When she was only three years old, she and her siblings entered foster care because their biological mom was struggling with substance abuse. After a few years, Biles was adopted by her grandfather and his wife. 'I never let what happened to me stop me from believing in my dreams,' she said. 'It doesn't matter how you start; it matters where your journey takes you and how you walk that path.' For the last few years, she has worked with Friends of the Children. The organisation partners with community organisations, schools, and foster care systems to pair children in need of long-term, nurturing relationships with an older friend who acts as their mentor. Biles said the organisation has expanded from around four chapters to more than 40 across the US during her involvement. 'A lot of people think that foster kids can't do great things, but I think we've proven over so many years [we can]. Never let that determine who you are,' she said. Biles' story inspired many of the students who came to listen to her. Photo: Handout Students who listened to her story said they were inspired. Fifteen-year-old Ila Chan, who has been on the Hong Kong gymnastics team since she was nine, said her biggest takeaway was learning how to cope with stress and handle high-pressure situations. 'She should keep going because she's an idol for lots of people around the world,' Ila said. Meanwhile, Lexie Rhodes, 12, who has been doing gymnastics for around five years, said she felt encouraged to recharge, saying she learned the importance of letting off steam and taking the time to relax. Biles appreciates the chance to serve as a role model and encourage young people, especially aspiring athletes. She offered up a tip for staying motivated and avoiding burnout: make sure you're always having fun. 'You never know how long your career is gonna last,' she said. 'So I would say to just have fun. Dream big, and then dream bigger after that. As long as you're having fun, you can accomplish anything and love what you do.'
