Shenzhen, China, April 25, 2024: London Olympic champion Ye Shiwen claimed the women's 200m breaststroke gold medal in China's national swimming championships on Wednesday, April 24, qualifying for the Paris Olympics after an eight-year wait.
The Hangzhou-born swimmer won the race in 2:22.55, bettering the Olympic qualifying time 2:23.91.
"I am very satisfied with the result, which is better than I expected," Ye, 28, said.
Ye exploded on to the swimming scene at the age of 14 by winning the women’s 200m and 400m individual medley gold medals at the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010. She repeated this feat at the London Olympics two years later.
Ye retired in 2017 after an unsuccessful Rio Olympics before returning to the pool in 2019. She failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and announced retirement again. Ye made her second comeback in 2022 and won a gold medal in the 200m breaststroke in her hometown at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
The national swimming championships provided the last chance to book a place for Paris and, considering her age, maybe her last chance to participate in the Olympic Games.
Ye ranked only 11th and failed to qualify for the 400m medley three days ago, which she said was such a "huge blow".
"I had considered quitting this event after finishing the 400m medley. It was the fans' support that gave me the determination to carry on," she added.
Olympic champion and Hangzhou Asian Games MVP Zhang Yufei won the women's 200m butterfly in 2:06.40, claiming her third gold medal in the event.
"The result is OK, but I am not satisfied with it. I tried my best," Zhang said.
World champion Xu Jiayu claimed the men's 200m backstroke gold in 1:57.70.