(From L) Chinese gold medalists Chang Hao, Feng Yu, Wang Ciyue, Wang Liuyi, Wang Qianyi, Xiang Binxuan, Xiao Yanning, and Zhang Yayi celebrate their victory in the artistic swimming team event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Wednesday. China News Service
China, in a historic achievement, secured its first-ever gold medal in artistic swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday, excelling collectively in the team event.
Among the standout performers were twin sisters Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, from Shenzhen, whose remarkable efforts propelled the Chinese artistic swimming team to victory. Notably, this is the first gold medal won by an athlete from Shenzhen during Paris 2024.
The Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Shenzhen Municipal Government sent a congratulatory message to the Chinese sports delegation Thursday. They praised the Shenzhen twins and their teammates for embodying the Olympic spirit through their captivating performances and bringing honor to the nation and the city.
Born in 1997 and raised in Shenzhen, the sisters began their artistic swimming journey in 2005 when they were discovered by Hu Lianghui, coach of the Shenzhen team. After Wang Liuyi suffered an injury, Wang Qianyi competed solo at the Tokyo Olympics, grabbing a silver medal for the Chinese team in the team event.
The Shenzhen duo's synchronized performances are enhanced by the unique connection they share as twins, which allows them to execute intricate routines with precision. Through years of dedicated training, they became key players in both the team and duet events after joining the Guangdong provincial team and then the national team.
Their notable accomplishments include winning four gold medals at the 2022 World Championships in Hungary and a gold in the duet event at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, helping China secure five consecutive championships in this category and qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
At the current Olympics, two gold medals are up for grabs in artistic swimming for team and duet events. Following their team event success, the Shenzhen twins are set to compete in the duet technical routine and duet free routine events Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
China's journey in artistic swimming has evolved dramatically since its first Olympic medal, a bronze in the team event at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The team moved forward with silver in the team event and bronze in the duet at the London 2012 Olympics. During the past two Olympics, they finished just short of gold with two second-place finishes.
At the Budapest 2017 World Championships, China achieved its first victory in the non-Olympic free combination event, a significant milestone in its artistic swimming history.