China's talent pool goes for glory

National team hopes blend of youth and experience can maximize medal haul at Fukuoka world championships

The Chinese swimming team is ready to make splash at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan later this month.

Among the stars spearheading China's challenge will be multiple Olympic and world champion Zhang Yufei, who will be bidding to add to her vast medal collection at the championships. Her bronze medals in the women's 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly events at last year's worlds in Budapest were part of a five-medal haul for Team China at the championships.

"My goal remains the same for these world championships, which is to achieve the best possible results. But I always tell myself to have the right mindset. I've enjoyed every single day of training ahead of the worlds, and I hope I can also enjoy every day of competition in Fukuoka," said Zhang, who won two gold and two silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Zhang's form in recent months bodes well for her medal bid, with her long hours in the gym yielding mightily impressive results — she scored full marks in all tests as part of a physical exam conducted by the team last month.

"I was delighted because I never scored full marks in a physical test before. It's vindication for the hard work I've put in recently. I have been trying to level up my lower body strength," Zhang added.

"At the very beginning, it was very hard — my legs felt so heavy all the time. But eventually, I made it through. That's how I managed to get full scores."

Zhang's improved power and endurance could be critical at the worlds, where the 25-year-old has a busy schedule of butterfly, freestyle and relay events.

Reaching the highest podium at the championships is never easy, of course, and in Fukuoka Zhang will face stiff competition in teenage sensation Summer McIntosh.

The Canadian clocked an impressive 2:04.70 (the world record stands at 2:01.81) in the 200m butterfly in March, and the 16-year-old, who is also super competitive in freestyle, is considered Zhang's biggest rival for gold.