'Through hardship to the stars'

When 32-year-old Wang Shun looked around the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, the Olympic champion saw more than just another medal opportunity.

He saw 16 years of his youth reflected in the pool.

At 32, and the oldest member of the Chinese swimming team in Nagoya, the five-time Asian Games veteran has turned the page on a remarkable chapter of his career.

"From my first Asian Games in Guangzhou to now, 16 years have passed," Wang told China Daily in Nagoya.