China targets four golds in swimming worlds
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E-mail Xinhua, July 17, 2013
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Sun Yang leads China's charge at the upcoming World Swimming Championships. |
China has set a target of four gold medals at the upcoming World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain, head coach Yao Zhengjie said yesterday.
"According to our results this year and the world rankings, I hope we can claim four golds, as we have four world fastest times this year," Yao said.
China unveiled its 48-member squad for the event, with Olympic and world champions Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen spearheading their assault.
Sun, who grabbed two golds at last year's Olympics in London, ranked first in both men's 400m and 1,500m freestyle, while Jiao Liuyang, winner of the women's 200m butterfly at the London Games, had the world's fastest time this year for her specialty. Fu Yuanhui, 17, set the fastest time in the women's 50m backstroke earlier this year.
"We had very good results at the London Games, but it will be hard for us to repeat the feat in Barcelona, as the weather, the food, and the atmosphere in Spain would be problems for us," said Yao, who steered Chinese swimmers to a harvest of five golds at London 2012.
Sun, who fell out with long time mentor Zhu Zhigen early this year, joined the team yesterday in Beijing.
"I feel good," said Sun, who just ended a two-week training session in Hong Kong under the guidance of former Chinese head coach Zhang Yadong.
The team will leave for Barcelona on July 23.
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