After years of being a nearly man in the pool, Wang Shun finally got his hands on Olympic gold with victory in the 200m individual medley final in Tokyo last year. Far from basking in that glory, the veteran has already put his historic triumph behind him as he plots more success at the 2024 Paris Games.

"The moment I stepped off the podium in Tokyo everything started from scratch again. The past is the past. What I need to do now is to try my best over the next two years. We have set our sights on next year's Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Paris Olympics in 2024," Wang told China Daily-produced documentary Era of Excellence.

A year after topping the podium at the Tokyo Games, Wang showed up in front of the China Daily cameras not only as a national hero but also as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Recalling his moment of Olympic glory, Wang credited not only his personal efforts but also the first-rate training environment provided to Chinese athletes for the success.

"Our training methods have been improving all the time, and we have more and more opportunities to participate in high-quality international meets, which is a great way for us to learn advanced training and get competition experience," said the 28-year-old Wang.

"In the sport of swimming, I'm already a veteran. So my coaches provide me with very comprehensive and scientific training and rehabilitation plans. Based on my age and physical condition, they constantly make adjustments, including nutrition plans. All of it combines to help me optimize my performances in the pool."

Wang's gold in Tokyo was also China's first Olympic men's IM title and saw him become only the second male Chinese swimmer to stand on the highest podium at the Olympics. But Wang's journey en route to the top podium was full of twists and turns, including injuries and setbacks at major championships.

He made his Olympic debut at London 2012 when he failed to reach the podium. Four years later, he pocketed his first Olympic medal — a 200m IM bronze in a final won by legend Michael Phelps at the 2016 Rio Games.

The "late bloomer" tag has followed Wang around since his Tokyo triumph, however he has a different take on his career.

"The media said that I'm a late bloomer, but actually I never thought in that way. I was able to win at the provincial games when I was 16, but it took me 11 years to win an Olympic gold. I've been through a lot along this journey, including battling injuries and changing my mentality. But there's one thing that never changed — my desire to win," said Wang.

Role model

Wang's perseverance and passion have influenced the team's younger generation of swimmers, who consider him a role model.

"Talking about big brother Shun, the words that come to my mind are 'sunshine' and 'passion'. I could never forget the first time I met him 10 years ago when I was 13. He was just standing in front of the gate and being very considerate, asking me if I wanted to go to the canteen with him," He Junyi, who represented China in the men's 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Games, told China Daily.

"He has always been my role model, and I have witnessed his hard work and effort throughout the years. When I feel tired, I just think about him. He's already a veteran and to this day he's still trying that hard. So I don't have any excuses to not keep moving forward."

Not many swimmers of Wang's age could endure the rigorous training sessions that keep him competitive. He reckons it's his pure love of the sport that keeps him going.

"For me, actually, I would be happy if I could stay in the pool for hours every day. If I stay on land for a day and do not swim at all, I feel like something's missing. Swimming has become a vital part of my life," said Wang.

"And swimming brings me self-discipline. I have kept my routine and good habits for many years. For instance, I force myself to put down my smartphone after 10:30 pm to sleep no matter what.

"Or, if I get sloppy during training, I remind myself of all the setbacks I've had. I tell myself, 'If you don't want to suffer those again, you'd better keep trying.'"

Great spirit

Wang embodies the irrepressible spirit that the Chinese swimming team has become renowned for down through the decades. From youngster He's perspective, that mentality means being brave and athletes always pushing their limits in the face of all challenges.

Team China's American coach James Malechek certainly feels that never-say-die attitude is instilled in the entire squad.

"I would say strong is the word to describe Team China's spirit. Because even if they may not have the best day, they're always going to be fighting and pushing. You have to have that kind of strength in order to continue to push forward and set the tone for not just the team right now, but for younger generations," Malechek told China Daily.

"I hope the swimmers remember where they started from and look at all the progress they've made, because they've all had ups and downs. They've all had good days and bad days, but understanding where you came from and all the hard work that you've put into this can help motivate you for the future.

"There's so much that they still can do. So I'm very excited to see what the future holds for the young generation of Chinese swimmers."

Malechek credits the nation with providing the swimmers with the best possible training facilities and conditions, and expects this attention to detail to yield more breakthroughs in the pool.

"China has honestly one of the nicest training venues in the world. The equipment is fantastic, as well as the availability that we have, from technology to recovery and nutrition," Malechek added.

"It helps us to train the athletes more efficiently. It helps us to really push the limits of what the athletes can do. We have this fantastic equipment, and now we're starting to utilize it. We can really utilize it in an even better manner and see the direct results of their training and competition."

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