The World Aquatic Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final concluded triumphantly for host nation China this Sunday in Xi'an, where the reigning Olympic champions demonstrated their continuing dominance by securing 7 gold medals across the 11 events. This competition marked a transition period for the Chinese squad as they blend experienced Olympians with promising new talents.
Emergent star Xu Huiyan, 19, has rapidly established herself as one to watch with her exceptional technical skills and remarkable consistency. The young athlete delivered a spectacular performance in Xi'an, claiming five gold medals from six events entered.
In perhaps her most impressive feat, Xu partnered with Lin Yanjun to win the women's duet technical event despite having trained together for merely three weeks. Their dynamic routine earned an outstanding 289.6150 points, finishing 8.1841 points ahead of Japan's decorated duo Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato - who between them boast 16 World Championship medals.
"Considering we've only been training together for three weeks, I think we've made significant progress," Xu reflected humbly. "But if you're asking whether we could do better - absolutely."
The new pairing was a strategic decision by head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, the architect of China's success at the Paris 2024 Olympics. "We're testing different duet configurations before locking in our final pairs - it keeps everyone sharp and motivated through healthy competition," Zhang explained. The veteran coach sees even greater potential in her young protege: "As one of China's top artistic swimmers, Huiyan can still elevate her performance, particularly in achieving more fluid extensions and refining the delicate precision of her leg movements. She has the potential to be even better."
The Lin twin sisters later reunited to claim gold in the duet free event, though their victory came with acknowledgment of the high standards set by absent Olympic champions Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi. "Compared to Qianyi and Liuyi, we have so many things to be improved," admitted Lin Yanjun. "We are still not as good as them."
With the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore approaching, coach Zhang emphasised that roster positions remain competitive. "We're treating this as an important test before the Singapore Worlds - first major competition this year, so we're all-in," she stated. "What we learn here will shape our final team selection. Nobody's spot is locked yet; we'll analyze the judges' scores and how everyone performs under pressure before fielding our absolute best squad."
Xu's medal haul also included gold in the solo technical and bronze in the solo free events, though the demanding schedule tested her endurance. "The intensity of this competition was quite high for me, with a packed schedule from morning till night," she revealed. "With better stamina, I could have controlled my movements and techniques more precisely and stayed more focused. But when my energy runs low, like today, it really affects my performance."
According to Xu, she started artistic swimming at age seven. To prepare for the Singapore Worlds, she trained very hard.
"During regular training, I practice for about eight to nine hours daily. If the session doesn't go well, I may extend it to ten hours."
China's dominance extended to all three team events, where a balanced squad featuring four Olympic veterans and four newcomers delivered consistently strong performances. "As for our new team members, I truly respect their dedication," Zhang commented. "My standards are extremely rigorous, and they shoulder big pressure, their rapid growth is remarkable. With the veterans' guidance through mentoring, their progress has been extraordinary.”
“While we've identified areas for improvement, we've also seen promising potential. Post-competition, we must intensify our collective coordination through systematic training—enhancing both team cohesion and the synchronization that defines championship-level performances.” she added.
The men's program also enjoyed success, with 17-year-old Guo Muye continuing his rapid ascent. After winning three golds at last year's World Junior Championships, Guo claimed one gold and three silver in Xi'an, including an impressive victory in the men's solo free.
"I started artistic swimming at eight," Guo shared. "I previously wanted to be a swimmer. My family all very support me in artistic swimming because few men were practicing the sport." The young athlete cites Chinese star Shi Haoyu as his inspiration - the two-time mixed duet world champion with Cheng Wentao.
Guo's coach Li Min praised his natural attributes: "Particularly his leg lines and foot arch, which you can see offer a clear advantage, resulting in strong visual appeal."
The self-aware young athlete acknowledges areas for growth: "My strength lies in the smooth execution of technical elements, but I still need to improve my artistic expression, which remains a weaker area."
Looking ahead, China's vision for men's artistic swimming remains clear. As Zhang emphasized: "We aim to showcase masculine strength through our athletes while embodying the distinct Chinese style. Whether it's Shi Haoyu or other team members, all are striving to highlight these characteristics. While there remains a gap to bridge, the entire team is committed to progressing toward this objective."
With young talents like Xu and Guo rising to meet the challenges of international competition, China's artistic swimming future appears in capable hands as they build toward the next Olympic cycle.