Twins dominate artistic swimming at Chinese National Games

Olympic champions Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi of Guangdong defended their duet title with a score of 286.9092 points, while the Beijing University of Physical Education team secured the team title.

"The identical physicality and inherent understanding between twins give them a unique edge in artistic swimming," explained Chinese national team head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, a five-time National Games champion herself. "Their movements are almost mirrored, which elevates the sport's visual artistry—critical for a discipline often called 'water ballet'."

The Wang sisters embarked on a new journey at the National Games with the rearranged and polished routines Lotus and Leopard. Another pair of twins, Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun from Beijing, took the silver with 267.4946 points.

Wang Qianyi said that, as athletes with "both talent and hard work," they have a unique tacit understanding as twins, which leads to high training efficiency. "We are studying sports psychology and have read a lot of literature in this field. We adjusted our mindset quite well in this competition. Even if the rhythm was a bit off at the beginning, we could quickly make up for it later." The sisters started their doctoral studies at the Education University of Hong Kong after the Paris Olympics.

"We have been paying attention to the scores of the competition and found that the level of young domestic players is getting higher and higher. We are glad to see seven pairs of twins overall and two other sister duos in the duet competition!" Wang Liuyi said.

Beyond the podium, twin pairs—including rising stars Lin Yanhan/Lin Yanjun from Beijing and Liu Jinhan/Liu Jintong from Hunan—stood out for their seamless coordination, a trait rooted in their shared genetics and lifelong bond.

This trend is not new as Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting from Sichuan finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won duet silver medals at the 2011, 2013, and 2017 World Championships. The Jiang sisters inspired a generation of young pairs in China.
For Liu Jinhan, watching the Jiang sisters compete was a "light-bulb moment." "We thought, 'If they can do it, so can we,'" she said. "Training together feels natural—we adjust to each other's rhythm without saying a word."

Another four pairs of twins collaborated in the team event, including Guangdong's He Yulu/He Yuyao, Sichuan's "sister duo" Xu Kexin/Xu Keyi, "brother pair" Chen Xiu'an/Chen Xiuping, and Beijing's brothers Guo Muxi/Guo Muye.

"Twins have extremely similar appearances and postures. For example, the Wang sisters—even the shape of their extended legs is identical during competitions. When non-twin athletes pair up for duets, they aren't 'copies' of each other. There will be differences in their forms, and even slight inconsistencies in movement rhythm will be noticeable," Zhang said.
Beyond their "copy-paste" similarity in appearance, twins' high level of tacit understanding also helps maintain rhythmic synchronisation—something particularly crucial. Especially in the 8-person team event, all athletes must maintain highly consistent movements with the music to create a stunning visual effect.

Liu Jinhan and Liu Jintong benefited from being twins in this sport. "We've trained together since childhood, so our strength application habits and physical sensations during movements are very similar. Most of the time, a simple reminder like 'a bit higher' or 'a bit lower' is enough for us to adjust the angles of our heads and hands to almost perfect alignment—even the timing of our breaths when surfacing is exceptionally synchronised," Liu Jinhan said.

Beijing's Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun are another standout twin pair in the national team. At the 2025 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final, they won the gold medal in the women's duet free routine with the theme Shadow of the Moon, depicting the story of a "twin flower."

They said the advantages of being twins extend beyond tacit coordination of movement. "After all, we're twins, so we have a stronger sense of companionship. When we encounter difficulties or feel exhausted during training, we encourage each other, set goals together, and work towards them as a team," Lin Yanhan said.

Olympic champions Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi from Guangdong successfully defended their duet title, scoring 286.9092 points, while the Beijing University of Physical Education team clinched the team title.

Chinese national team head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, a five-time National Games champion, praised the unique advantages that twins bring to artistic swimming. "The identical physicality and inherent understanding between twins give them a unique edge... their movements are almost mirrored, which elevates the sport's visual artistry—critical for a discipline often called ‘water ballet’,” she explained.

The Wang sisters showcased new routines, Lotus and Leopard, at the National Games. Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun, another set of twins from Beijing, secured the silver with a score of 267.4946 points.

Wang Qianyi noted how their shared experiences as twins enhance their training efficiency. “As athletes with both talent and hard work, we have a unique tacit understanding,” she said. They have also been delving into sports psychology to better prepare for competitions. "Even if the rhythm was a bit off at the beginning, we could quickly make up for it later." After the Paris Olympics, they began their doctoral studies at the Education University of Hong Kong.

Wang Liuyi pointed out the rising standards among young domestic athletes, expressing joy in seeing seven pairs of twins and two other sister duos competing in the event. 

Beyond the podium, pairs like Lin Yanhan/Lin Yanjun and Liu Jinhan/Liu Jintong from Hunan exemplified seamless coordination, a trait attributable to their shared genetics and lifelong bond. This phenomenon isn’t new; the Jiang sisters—Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting—finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and collected multiple silver medals at World Championships, inspiring many young pairs in China. Liu Jinhan reflected on her admiration for the Jiang sisters, saying, “We thought, ‘If they can do it, so can we.’ Training together feels natural—we adjust to each other's rhythm without saying a word.”

In the team event, four pairs of twins also displayed their synergy, including Guangdong's He Yulu/He Yuyao, Sichuan's Xu Kexin/Xu Keyi, the brother duo Chen Xiu'an/Chen Xiuping, and Beijing's Guo Muxi/Guo Muye.

Zhang emphasized the physical similarities of twins: “Their appearances and postures are extremely similar. For instance, even the shape of the Wang sisters' extended legs is identical during competitions.” In contrast, non-twin pairs often show variations that are noticeable.

The urgent need for synchronization in the sport further shows the advantages of being twins. Liu Jinhan and Liu Jintong shared how they benefit from training together since childhood, allowing them to almost intuitively adjust their movements and timing. “A simple reminder like ‘a bit higher’ or ‘a bit lower’ is usually enough for us to align perfectly,” Liu Jinhan shared.

Another notable duo on the national team, Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun, won gold at the 2025 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final with their routine Shadow of the Moon. They emphasized the emotional support they provide one another, especially during challenging training sessions.

Zhang Xiaohuan, who has a twin brother, humorously expressed her wish for more twin pairs in the sport, envisioning a breathtaking eight-member team event. “The synchronization would be amazing—the consistency and aesthetic appeal of the movements would be greatly enhanced,” she remarked with a smile.