Feature: Monkey King powers China's artistic swimmers toward LA 2028

China's artistic swimmers paced their road to the 2028 Olympics with a new routine in Xi'an, drawing on the legend of the Monkey King to strike gold at the World Cup Super Final.

by sportswriters Li Jia and Yao Youming

XI'AN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Adorned with the Monkey King's golden headband and inspired by his legendary perseverance, China's artistic swimming team launched their Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quest from the ancient capital of Xi'an.

With a dazzling display of power and creativity, the team gave a debut performance of their new routine, inspired by the acclaimed Wukong video game, the Black Myth. The performance blended Chinese mythology with world-class artistic swimming techniques, earning China a team technical gold at the World Cup Super Final in Xi'an and fueling the defending Olympic champions' ambitions for LA 2028.

"As Chang'an [now Xi'an] launched Xuanzang's pilgrimage in Journey to the West, so too will it launch our artistic swimmers' quest for LA 2028," said head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, referring to the classic novel "Journey to the West," which features Buddhist monk Xuanzang and his loyal disciple Monkey King, or Sun Wukong.

"The routine embodies a strong cultural atmosphere and the grandeur of the ancient dynasty. We are paying tribute to our home ground," added Zhang, who led them to historic team and duet titles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The squad, featuring four Paris Olympic champions alongside four young talents, is adjusting its lineup for future events. Twin sisters Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi, the Olympic duet champions, were absent.

"We're in a transition period with veterans and newcomers working together, so there are inevitable team integration and coordination challenges," said Olympic champion Chang Hao.

The transition appears optimistic, as younger swimmers have shown talent and perseverance in the 2025 season. 19-year-old Xu Huiyan, known for her technical precision and stability, has emerged as a standout among newer swimmers. On Friday, she competed in three disciplines, claiming all three titles.

The new pairing of Xu and Lin Yanjun impressed in the women's duet technical with a dynamic routine after just three weeks together. Coaches opted for this pairing over Yanjun's usual partnership with twin sister Lin Yanhan to test new combinations.

"We're testing different duet combinations before finalizing our pairs. It keeps everyone sharp and motivated through healthy competition," Zhang explained.

The coach has higher expectations for Xu. "As one of China's top artistic swimmers, Huiyan can still elevate her performance-particularly her leg movements. She has top-tier potential," Zhang noted.

The Lin sisters participated in Saturday's duet free. Their powerful movements propelled them to a winning 266.1442 points in the discipline, edging out Spain for gold.

Despite the victory, head coach Zhang remains cautiously optimistic about the World Championships and LA 2028 prospects. "Strong contenders like Austria, the Netherlands and Great Britain all have world-class duet pairs," Zhang noted. "And we can never underestimate Russia."

To keep China's duet's dominance, Zhang emphasized the importance of physical ability. "Better conditioning means sharper performances when it counts," she said.

"We can't just obsess about difficulty. Maybe we're not doing the toughest moves out there, but when we hit that pool, our job is to make every second perfect - and keep our artistry untouchable," Zhang added.

With three years remaining until LA 2028, the team now focuses on the World Championships in Singapore next month.

"We're treating the World Cup as a key test before Singapore - our first major competition this year - so we're fully committed. The insights gained here will determine our final team selection," Zhang said.

She also acknowledged the young swimmers' progress. "The newcomers' dedication is commendable. Though my standards are rigorous and the pressure on them is intense, their rapid growth-guided by the veterans' mentorship-has been extraordinary." ■