Qin Haiyang (Chinese: 覃海洋, born 17 May 1999) is a Chinese swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke and individual medley. He holds the world record in the 200m breaststroke, which he set at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.[1] At the same competition, Qin became the first swimmer in history to win all three breaststroke events at a single edition of the championships.[2] Qin was also the former world junior record holder in the 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.[3] In 2023, Qin became the first Asian swimmer to be named as the Male Swimmer of the Year by World Aquatics.[4]

覃海洋 (Qin Haiyang)
Personal information
NationalityChinese
Born (1999-05-17) 17 May 1999 (age 25)
Shimen County, Hunan, China
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke, Medley
ClubShanghai Swimming Team
CoachCui Dengrong
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  China
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 4x100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 4×100 m mixed medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 50 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 200 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 4×100 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place 2023 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2024 Budapest 50 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2024 Budapest 100 m breaststroke
Silver medal – second place 2018 Hangzhou 200 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Melbourne 200 m breaststroke
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta 4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 50 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 200 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 4 × 100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 4×100 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place 2022 Hangzhou 200 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta 200 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta 200 m medley
Military World Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Wuhan 200 m breaststroke
Silver medal – second place 2019 Wuhan 200 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2019 Wuhan 400 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Wuhan 100 m breaststroke
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 50 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 200 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 4×100 m mixed medley

Career

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At his first major international competition, the 2018 Asian Games, he participated in the 4x100 metre medley relay and won gold.

Later in December, he competed in the 2018 World Championships, where he won the silver medal in the 200 metre Breaststroke.

Then, in 2019, he won three silver medals and one bronze at the Military World Games.[5]

He qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the 200m breaststroke and finished first in his 200m breaststroke heat, but was disqualified for making an illegal kick after a turn, in what he called a "stupid mistake".[6]

Since 2022, Qin started to train under Cui Dengrong, who also coached 2020 Olympic Games champion Zhang Yufei. Under Cui's coaching, Qin saw large improvements.[7]

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Qin became the first man in history to win gold in all three breaststroke events at a single edition of the championship.[8] With a time of 2:05.48, he broke the world record in 200m breaststroke, which was previously established by 2020 Olympic Games champion Zac Stubblety-Cook in 2022. Qin also set new Asian records in 50m and 100m breaststroke respectively.

In the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (held in 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Qin again won all three individual breaststroke events.[9] He also won the silver medal in the 200m individual medley.[10] In the men's 4 × 100 m medley relay, the Chinese team of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Wang Changhao, and Pan Zhanle broke the Asian record by finishing in 3:27.01.[11] This was also the second-fastest in history, just 0.23 behind Team USA's world record time in the 2020 Olympic Games. The Chinese team of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei, and Yang Junxuan also set the new Asian record in the mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay.[12] With his teammate Zhang Yufei, Qin Haiyang was named the MVP of 2022 Asian Games for his five gold medals.[13]

Afterwards, at the 2023 Swimming World Cup, Qin won gold in all three breaststroke events (50m, 100m, and 200m) at all three World Cup legs, held in Berlin, Athens and Budapest. Qin was consequently named as the winner of the World Cup title due to his performances at all three legs.[14]

While at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Qin Haiyang lamented that;

The (drug) tests come early in the morning before we’re even awake, during midday rest periods, forcing us to rest on hotel lobby sofas, and even late at night, keeping us up past midnight[15]

And after a poor start to Qin's marquee individual breaststroke events where he failed to medal,[16][17] Qin would later bounce-back to swim the fastest split-times in the finals of his breastroke legs in the team events; 57.82 and 57.98 in the Mixed 4 × 100 m Medley Relay and the Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay to secure Silver and Gold medals respectively, and handing the United States swim team its first defeat in the latter-event since it was first-introduced into the Olympic program in the 1960 Rome Olympics.[18][19][20]

Personal bests

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As of 28 Jul 2023[21]

Long course (50 m)

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Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
50 m breaststroke 26.20 2023 World Championships 25 July 2023 AS, NR
100 m breaststroke 57.69 2023 World Championships 24 July 2023 AS, NR
200 m breaststroke 2:05.48 2023 World Championships 28 July 2023 WR, AS, NR
200 m individual medley 1:56.79 2019 Military World Games 20 October 2019
400 m individual medley 4:10.41 2019 Military World Games 21 October 2019

Short course (25 m)

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Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
50 m breaststroke 25.38 2024 Swimming World Cup 19 October 2024 AS, NR
100 m breaststroke 55.47 2024 World Short Course Championships 12 December 2024 AS, NR
200 m breaststroke 2.01.15 2018 World Short Course Championships 13 December 2018 NR, Former AS
100 m individual medley 57.18 2017 Swimming World Cup 11 November 2017
200 m individual medley 1.54.51 2022 Chinese National Championships (25m) 28 October 2022

Key: NR = National Record; AS = Asian Record; WR = World Record

Records

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Long course (50 m)

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No. Event Time Meet Location Date Age Type Status Ref
1 200 m individual medley 1:57.54 2017 Chinese National Championships Qingdao, China 14 April 2017 17 WJ (not ratified) Former [22]
2 200 m breaststroke 2:08.71 2017 Chinese National Championships Qingdao, China 15 April 2017 17 WJ (not ratified), NR Former [23]
3 200 m individual medley 1:59.01 h 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 26 July 2017 18 WJ Former [24]
4 200 m individual medley 1:57.981 sf 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 26 July 2017 18 WJ Former [25]
5 200 m breaststroke 2:09.39 h 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 27 July 2017 18 WJ Former [26]
6 200 m individual medley 1:57.06 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 27 July 2017 18 WJ Former [27]
7 200 m breaststroke 2:07.35 2017 National Games of China Tianjin, China 4 September 2017 18 WJ (not ratified), NR Former [28]
8 50 m breaststroke 26.63 2023 Chinese Spring Championships Qingdao, China 24 March 2023 23 AS Former [29]
9 100 m breaststroke 57.93 2023 Chinese Championships Hangzhou, China 2 May 2023 23 AS Former [30]
10 100 m breaststroke 57.69 2023 World Championships Fukuoka, Japan 24 July 2023 24 AS Current [31]
11 50 m breaststroke 26.34 h 2023 World Championships Fukuoka, Japan 25 July 2023 24 AS Former [32]
12 50 m breaststroke 26.20 sf 2023 World Championships Fukuoka, Japan 25 July 2023 24 AS Current [33]
13 200 m breaststroke 2:05.48 2023 World Championships Fukuoka, Japan 28 July 2023 24 WR Current [34]
14 100 m breaststroke 57.69 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Berlin, Germany 6 October 2023 24 =AS Current [35]

Short course (25 m)

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No. Event Time Meet Location Date Age Type Status Ref
1 200 m breaststroke 2:04.18 2017 Swimming World Cup Beijing, China 10 November 2017 18 NR Former [36]
2 200 m breaststroke 2:01.64 h 2018 World Short Course Championships Hangzhou, China 13 December 2018 19 NR Former [37]
3 200 m breaststroke 2:01.15 2018 World Short Course Championships Hangzhou, China 13 December 2018 19 AS Former [38]
4 100 m breaststroke 56.31 2022 Chinese National Championships (25m) Beijing, China 27 October 2022 23 NR Current [39]

Key: NR = National Record; AS = Asian Record; WJ = World Junior Record; WR = World Record; h = heats; sf = semifinal

References

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  1. ^ "Men's 200m Breaststroke Final Results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  2. ^ "History Maker, Ten minutes with Qin Haiyang". worldaquatics.com. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Third Time's the Charm: Qin Haiyang Continues to Lower 200 IM World Junior Record". Swimming World Magazine. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Qin, McKeown named best swimmers of year by World Aquatics". The Straits Times. 24 October 2023. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Highlights of swimming finals at Military World Games - Xinhua | English.news.cn".
  6. ^ "China's breaststroke world champion Qin Haiyang and Co out to make an Asiad splash". The Straits Times. 23 September 2023.
  7. ^ Hanson, Ian. "Qin Haiyang Honored As Swimming World's Pacific Rim Male Swimmer of the Year (Full Voting)". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  8. ^ Rieder, David. "World Championships, Day Six Finals: Qin Haiyang Completes Breaststroke Sweep With World Record". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  9. ^ Huang, Zongzhi. "Qin Haiyang completes breaststroke treble at Hangzhou Asiad". Xinhua. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Wang Shun breaks Asian record in 200m IM win at Hangzhou Asiad". Xinhua. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  11. ^ "China Rattles WR In Men's Medley Relay At Asian Games; Siobhan Haughey Sets Asian 100 Free Record". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  12. ^ Parry, Martin. "Zhang fires Olympic warning as China narrowly miss 4x100m mixed medley relay world record at Hangzhou Asian Games". The Star. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Asian Games 2023: Chinese swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang win MVP awards". Olympics. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Qin Haiyang, Kaylee McKeown take overall World Cup title to conclude racing in Budapest". World Aquatics. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  15. ^ Race, Retta (27 July 2024). "Qin Haiyang Says Drug Tests Are an American & European Plot After Testers Interrupt His Sleep". SwimSwam. Retrieved 7 August 2024. He (Qin) continued, "The tests come early in the morning before we're even awake, during midday rest periods, forcing us to rest on hotel lobby sofas, and even late at night, keeping us up past midnight."
  16. ^ "Decent", Tom (31 July 2024). "Paris Olympics 2024: Zac Stubblety-Cook has last laugh as Qin Haiyang bombs out of Games". www.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024. There was speculation Stubblety-Cook might protest if Qin won a gold medal at these Games, but that won't happen now... One suspects Stubblety-Cook was pleased to see Qin miss the final... was asked if he was surprised that Qin missed making the final. "No comment," said Stubblety-Cook with a big grin, before walking off.
  17. ^ Writer, David Rieder-Senior (13 September 2024). "New Men's Swimming Stars? Leon Marchand, Fellow Paris Champions Limit Opportunities". Swimming World News. Retrieved 19 September 2024. ... the only person capable of beating Marchand is Qin Haiyang, the world-record holder in the event, provided he can bounce back from a disastrous Olympics
  18. ^ "Swimming: China end US reign over men's 4x100 medley relay". Reuters. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  19. ^ Fast, Annie (2024). "Paris 2024 swimming: All results, as People's Republic of China win gold in men's 4x100m medley relay". Olympics. Dressel, speaking on behalf of his team, said, "For Team USA, the expectation is [winning] gold. That's traditionally what we strive for... It came down to the wire. [China] had four great splits. We had four great splits. But they were faster. It's as simple as that." Murphy shared Dressel's sentiment, saying, "Today, China was just a little bit better... "It is hard to get separation in that race. It was really tight all the way through. Hats off to China, they had a great race tonight."
  20. ^ Roy, Neelabhra (6 August 2024). "USA lose in 4x100m medley relay for the very first time after China beat them to gold at Paris". Sportskeeda. The USA lost to China in the men's 4x100m medley relay at the Paris Olympics, thus making it the very first time they did not win gold in the discipline. The Chinese quartet clocked 3:27.46, while the Americans clocked 3:28.01... The men's 4x100m medley relay was first held at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, and the United States have won gold in the discipline whenever they have participated. They did not win at the 1980 Moscow Games because they did not compete.
  21. ^ "FINA personal best results".
  22. ^ Braden Keith (14 April 2017). "Qin Haiyang Breaks Andrew's Junior World Record at Chinese Nationals". SwimSwam. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  23. ^ Braden Keith (15 April 2017). "Tan Haiyan Breaks Chinese, World Junior Records in 200 Breastroke". SwimSwam. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  24. ^ Heats results
  25. ^ Semifinals results
  26. ^ Heats results
  27. ^ Final results
  28. ^ Hannah Hecht (4 September 2017). "Tan Haiyan Breaks Chinese World Junior Records in 200 Breastroke". SwimSwam. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  29. ^ Retta Race (24 March 2023). "Qin Haiyang Clocks 26.63 Asian Record in 50 Breast, 9th Fastest Performer Ever (Video)". SwimSwam. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  30. ^ Retta Race (2 May 2023). "Qin Haiyang Rips 57.93 to Become Third Man Ever Under 58 Seconds in 100 Breast (Video)". SwimSwam. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Men's 100m Breaststroke Final Results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  32. ^ "Men's 50m Breaststroke Heats Results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  33. ^ "Men's 50m Breaststroke Semifinals Results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  34. ^ "Men's 200m Breaststroke Final Results" (PDF). omegatiming.com. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  35. ^ "Men's 100m Breaststroke Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  36. ^ Final results
  37. ^ "Heats results". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  38. ^ "Final results". Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  39. ^ Retta Race (27 October 2022). "Qin Haiyang Nails 56.31 Chinese Record in 100 Breaststroke". SwimSwam. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
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Records
Preceded by Men's 200-metre breaststroke
world record-holder (long course)

28 July 2023 – present
Succeeded by
Incumbent