Pan Zhenle. [Photo/wzrb.com.cn]
The Chinese Swimming Association announced the athletes selected for the swimming events at the Paris Olympics on June 18. Among the 31 athletes, three are from Wenzhou: Xu Jiayu, Pan Zhanle, and Liu Yaxin.
The team includes 18 female and 13 male swimmers, with nine athletes from Zhejiang.
Xu, 29, will be competing in his fourth Olympics. Despite being a veteran, he remains in excellent form and will compete in the 100m backstroke and the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Pan, who gave an outstanding performance at this year's National Swimming Championships, winning seven gold medals, will also compete. He excelled in events from the 50m to the 400m freestyle and swam the 100m freestyle in under 47 seconds.
Liu, making her third Olympic appearance, has made significant progress in freestyle events and is expected to bolster the women's relay team.
Additionally, the Chinese Gymnastics Association announced the gymnastics, trampoline, and rhythmic gymnastics teams for the Paris Olympics on June 17. Wenzhou's Luo Huan made the gymnastics team, while Huang Zhuofan is an alternate. Luo, 24, is a seasoned gymnast, while Huang, born in 2007, helped the Chinese women's team secure fourth place at last year's World Championships, earning a spot in the Paris Olympics.
Previously, Wenzhou athletes Zheng Siwei (badminton), Wen Zaiding (sailing), and Huang Jingye (windsurfing) were also selected for the Paris Olympics. To date, eight athletes from Wenzhou, including alternates, have been named to the Chinese Olympic team.
