A TOTAL of six athletes from Shenzhen have been selected to represent China in the Paris Olympics next month. Swimmers Chen Jun’er and Tang Muhan, synchronized swimming duo and twin sisters Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, sport climber Zhang Yuetong, and gymnast Ou Yushan will aim for gold and glory.

The Chinese Swimming Administrative Center announced the inclusion of Chen, Tang, and the Wang twins Tuesday.

Zhang secured her chance to compete in Paris during the Asian qualifier, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in November. Ou was listed as a member of the Chinese gymnastic squad for the Games on  Monday.

Chen, a Shenzhen native, triumphed in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay with his teammates at the National Swimming Championships in April, earning a place at the Paris Olympics. In last year’s Asian Games, he won gold in the same event and set a new Asian Games record.

Tang, a formidable swimmer, made a mark at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where she and her teammates secured gold in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, setting a new world record. At the National Swimming Championships in April, Tang and her relay team claimed the silver medal in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay event.

The Wang twins have excelled in recent years. The twins helped the Chinese team win gold in the synchronized swimming doubles and team events at the Asian Games last year. They also won four gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February.

Zhang, who began sport climbing at 4, demonstrated an exceptional aptitude early on. In 2017, at the age of 13, she secured two gold medals in the women’s bouldering and difficulty events at the National Games, competing in the non-competitive sports category.

Zhang continued to shine at the 2021 National Games, where she triumphed in both difficulty and bouldering events, and at the Asian Games last year, where she won bronze in the women’s two-event all-around.

Born in 2004, Ou is currently a student at Beijing Sport University. In 2010, she began gymnastics training in Shenzhen and subsequently joined the national women’s gymnastics team in 2018. She won four gold medals at the 31st Summer Universiade last year.                                (SD News)