Double glory: Wang sisters' Olympic odyssey

Early Sunday morning Beijing Time, twin sisters Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, born and raised in Shenzhen, made history when they won China’s first Olympic gold in the duet artistic swimming competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, achieving an impressive score of 566.4783.

The Wang sisters pose for a photo during an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Sunday. Xinhua

Just three days earlier, they had helped the Chinese artistic swimming team secure its first-ever Olympic gold in the team event. The sisters have truly reached the pinnacle of their sport, and the victories they helped secure have fulfilled the dreams of generations of Chinese artistic swimmers.

Parental support

Reflecting on his daughters’ journey into professional sports, Wang Huiqi shared, “It wasn’t until a friend of mine, a retired member of the provincial swimming team, visited us and took them swimming that their potential was truly recognized. My friend then suggested they practice artistic swimming, which would also improve their posture and fitness.”

The father said that his daughters not only enjoyed swimming, but had a natural affinity for water that surpassed that of other children their age. After training in Shenzhen for more than two years, the sisters were recruited by the Guangdong Provincial Artistic Swimming Team.

Family and friends gather at the home of the Wang sisters' parents to watch the duet artistic swimming competition of the 2024 Paris Olympics as the twin sisters compete for the gold medal Aug. 11. Shenzhen Satellite TV  

Before the Wang sisters, no one in their family had pursued a career in professional sports. Their mother, Li Qiaofang, initially worried that becoming professional athletes might interfere with their studies.

“They were very determined, especially Wang Qianyi, the younger sister — she was adamant about joining the provincial team,” Li shared. Recognizing her daughters’ determination, Li decided to support their passion for artistic swimming.

Over the years, the twins’ parents supported them in different ways. Their mother focused more on daily life, while their father often provided them with mental and emotional support.

“When facing setbacks or challenges, they need to learn how to accept the situation and solve the problems. As parents, we tried to encourage and guide them, hoping they could overcome these obstacles. If they could get through the toughest times, future challenges would be easier to handle,” their father explained.

In the end, the parents’ support and the twins’ hard work paid off. “We never imagined that after all these years, they would stand on the Olympic podium in Paris and win the highest honor. It hasn’t been easy,” said their father.

World champions nurtured in SZ

Hu Lianghui, once a coach for the Shenzhen Artistic Swimming Team, still remembers the first time she met the twins in 2005. “Their physiques were perfect for the sport — tall and slender, with long arms,” Hu said.

“The sisters already knew one or two swimming styles and had studied ballet. Their buoyancy in the water and precise movements made them very promising,” Hu added.

Twins Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, from Shenzhen, perform during the artistic swimming event at the Paris Olympics on Sunday Beijing Time.

According to Hu, being twins gave Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi a unique advantage — they were endowed with a natural synchronicity that allowed them to execute highly coordinated routines. “After years of training, they became capable of performing complex moves, such as spins, lifts, and jumps, with great precision and quality,” Hu added.

The Wang sisters’ achievement is particularly significant for Hu.

“They are world champions that were nurtured right here in Shenzhen, which proves that our city has the talent pool and environment to foster such excellence,” Hu said.

As Shenzhen has developed economically and socially, the city’s artistic swimming programs have received consistent support in terms of training facilities and coaching, thereby paving the way for local athletes to compete both nationally and internationally.

Balancing sports and education

The Wang sisters spent eight years at the Nanshan Foreign Language School (Wenhua School) in Shenzhen. Zhong Ying, vice principal of Wenhua School and the twins’ middle school English teacher, stated that the sisters were diligent and disciplined during their school years.

The twin sisters pose for a photo during a visit to Nanshan Foreign Language School (Wenhua School) in Shenzhen, where they studied for eight years in an undated file photo. Photo from WeChat account "蛇口消息报”

“They managed their time carefully to ensure they excelled both in the classroom and in the pool. Whether attending classes or completing assignments, they always held themselves to the highest standards,” Zhong said.

Zhong also noted that the sisters were proficient in English and had once given an interview in fluent English to international reporters after a competition. In 2022, when Wang Qianyi visited her alma mater, she expressed deep gratitude for the solid educational foundation she had received at Wenhua School, particularly in English.

On Sunday, the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) announced that Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi had been admitted to the university’s education doctoral program and were awarded the university’s newly established Outstanding Athlete Scholarship for 2024. The sisters will begin their studies at EdUHK in September.

EdUHK president Lee Chi-kin congratulated the twins on their remarkable achievements at the Olympics and expressed pride in their pursuit of excellence. Lee highlighted their determination and resilience, which have brought honor to the country, and expressed hope that their perseverance would inspire EdUHK students and other young people to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.