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Profile | Swim champion Zhang Yufei winner of most medals in China Olympic history misses hometown soup

From splashing about in a pool with her mother aged 3 to a multiple medal winner, China’s ‘Butterfly Queen’ captivates nation

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The Post profiles China’s champion Olympic swimmer Zhang Yufei whose exploits in the pool have earned her the 
title “Butterfly Queen”. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua/Weibo/Sohu
Yating Yangin Beijing

China champion swimmer Zhang Yufei, also known as the “Butterfly Queen”, has won 10 Olympic medals which makes her the most decorated Games athlete in the country’s history.

Zhang’s prowess in the pool and personality have further cemented her place among her huge fan base.

Born in 1998 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province in northwestern China, she excels in the butterfly event, hence the nickname.

Zhang has competed in three Olympics and is affectionately dubbed the “Model Worker Sister” by her fans.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won two gold medals, one in the 200m butterfly, setting a new Olympic record, and the other in the women’s 4 × 200m freestyle relay. She also secured two silver medals.

No pain, no gain

Zhang Yufei swam through the pain barrier in Paris but came out of the pool smiling. Photo: 163.com
Zhang Yufei swam through the pain barrier in Paris but came out of the pool smiling. Photo: 163.com
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