Yang Junxuan is a competitive swimmer who represents China internationally. She is a 2021 Olympian and Olympic champion as well as a world and Asian champion.
International Career
2018 Summer Youth Olympics (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Yang had a breakout meet at the Summer Youth Olmypics, earning gold as a part of China’s 400 free and mixed medley relays. She also won individual silver in the 100 free (54.43) and bronze in the 50 (25.47) and 200 (1:58.05) freestyles.
2018 Asian Games
Yang kept her momentum rolling into her first Asian Games, where she helped China to gold in the 800 free relay as well as silver in the 400 free relay. She also earned individual silvers in the 100 free (54.17) and 200 free (1:57.48).
2018 World Short Course Championships (Hangzhou, China)
In her home world championships, Yang picked up a hat trick of medals with China’s relays, earning gold in the 800 free relay, silver in the 400 medley relay, and bronze in the 400 free relay.
2020 Olympic Games
In Tokyo, Yang started things off in the 200 free. In the final, she ended up placing 4th (1:55.01), just outside of medaling but swimming a personal best. In the 100 free, she went a best time in the prelims (53.02), but scratched the semifinal to save herself for China’s 4×200 free relay, a gamble that paid off.
In the final of the relay, Yang led off in a huge personal best of 1:54.37, putting China in a lead that they maintained through to a win, leading 3 teams who were all under the world record. China earned gold with their WR setting time of 7:40.33.
2022 World Championships
Yang started her meet in the 400 free relay, splitting 52.7 for China on the 3rd leg to help them to a 4th place finish. Individually, Yang had the 200 free up next, moving through prelims and semis easily. In the final, Yang swam a strong race, going out hard and holding on to win her first world title, touching for the win in 1:54.92.