Famous artistic swimmers Jiang sisters choose to extend careers

BEIJING -- Chinese twin sisters Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting proudly celebrated their victory in the free routine duet of the National Championships with their classic performance "The Swan."

The Jiang sisters made their national debut in 2006 at the Doha Asian Games and have performed well in the Olympic Games and World Championships. This year, the sisters chose to represent the Sichuan team in duets and group events.

Wenwen explained that after they won the duets in Jakarta Asian Games last year, they adjusted their training since both are mothers now, skipping the national group training and the selection for this year's World Championships.

"We are no longer young. Our physical condition does not allow us to compete in both duet and group competition. Injury is another consideration. It takes longer for us to recover," Jiang Wenwen, who is about to turn 33 this year, said after their victory on Monday in Beijing.

From the international arena to national competitions; from world superstars to local players, the Jiang sisters are still optimistic. "We hope to stay with the pool differently yet within our abilities," Wenwen said.

"We want to help the younger generation with their skills. We have taught them a complete performance, hoping they can take over our relay as soon as possible," Tingting added.

As of now, they are declining to say when they will end their careers.

"It's hard to give an estimated time for leaving. We want to practice and see; we don't want to give up the pool. We hope that we may compete in the National Games in 2021 and contend for the group titles," said Wenwen.

They also added that swimming has become something of a family pastime for their young kids.

"They can swim already, and we hope that they can someday enjoy artistic swimming. Our greatest dream now is that our will children grow healthily, and we can continue our career," Wenwen said.