Sun now driven by passion

Composed, calm and radiating quiet confidence, Olympic champion Sun Yang faced reporters on Monday night after finishing sixth in the men's 400-meter freestyle final at the 15th National Games in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

At 34, the three-time Olympic champion no longer shows the emotional tears that used to surface during interviews in his younger days. For him now, swimming is less about the pressure to win and more about the perseverance born of a pure love for the sport.

"Every race is the best test of my current form," he said. "There's no regret. Once a race is over, tomorrow is a new beginning."

The spotlight that evening belonged to 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo of Shandong, who stormed to victory in 3 minutes and 42.82 seconds, shattering his own world junior record.

Sun congratulated him poolside, offering words of encouragement. "Zhang is an excellent athlete with a long road ahead," Sun said. "I hope he can carry the future of Chinese men's mid- and long-distance freestyle."

"No matter whether it's young athletes or our older generation, I believe we can all move forward and go further. The era when everyone only focused on results is gradually fading. More often now, whether it's me or the younger athletes, what we display is the true spirit of competitive sports," he said.

Indeed, the cheers that greeted Sun's return to the National Games filled the arena. He said he has no plans to retire and hopes the competition will help him readjust his training — refining his methods to better suit his age.

"My persistence represents the final line of defense for my generation of athletes," he said. "I hope everyone will continue to look forward to a better, more complete version of Sun Yang in the pool."