BEIJING, China, August 16. CHINESE Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder Ye Shiwen has publicly struck back at questions regarding her Olympic performance as part of an interview on Chinese station CCTV.
In a translation of interview responses available to The Guardian, Ye states that she believes Chinese swimmers work harder than swimmers from other countries, and believes that the international media was jealous of her world-record swim.
CCTV: Do you agree that the [some foreign media] were just jealous [of the world record swim?]
Ye: Yes, I agree. Yes, I agree.
CCTV: Why do you think that?
Ye: Because, if you think about it, we have never challenged athletes who win gold medals from other countries. Even those who won several of them. Why do I get questioned after just winning one?
Our training, I believe, is harder and more tiring compared to swimmers from other countries. In the very least, we really have made a huge effort to prepare for the Olympic Games.