Kaylee McKeown (L) of Australia and Qin Haiyang of China pose for a photo after winning the Best Swimmers of the Year 2023 award during the World Aquatics Gala in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang and Australian Kaylee McKeown were honored as the Best Male and Female Swimmer of the Year 2023 at the premises of the future headquarters of World Aquatics in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday.

Qin Haiyang was born in Shimen County, Changde, Hunan Province in May 1999. When he was three years old, he moved to Zhuzhou with his parents. He began swimming training when he was five.

In a gala ceremony, World Aquatics, the international organization representing aquatic sports, bestowed awards to the best swimmers of the year.

Qin Haiyang, a breaststroke specialist from China, dominated the men's category, while Australian backstroke specialist Kaylee McKeown excelled among the women.

Both athletes achieved remarkable success, winning all three events (50, 100, and 200 meters) in all three World Cup legs, held recently in Berlin, Athens, and Budapest this weekend.

At the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Qin, 24, became the first swimmer in history to win all three breaststroke events at a single edition of the championships. Moreover, he won the 200-meter distance with a world record. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the men's division at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. He also won five gold medals at the Chengdu Universiade.

"The most proud thing for me this year is that I broke the record, it's a surprise for me. More importantly, I got more improvement than last year, that's really, really made me happy," said Qin.

Qin Haiyang of China poses for a photo after winning the Best Male Swimmer of the Year 2023 award during the World Aquatics Gala in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Source: Xinhua

Edited by Pang Yuehui