Legendary Swim Coach Zhu Zhigen Retires at 68: Wang Shun and Wu Peng Honor Their Mentor, Sun Yang Absent

On January 27, Chinese swimming officially bid farewell to one of its most influential figures. Renowned coach Zhu Zhigen confirmed his retirement at the age of 68. Several of his former athletes, including Olympic champions Wang Shun and Wu Peng, attended his retirement banquet to pay tribute, while Sun Yang’s absence drew attention.

Zhu Zhigen’s career spans more than five decades. He joined the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Team’s swimming squad in 1971, retired as an athlete in 1980, and transitioned into coaching. In November 1997, he joined the Chinese national swimming team and in 2003 discovered and began systematically training Sun Yang, laying the foundation for China’s dominance in men’s distance freestyle.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Zhu served as a coach of the Chinese swimming team and guided Sun Yang to gold medals in the men’s 400m and 1500m freestyle, both achieved with world-record performances. Four years later at the Rio Olympics, he again contributed to China’s success, helping the team secure one gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.

In early 2018, Zhu reunited with Sun Yang as his coach. He later served as a swimming coach at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and was named to China’s delegation for the Paris Olympics in July 2024. In November 2025, he concluded his coaching career in style by leading Wang Shun to victory in the men’s 400m individual medley at the National Games.

Over the years, Zhu Zhigen has coached numerous Olympic and world champions, including Sun Yang, Wang Shun, Wu Peng, Yang Yu, Chen Hua, and Yu Cheng, earning widespread respect as a cornerstone of Chinese swimming.

At the retirement banquet, athletes such as Wang Shun, Wu Peng, Shang Keyuan, and Zhang Yixiang gathered to honor their mentor. Wang Shun jokingly remarked that he had been training under Zhu since 2007 and had “finally outlasted his coach into retirement,” bringing warmth and laughter to the occasion.

Notably, Sun Yang did not attend the event, a detail that quickly became a topic of public discussion.