There was no letup from the 24-year-old as he continued to dominate at international events, including the World Cup and Asian Games. Among all his gold medals, Qin cherishes his world-record triumph the most.

"Actually, I won more medals last year than I'd managed in my entire career before 2023. It's nice to know that my training and the cooperation between my coach and I are moving in the right direction. So, these achievements were not totally unexpected. It's just a natural progression from our plans," said Qin.

"The most memorable race was definitely the one in which I broke the world record at the world championships. The 200-meter breaststroke was the first discipline that I trained, and it holds a special meaning for me.

"I've been dreaming and striving to stand on the world's highest podium and break the world record one day. And I finally made it. But I didn't think too much before that competition. I didn't think about exactly what I could achieve. So, in a way, the record-breaking result was also a big surprise to myself."

World records don't fall, however, without the right training plan — and for that Qin's coach Cui Dengrong deserves credit. Cui, who also coaches Chinese butterfly queen Zhang Yufei, won the Asian Coach of the Year award last year for his efforts. Qin also benefits from the input of an international coaching team, which oversees everything from strength conditioning to swimming technique.