Faraway dreams

Qin told China Daily that his first memory of the Olympics was the 2008 Beijing Games.

He had just begun to learn how to swim at the time, and recalled: "I watched the Beijing Games on TV. At that time, I had no dreams of becoming a world or Olympic champion. All that was too far away for me."

When he first dipped his toes in the pool, at the age of five, the goal was simply to find a sport to enjoy. But when the youngster began breaking national youth records, coaches soon realized they had a special talent on their hands.

Amid all the success he has enjoyed, Qin credits one of his biggest disappointments as a turning point in his career.

"It was the national team selection for the 2016 Rio Games — I didn't make it and was really gutted about it. That was when I realized I needed to have a firm goal and dream big. That was also when I first felt the thirst to shine on the global stage and show my talent," said Qin.

A torpedo-like figure in the water, Qin says he is much "calmer and slower" as he goes about his business in everyday life. In fact, he is so laid-back that his sluggishness in the locker room earned him the nickname "slow goat".