(From left) Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan, Zhang Yufei and Li Bingjie Photo: Xinhua

Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei fulfilled her Olympic dream after winning the gold medal for the women's 200-meter butterfly event on Thursday morning. 

Her success inspired netizens, who took to social media platforms to congratulate the athlete. Impressed by her speed, some began calling her China's "Butterfly Queen." Others sent words of encouragement to the Chinese swim team, calling on them to hold onto this momentum in this sport. 

As netizens hoped, later in the day Zhang reached a new peak by winning another gold with her teammates in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay event. 

"I don't know how it happened, but swimming the last 50 meters, I felt the power of China kindle in my heart and felt that I must fight," Zhang told the media.

Before becoming the "Butterfly Queen," Zhang spent eight years in a "cocoon" as she trained with the national team. According to Zhang, her determination to attain the gold did not merely come from passion and hard work, but also love, especially her deep connection to her father. 

With both her parents being swimming coaches, the sport was part of Zhang's life from early on. She once told media that she started her swimming career when her parents "forced her" into it by "throwing" her into a pool. Born with a minor case of scoliosis, she had a difficult climb as a swimmer, but her father was a constant source of comfort and encouragement until he sadly passed away when she was 4 years old. 

After that, she became even more determined to become a swimmer, allowing her father's love to drive her to become even stronger.