Key Points
- William Yang was close to quitting swimming before winning gold medals at international level
- Born in China, Yang took time off in Hong Kong in 2021, which he says changed his mindset
- The 24-year-old returned in February this year to win Commonwealth and World Championship gold
When Sydney-based swimmer William Yang missed out on selection to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he felt that he needed some time away from the sport.
Jaded after a couple of years of stagnant improvement in his swimming and with COVID-19 disrupting his training, Yang decided to travel to Hong Kong in 2021 to take time away from the pool.
Hong Kong wasn’t under a strict lockdown at that time and he was able to live a “normal life," meeting new friends and even playing in a semi-professional basketball league.
William Yang reacts after winning the Mens 100m Final at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships. Source: AAP / DAVE HUNT/AAPIMAGE
Now that Yang has achieved success in the pool and as one of the few Australian swimmers with Asian heritage, he says he’s been able to show others that they too could do well in the sport.
I never really thought I'm disadvantaged because I'm Asian. I just tried as hard as I could.William Yang
"But now, since there's someone already at that level, everyone will think ‘oh, this is absolutely doable’. Yeah, just put in the hard work. You're just like everyone else.
“Before I was all about ‘success, success, success, I have to represent Australia’. But then this year, it was like, ‘Okay, I have to have the realisation I'm not that good and I'm not that important," Yang told SBS Chinese.
I need to stop thinking about how other people view me and just enjoy it.
After returning to full-time training only this February at the New South Wales Institute of Sport, Yang has turned his career around, winning an Australian title in the Blue Ribbon 100 m freestyle event, clocking a personal best lap time of 48.55 seconds.
He then represented Australia this year at the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham where he won two gold medals in the mixed 4 x 100 m freestyle relay and men’s 4 x 100 m freestyle relay. He also finished fifth in the men’s 100 m individual freestyle.
Yang during a training session at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Credit: Ranky Law / SBS
He credits his recent success to his newfound mindset and also to focusing on freestyle.
“So, this year even if I didn’t make it to the team or do a PB [personal best], I’d probably keep on swimming because I have a long journey. Missing the Olympics or not doing PBs for a few years — that’s all just part of the journey,” he said.
“After I won the trials, I still had no expectations. It’s already been a fantastic year, so everything I did at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships, is a bonus.
“It’s a bit of a relief. I think, for that many years of hard work, it's good to see results, that's for sure.
But then most importantly, I think my mindset has gone much, much better than all those previous years.
“Now it's just really about the enjoyment of the sport and what I can contribute to the Australian team," he adds.
Yang previously focused on backstroke and butterfly before recently switching to freestyle.
His win at the Australian titles earlier this year came as a surprise even to himself, who said he thought he was training with his coach to focus on the 50 m freestyle, not the 100 m event.
“It's a very competitive field … everyone in that field, a lot of them went to the Olympics, and a lot of them have a faster PB than mine. So, nothing is certain, nothing's guaranteed,” he said.
“So not only I made it to the team, but I also haven't done another PB for a long time. So, just absolutely stoked," Yang adds.
Yang has claimed a trove of swimming medals in 2022. Credit: Ranky Law / SBS
He moved back to Sydney to attend Knox Grammar for high school where he began to excel in sports, especially swimming.
Yang says his parents have always been supportive of his swimming since he started at the age of five.
“My parents never really put any pressure on me. I think it's more self-pressure especially,” he said.
Once you forget about the external stuff and just focus on your own journey, and stop thinking about how other people might view you, or I think once you can isolate yourself, I think that's a very good mindset to have for the sport.
Yang says he only started to focus more on swimming at the age of 20 when he was studying design and architecture at the University of Sydney.
Yang during a gym workout. Credit: Ranky Law / SBS
“All my other friends, they're working, maybe full-time — doctors, lawyers, bankers — high-paying jobs.
"So, at some point, you probably feel you're a bit behind compared to everyone.
"You sort of compare yourself. But this year, it's like everyone's on a different journey,” he concludes.
