Qin Haiyang

Age: 25

Event: men's swimming

In the past two years, Qin Haiyang has demonstrated extraordinary prowess. At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, he broke the men's 200m breaststroke world record with a time of 2:05.48, winning gold. He also made history by becoming the first athlete to sweep the men's 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke titles at a single World Championships.

Named World Aquatics' Best Male Swimmer of 2023, Qin now has gold in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics in his sights. He will, however, face fierce competition from top Australian and US swimmers.