The Australian swim team were letting their hair down and partying by the pool after the world championships last month – as China’s athletes were put through an intensive military boot camp.
The Dolphins took home 19 medals during the 18th FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, and came second on the leader board to the United States.
The impressive effort, which included five gold medals, earned the athletes a holiday in Bali – where swimmers could lounge beside the pool instead of working in it.
By comparison, the Chinese team failed to meet expectations and won seven medals during the swimming events.
The Australian swim team partied in Bali after the world championships last month – as China’s athletes were put through an intensive military boot camp. Pictured: Australian swimmers Bronte Campbell, Czech swimmer Barbora Zavadova, Leah Neale, Emma McKeon, Jess Hansen
The Dolphins took home 19 medals during the 18th FINA World Championships in South Korea. Pictured L-R: Australia’s Jess Hansen Barbora Zavadova, Leah Neale
The Chinese team failed to meet expectations and won seven medals during the swimming events. They were sent to a military-style training camp to prepare for the 2020 Olympics
Amid the disappointing performance, which included three gold medals, the athletes were sent to the People’s Liberation Army Sports Training Centre in Beijing.
The five-day camp would act as preparation for next year’s Olympics as well as building spirit within the team and country, News Corp reported.
Chinese swim team leader Cheng Hao said: ‘The military training this time, which is the second time in the history of Chinese National Swim Team, was to heighten the Chinese athletes’ sense of discipline, build a tighter team spirit, increase their sense of mission, making the team members love our Chinese Communist Party and our country, so the athletes will be fully prepared for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.’
The athletes donned matching military attire in camp pictures shared to Chinese social media site Weibo.
The swimmers stood together in unison, seemingly responding to authority and recited information on papers in a formal classroom.
Controversial freestyler Sun Yang was no where to be seen, but the camp did include Ye Shiwen, who won two gold medals in London 2012, and two-time men’s backstroke world champion Xu Jiayu.
The boot camp was to ‘heighten the Chinese athletes’ sense of discipline, build a tighter team spirit, increase their sense of mission’
Pictured: Leah Neale and Emma McKeon enjoy time off in Bali
Fu Yuanhui, who went viral for her reaction to winning bronze at Rio in 2016, was also in attendance at the camp.
She failed to win a medal during the world championships and posted an update from the military camp to her fans.
‘I am enduring some difficult times in my career but I have learned at training camp that I must keep trying, trying to make a breakthrough and never give up when encountering problems,’ she said on Weibo.
Cheng said Sun needed some time to ‘recuperate’ as he is ‘physically and mentally tired’.
Australian swimmer Mack Horton refused to share the podium with victorious Sun after winning silver in the men’s 400m freestyle final on July 21. Sun won two of China’s three gold medals.
Olympic gold-medal winner and world champion Bronte Campbell (left) wrote: ‘Girls week in Bali done ft. Shallow water belly-flops, marshmallows at sundown, fooling Finns into thinking we could behave like VIPs and a great bunch of girls who made it all unforgettable’
China’s five-day camp was meant to act as preparation for next year’s Olympics as well as building spirit within the team and country
Swimmers were livid drug cheat Sun was allowed to compete while facing a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in September.
Australian swimmers Leah Neale, Jessica Hansen, Bronte Campbell and Emma McKeon were able to unwind after the championships taking a ‘girls trip’ to Bali.
Olympic gold-medal winner and world champion Bronte wrote: ‘Girls week in Bali done ft. Shallow water belly-flops, marshmallows at sundown, fooling Finns into thinking we could behave like VIPs and a great bunch of girls who made it all unforgettable’.
McKeon shared similar sentiments, writing on Instagram: ‘Holidays and rest time feels so much more special after a big season, and even better with amazing friends. Lucky to have met some amazing people through what I do’.
Australian swimmer Mack Horton refused to share the podium with victorious Sun after winning silver in the men’s 400m freestyle final on July 21. Sun won two of China’s three gold medals