Imagen
Xu Qing (R) of China is embraced by Nathan Clement (L) of Canada after winning the gold medal in the Men's 50m Butterfly - S6

Qing Xu

Swimming
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China’s S6 swimming star Qing Xu shined at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, winning four gold medals and wowing the crowds.

Previously, Xu won four medals at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, including three golds. He was victorious in the 50m freestyle with a world-record time of 29.78. He broke another world record in the 50m butterfly to take gold in a time of 30.79. And together with his teammates Tang, Du and Yang, Xu swam to another gold and world record, in the 4x50m medley. The Chinese speedster added one more bronze medal, in the 200m individual medley.

At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships, Xu swam to one world title in the 50m butterfly. He then added one silver medal to his collection in the 50m freestyle.

Returning to international swimming in the year after his most successful Paralympic Games, in 2013 Xu added a further three medals to an illustrious career. He also claimed gold in his favourite event, the 50m freestyle, at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.

Swimming at his fourth Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, Xu was still one of his classification's top swimmers. He set a new world record in the 50m butterfly again and took his title count into double figures.

His next major challenge will be to keep improving as the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City draw near.

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
S6, SB7, SM6

Further personal information

Family
Wife Guo Xiaodan
Residence
Henan, CHN
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
Mandarin
Higher education
Beijing Sport University: China

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
He began swimming training in 1999.
Why this sport?
During a trip to Wuhan, People's Republic of China, he was encouraged to take up a sport by a medical prosthetic sales representative, who had been a Para table tennis athlete.
Club / Team
Henan Province : China

International debut

Year
2004
Competing for
China
Tournament
Paralympic Games
Location
Athens, GRE

General interest

Most influential person in career
His father. (Athlete, 11 Jul 2015)
Hero / Idol
US swimmer Michael Phelps; Chairperson of China Disabled Persons' Federation Zhang Haidi. (Athlete, 11 Jul 2015; sports.chinaso.com, 30 Aug 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"A man can be destroyed but not defeated." [Ernest Hemingway] (pdsxww.com, 07 May 2019)
Awards and honours
In 2016 he was named the Best Male Athlete by the Asian Paralympic Committee [APC]. (aroundtherings.com, 30 Nov 2016)

In 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016 he was nominated for Disabled Sports Spirit award at the China Central Television [CCTV] Sports Personality of the Year Awards. (news.xinhuanet.com, 15 Dec 2016; sports.cctv.com, 23 Nov 2016)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (paralympic.org, 01 Dec 2016; sohu.com, 29 Jun 2019)
Impairment
He lost both arms in a car accident at age six. (Athlete, 11 Jul 2015)

Results

Unit Date Rank
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 2 2
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Final Round 1
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Heat 1 3
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Final Round 3
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Heat 2 2
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final Round 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 2 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 1
IPC Swimming World Championships Eindhoven 2010 (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 2
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final Round 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 2 8
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Final Round 2012-09-03 1
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Heat 1 2012-09-03 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 3 2012-09-04 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 2012-09-04 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 2 2012-09-07 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final Round 2012-09-07 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2012-09-08 4
Men's 100 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 2012-09-08 1
2013 IPC Swimming World Championships (Montreal, Canada)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 2 2013-08-14 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final 1 2013-08-14 1
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Heat 2 2013-08-15 4
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Final 1 2013-08-15 3
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final 1 2013-08-17 2
Men's 100 m Freestyle S6 Heat 2 2013-08-18 9999
2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (Glasgow, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 400 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2015-07-13 15
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 2 2015-07-15 5
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final 1 2015-07-15 2
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final 1 2015-07-16 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2015-07-16 1
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Heat 2 2015-07-17 6
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Final 1 2015-07-17 6
Men's 100 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2015-07-19 13
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Final Round 2016-09-09 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final Round 2016-09-09 1
Men's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 2 2016-09-09 3
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2016-09-10 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 2016-09-10 1
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Heat 1 2016-09-12 3
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 Final Round 2016-09-12 4
Men's 100 m Freestyle S6 Heat 1 2016-09-17 2