Australian coach Ken Wood, who trained the Australian Olympic team in the 1980s and has worked with the Chinese Swimming Association since 2008, has been training Ye for the past two years: cultivating her breathing technique, improving her stroke and speeding her turns.
While the regular routine is challenging on its own, about eight weeks before a match, he and other fighters undergo "training camp, " where the intensity is dialed up yet again and the emphasis shifts to techniqueand fighting skills.