Wang Liuyi now teaches at Shenzhen University

What if your PE teacher were an Olympic champion? Would you look forward to class every day?

This semester, Wang Liuyi, a gold medalist in artistic swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics, officially joined Shenzhen University (SZU) as an associate professor, where students can take her elective swimming course.

SZU’s first round of course selection was conducted by lottery, and spots in the course were extremely hard to get. A student surnamed Jin from the Class of 2025 at the School of Mathematical Sciences said she didn’t know Wang was teaching the course when she signed up. After winning the lottery, she felt incredibly fortunate.

Another student said she never imagined she would cross paths with an Olympic champion. Now she can tell others that she learned swimming from an Olympic champion.

Wang Liuyi (L) and her twin sister Wang Qianyi. Photo from Xinhua

Before getting into the water, Wang led warm-up exercises through games, quickly bonding with her students. “She takes every student seriously. After two sessions, she already remembered my name,” said a student, who added that all students feel respected and valued in the class.

Wu Ying, a beginner who had never been in the water before, was extremely nervous about entering the pool. “Ms. Wang never forced me to adapt to the water quickly, nor did she ignore me because I was learning slowly,” Wu recalled. “Instead, she taught me step by step and encouraged me to overcome my fear at my own pace.”

A student named Zhang Jingwen shared that Wang designs fun activities to boost students’ enthusiasm.

The Olympian shared that competing on the global stage is completely different from teaching. In teaching, she felt a great responsibility toward her students: “I have to keep them safe while teaching them skills.”

Her class included both complete beginners and more advanced swimmers. “Beginners need to learn and master basic swimming skills, while those with experience need to improve their speed,” Wang said.

Explaining her career choice, Wang shared that she was born and grew up in Shenzhen and feels a strong attachment to the city. Shenzhen University has always been a place she admired.

As she is also pursuing a doctorate in education, teaching at SZU is an ideal fit, giving her the flexibility to balance teaching with her studies. Wang also shared that she has always wanted to work in education — helping more students learn to swim and fall in love with the sport.