Beijing Olympic champion Liu has been struggling for form after winning the 2013 Barcelona worlds, but she seemed to be back in pace at the Swimming World Cup in Beijing in September where she took a second place in the 200m fly.

Both Jiao and Liu failed to qualify for the Kazan worlds, but youngster Zhang Yufei took a bronze. Zhang is trained under Jiao's coach Liu Haitao and has been considered as a future butterfly queen. Veteran Lu Ying also kept good form and took two bronze in the 50m and 100m fly at the worlds.

According to former Chinese swimming head coach Chen Yunpeng, China may win less gold medals in Rio than it did in London, but there will be some breakthough as there are more young talents bringing more hopes.

Promising swimmers Wang Shun, Xu Jiayu, Liu Xiang and Shi Jinglin all renewed their personal best at the Kazan worlds.

More youngsters showed their strength at the National Youth Games in October.

Chen Xinyi and Li Zhuhao each won three individual golds at the youth games. The 16-year-old Li is expected to compete with American super star Michael Phelps in the men's 100m butterfly at the Rio Games, while Chen focuses on the women's 100m fly.

All seemed optimistic except a mournful tragedy.

A 17-year-old girl Qing Wenyi, winner of the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the National Youth Games, died in her dormitory on Nov 10.

The Beijing native didn't find any abnormality in a routine physical examination conducted on Oct 28 and resumed training on Nov 2 in Beijing.