Chinese swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang are awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Hangzhou Asian Games, Oct. 7, 2023.

HANGZHOU, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang were awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Hangzhou Asian Games here on Saturday.

Zhang Yufei of China competes during the Women's 50m Butterfly Final of Swimming at Hangzhou Asian Games, Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Olympic champion Zhang, 25, clinched six titles across her signature events of Butterfly, Freestyle and Relays. "I will give myself 95 out of 100 for my performances at the Asian Games and hope to do better in Paris next year," she said after concluding her campaign in Hangzhou.

"I am really honored to be named MVP of the Asian Games on home soil. It is a memorable experience for me. Thanks a lot for all the support which gave me a lot of confidence. I will keep chasing my dreams to attain new heights," said Zhang.

Qin Haiyang of China competes during the Men's 50m Breaststroke Final of Swimming at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

World champion Qin pocketed five golds and a silver on his second Asiad appearance, including a hat-trick in the Men's 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, repeating his feats from July's World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

"Before the Asian Games, I didn't think about how many golds I would get. I just wanted to do what I could in every event. It was more about letting nature take its course," Qin said.

The 24-year-old also eyed next year's Paris Olympics. "It is the first time in Asiad history that a female and a male athlete have shared the MVP honor. I will take it as motivation to achieve the best results in Paris."

According to the Olympic Council of Asia, the award was allocated based on an overall assessment of athletes' performance, sportsmanship and social influence.

The closing ceremony of Hangzhou Asian Games will be held on Sunday.