水立方点燃澳大利亚泳将的奥运梦想

“在我看来，北京水立方是世界上最具标志性的游泳场馆。”

澳大利亚游泳运动员威尔·佩特里克（Will Petric）将于今年12月在北京地标性场馆国家游泳中心——人们熟知的“水立方”——参加世界短池游泳锦标赛，开启他冲击洛杉矶奥运会的征程。

水立方以泡泡般的建筑外观和举办2008年奥运会而闻名，也是美国游泳传奇迈克尔·菲尔普斯曾在一届奥运会上赢得8枚金牌的赛场，打破了马克·施皮茨（Mark Spitz）在1972年创造的单届奥运会7枚金牌纪录。

既钻研游泳，也学习普通话的佩特里克决心从北京开始，在游泳史上留下自己的名字。

“我已经迫不及待想去那里了，”佩特里克说。

“在我看来，北京水立方是世界上最具标志性的游泳场馆。

“直到今天，我还会打开YouTube，看迈克尔·菲尔普斯当年赢得那8枚金牌的比赛视频。

“人们想到游泳，就会想到迈克尔·菲尔普斯，也会想到北京。

“能够在那个泳池里比赛，真的太不可思议了。

“这真的是一种‘不敢相信这是真的’的感觉。

“我只是想亲身体验这一切，站在那个赛场里，通过想象去感受，在那么多观众面前游泳会是什么样子。因为我的目标，就是希望能够站上奥运领奖台，而且希望站在领奖台最高处。

“他（菲尔普斯）在一届奥运会上做到了8次。如果我也能在一届奥运会上做到这一点，那就太棒了。”

就在7个月前，这位个人混合泳选手还曾令现场观众惊叹不已。他先是爆冷击败中国奥运冠军汪顺，随后又在赛后采访中用一口流利中文征服全场。

在2026年中国游泳公开赛上，佩特里克夺得男子200米个人混合泳冠军，力压汪顺；随后，他又在同一赛事中强势夺得男子400米个人混合泳冠军，击败中国选手顾恩翊和陶冠男，摘得金牌。

“我很喜欢来中国——到现在我已经来过中国好几次了。

“我第一次来中国是在九年级参加交流项目的时候……那时我14岁。

“我在那里待了大约五六周，有机会融入中国社会，和一位与我年龄相仿的人一起生活，并住在他们家里。

“那次经历让我大开眼界，让我看到了中国所拥有的丰富多彩的一面。

“而去年和朋友们一起去中国，又是一次非常不同的旅行。我们去了几个不同的城市。

“我们从上海出发，然后一路去了重庆。

“看到中国不同的风景……还有这里人们的友善，都让我觉得非常棒。”

佩特里克所在的游泳俱乐部努纳瓦丁（Nunawading）位于墨尔本东部郊区。根据2021年澳大利亚人口普查数据，该地区21%的人口具有华裔背景。

“我在学校的很多朋友都会说中文。他们彼此之间不一定会说中文，但会和家人说。

“所以每次去他们家，我都很愿意努力用中文和他们交流，以表达对他们的尊重。

“我觉得……俱乐部所在的墨尔本东南部郊区有很浓厚的华人文化影响，这一点很棒。

“这种影响似乎越来越明显，真的很特别。”

22岁的佩特里克入选了澳大利亚短池游泳锦标赛最后一晚公布的24人澳大利亚海豚队（Dolphins）阵容，将与山姆·肖特（Sam Short）、拉尼·帕利斯特（Lani Pallister）、亚历克斯·珀金斯（Alex Perkins）和弗林·索瑟姆（Flynn Southam）等名将一同参加在北京举行的世界短池游泳锦标赛。

世界短池游泳锦标赛将于12月1日至6日在北京举行。

Petric也将参加首届Swim GP，这项赛事将以团队赛的形式让全国最快的游泳选手同场竞技，激发彼此之间的竞争意识、争夺荣誉的热情，并以前所未有的方式让大家近距离接触我们的运动员。

为期两个晚上的比赛 – 2026年11月13-14日星期五，在墨尔本体育与水上运动中心 (MSAC) 举行 –  四支由20名海豚队选手组成的队伍将展开正面交锋，比赛采用短时、高强度的赛制，旨在带来最激动人心的观赛体验和扣人心弦的决胜时刻。

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW:

“IN my opinion, the Water Cube in Beijing is the most iconic pool in the world.”

Australian swimmer Will Petric (pictured) is set to launch his LA Olympic aspirations at Beijing’s landmark National Aquatics Centre, famously known as The Water Cube in December at the World Short Course Championships.

Famous for its bubble-like architecture and for hosting the 2008 Olympics, the Water Cube is the also the venue that American legend Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz’s previous record of seven from 1972.

As a student of swimming – and Mandarin – Petric is determined to carve his own name in history starting in Beijing.

“I can’t wait to get over there,” Petric said.

“In my opinion, the Water Cube in Beijing is the most iconic pool in the world.

“I still pull up those YouTube videos today to watch all of those eight gold medals that Michael Phelps won.

“When people think swimming, they think Michael Phelps, and they think of Beijing.

“And to go swim in that pool is phenomenal.

“It’s a real pinch me moment.

“And, I just want to experience that and be in the arena and just sort of use the power of imagery just to imagine what it would be like to be swimming amongst it with that many fans because, my goal is to hopefully be on the Olympic podium and hopefully on the top part of the podium.

“He (Phelps) did it eight times in the one Olympics but if I could do that in one Olympic Games, that would be awesome.”

Just seven months ago, the individual medley specialist left fans speechless as he first secured a stunning upset over China’s Olympic champion Wang Shun – and then stunned the crowd with his linguistic skills in the post-race interview.

Petric, competing at the 2026 China Swimming Open, claimed the 200m individual medley ahead of Shun and then dominated the men’s 400m IM at the same event, winning gold ahead of Chinese swimmers Gu Enyi and Tao Guannan.

“I love visiting China – I’ve been to China a few times now.

“I first did an exchange there in Year 9 … I was 14-years-old.

“I spent about five, six weeks there and was able to integrate into, Chinese society and live with someone my age there and do a home stay with them.

“And just with that, it was a real eye-opener to what China has to offer.

“And it was a very different trip I did with my friends last year, and we went through to some different cities.

“We started at Shanghai, and then we went all the way into Chongqing.

“And just to see the different landscapes that China has to offer … and the friendliness of the people was just phenomenal.”

Nunawading, Petric’s swimming club, is an area in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne that boasts 21 per cent population of Chinese heritage (2021 Australian Census).

“A lot of my friends at school do speak Chinese, not to each other as such, but to their families.

“So every time I would go visit their families, I would love to try to make an effort to, communicate in Chinese and show them respect of that.

“I think … where just the club is situated in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne … there is a big Chinese influence, which is great to see.

“It seems to be growing and growing, and it is really quiet special.”

Petric, 22, was selected as part of a 24-member Dolphins team named on the final night of Australian Short Course Championships alongside stars stars Sam Short, Lani Pallister, Alex Perkins and Flynn Southam for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing.

The World Short Course Championships will be held in Beijing from 1-6 December.

Petric will also compete in the inaugural Swim GP, an event that will bring the fastest swimmers in the country together in a team-based competition.

Over two nights of competition – Friday, November 13-14, 2026, at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) –  four teams of 20 Dolphins swimmers will go head-to-head in a short, high-intensity format designed to deliver the most exciting viewing experience and nail-biting finishes.