Ye Shiwen (Chinese: 叶诗文; pinyin: Yè Shīwén; Mandarin pronunciation: ; born 1 March 1996) is a Chinese swimmer. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in the 400 metres and 200 metres individual medley, breaking the world record in the 400 m event and the Olympic record in the 200 m event.
Ye Shiwen was born in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China. Her father Ye Qingsong was a runner in his youth, and her mother Ning Yiqing, who was a champion long jumper at school, works for a washing machine company. She started swimming at the age of six after her kindergarten teacher noticed she had large hands and feet, joining the Chen Jinglun Sport School in the city. She won the 50m freestyle at the 2006 Zhejiang Provincial Games. She was on the provincial swimming team by 2007 and the Chinese national team by 2008, attending the national junior training camp for two months beginning from October of that year.