"I didn't even think about the Olympics until the one-year delay gave me a chance," said Yu, who hails from Zhejiang province and has qualified for Tokyo in both IM events.

On the men's side, Sun's uncertain future has left backstroke star Xu Jiayu as China's sole gold-medal hope in Tokyo. The two-time 100m world champion (2017-19) is feeling the pressure of competing in multiple individual and relay events.

"I think the biggest takeaway from Qingdao is that I pulled through after competing in so many events. I am holding up well. It says a lot about my improvement physically," said Xu after winning the 100m and 200m back in Qingdao.

A sliver medalist in the 100m at the 2016 Olympics, Xu will face stiff competition from Russia's Evgeny Rylov, who tops both standings this season, and longtime rival Mitch Larkin of Australia if he is to move up a step on the podium in Tokyo.