The ISU swimming and diving team has added a coach with expansive international experience to its program.

Yun Qu, who was once the No. 1-ranked swimmer in the world in the 200-meter butterfly and has competed in the Olympics, will lend her expertise to the swimming and diving team this season as an assistant coach after previous coaching stints at SUNY-Binghamton, where she served as a graduate assistant, and Ithaca College.

Before Qu started coaching, the Hangzhou, China, native was an All-American at SUNY-Binghamton, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human development in 2005 and a master’s degree in exercise science, with a concentration in sport psychology, in 2006.

She finished in the top 12 in the 200 butterfly at the 2002 NCAA Championships. She also swam for the Chinese national team beginning at age 15.

In her time with the Chinese national team, she finished fourth in the 200 butterfly at the 1996 Olympics, just .35 seconds out of a medal.

She was also ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 butterfly from 1992 to 1993 and earned a pair of silver medals at the 1994 FINA World Championships.

With experience like that, head coach Duane Sorenson said he is really excited to have Qu as a part of the program.

“She has instant credibility with the kids because she has been there and done that,” Sorenson said. “She just has a wealth of knowledge, being an Olympian, being a world-class athlete, and being ranked first in the world.”

Sorenson said even though Qu is a young coach, she seems like she has been coaching for 30 years.

“It is fantastic having her on the staff,” Sorenson said. “She is just a tremendous teacher and has such a passion for the sport. She loves it to death and you can tell it by the way that she talks to the kids.”

Qu, who has coached from the youth to collegiate level, said the potential of the team and the positive future are reasons she decided to come to Iowa State.

“This team has great potential to reach the national level,” Qu said. “Duane made me feel that he is a great leader, and the leader of the [athletic] department, Jamie [Pollard], is great, too.”

Sorenson said the biggest things that Qu will bring to the team are her experience and hard work.

“She is sharing her knowledge of being in the big meet,” Sorenson said. “Yun knows what it takes to get there and what working under pressure is like.”

Right now, Sorenson said, Qu is mostly working on the recruiting aspect.

Since Qu joined the staff, the team has already made improvements in the first big meet of the year, the Big 12 Relays.

Last year, the Cyclones finished sixth with 30 points, and this year the Cyclones finished in a fifth-place tie with Nebraska with 41 points.

Qu said the transition to Ames has been pretty smooth.

“The people have been very nice in helping me,” Qu said.

Other things Qu said helped her make the decision to come to Ames were that Iowa State is a good athletic school as a whole and a member of the Big 12 Conference.

Qu said what she would like to bring are her expertise in techniques and her love for the sport to the team.

“I hope that my passion for swimming will spread out and take the whole team to a different level,” Qu said.