Xu Jiayu was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province in August 1995.

In 2012, he won the gold medal in men’s 100m backstroke at the Dubai Asian Championships. In 2013, he won gold medals in men’s 200 backstroke and 4×100 medley at the National Swimming Championships, and in men’s 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke at the Liaoning National Games. He won the silver medal in men’s 100m backstroke at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the gold medal in men’s 100m backstroke at the 2018 National Swimming Championships.

Achievements at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games:

Gold medals in men’s 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke; men’s 4×100m and 4×100m medley relay.