Female kayaker Zhong Hongyan was born in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province on November 29, 1978. She entered Tongxiang Youth Sports School in 1990, and was transferred to Zhejiang Provincial Sports School in August 1993, later to the provincial sports team in 1995 and finally selected to the national training team in November 1997.

She won the championship in women’s kayak double 500m at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998, the runner-up in women’s kayak four 1000m at the 32th  ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, the championship in women’s kayak double 500m at the World Cup Finals in 2004, and the fourth place in women’s kayak double 500m at the Athens Olympic Games the same year. In 2005, she won the championship in women’s kayak single 500m and kayak four at the 10th National Games. In 2006, she bagged the championships in women’s kayak single 500m and 200m, and kayak four 500m and 200m four at the ICF Canoe World Cup in Guangzhou as well as the third place in women’s kayak single 500m at the 35th ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

She won the second place in women’s kayak single 500m at the Doha Asian Games in 2006.