Qi set her first world record in January 2001 in Paris with 2:19.25 for the 200 breaststroke (short course), followed shortly by a 2:22.99 world record in the long course pool, breaking Penny Heyns' original mark by 0.65 sec. She also won the 2001 East Asian Games in 2:25.33. At the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, she finished 2nd in the 200 breaststroke event behind Kovacs (2:24.90 to 2:25.09). She won a bronze in the 200 individual medley (2:12.46 personal best) and was 4th in the 400 individual medley (4:41.64). In the 2001 Chinese National Games, Qi was 2nd in the 400 individual medley after former world record holder Chen Yan (4:35.22 to 4:38.20) and 3rd in the 100 breast (1:09.12) behind Luo Xuejuan and Luo Nan.
