Swimming

5 Big Takeaways From The 2024 Chinese National Championships

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By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2024 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 9-day Chinese National Swimming Championships brought about significant swims on both men’s and women’s sides as the athletes vied for spots on the Paris 2024 roster.

We’re still awaiting the official roster from the federation but kept track of those we believe made the grade according to the Chinese selection policy.

In case you missed any of the action, here are 5 top takeaways from the meet. You can also delve into deeper detail using the daily recaps linked in the bullets above.

#1 Pan Zhanle‘s Freestyle Prowess

We knew that 19-year-old Pan Zhanle was a 100m free powerhouse given the fact he’s the current world record holder in the event with the 46.80 established at this year’s World Championships.

We also knew that the teen was a formidable force in the 200m free, owning a personal best of 1:44.65 to rank as the 14th-best performer in history.

But at these championships Pan also showed his chops in the 400m free, crushing a new career-quickest result of 3:45.58 to add the event to his Paris lineup.

Pan erased his previous lifetime best performance of 3:46.40 notched at the 2023 edition of the Chinese Nationals. He moved up to rank as China’s 6th-best performer of all time and ranks 11th in the world on the season.

All-Time Chinese Men’s LCM 400 Free Performers

  1. Sun Yang – 3:40.14, 2011
  2. Zhang Lin – 3:41.35, 2009
  3. Hao Yun – 3:44.87, 2013
  4. Zhang Zhanshuo – 3:45.11, 2023
  5. Li Yunqi – 3:45.49, 2012
  6. Pan Zhanle – 3:45.58, 2024
  7. Ji Xinjie – 3:45.64, 2019

The ace owns the following PBs:

  • 50m free – 21.92
  • 100m free – 46.80, World Record
  • 200m free – 1:44.65
  • 400m free – 3:45.58

#2 Tang Qianting Fires Off 100 Breast Asian Record

20-year-old Tang Qianting put on a show in the final of the women’s 100m breaststroke, blasting a time of 1:04.39 to establish a new Asian Record en route to qualifying for the Olympic Games.

She first put up a personal best of 1:04.68 in the semi-final, overtaking Reona Aoki‘s Asian Record of 1:05.19 put on the books at the 2022 Japanese World Championships Trials. The outing was Tang’s first-ever foray under the 1:05 barrier.

Entering this competition, Tang’s personal best rested at the Chinese national record of 1:05.27 from this year’s World Championships. That garnered her the gold medal in Doha.

Tang’s performance at these championships rendered her the 4th-fastest swimmer in history.

Top 5 Women’s LCM 100 Breaststroke All-Time Performers

  1. Lilly King (USA) – 1:04.13, 2017
  2. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:04.35, 2013
  3. Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 1:04.36, 2017
  4. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 1:04.39, 2024
  5. Jessica Hardy (USA) – 1:04.45, 2009

#3 Ye Shiwen‘s Olympic Redemption

Ye Shiwen had her first international breakout in 2010 when she raced her way to gold in the 200 and 400 IMs at the Asian Games with a 2:09.37 and 4:33.79, respectively. She followed that up the next year with a World Championships victory in the 200 IM (2:08.90).

The apex of her career thus far, however, came in 2012 when Ye became a double Olympic champion in her signature IM events. She delivered a 4:28.43 world-record-breaking swim in the 400 IM and posted a 2:07.57 Olympic and Asian record in the 200 IM. Ye held on to that world record for 4 years until Katinka Hosszu lowered it to a 4:26.36 at the Rio 2016 Games.

At the 2016 Games in Rio, Ye placed 8th in the 200m IM final and missed the 400m IM final entirely. 4 years later Ye wound up missing qualification for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

However, the now-28-year-old earned redemption of sorts last week, making the Paris 2024 team in the 200m breast.

She turned in a time of 2:22.55 to earn the top prize, coming within .10 of her 2:22.44 PB logged at last year’s Chinese Nationals.

#4 Teens Make Breakthroughs

16-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo held his own in the men’s 800 freestyle, capturing gold in an Olympic-worthy time of 7:47.84.

The 2023 World Junior Championships multi-medalist hit a new lifetime best en route to putting up the first sub-7:50 outing of his career. Entering this competition his PB sat at the 7:50.03 from earning bronze in Netanya last year.

Teenager Zhang ranks 3rd in the all-time Chinese men’s 800m freestyle rankings and comfortably cleared the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 7:51.65.

All-Time Chinese Men’s 800 Freestyle Performers

  1. Zhang Lin – 7:32.12, 2009
  2. Sun Yang – 7:38.57, 2011
  3. Zhang Zhanshuo – 7:47.84
  4. Fei Liwei – 7:47.86
  5. Zhang Ziyang – 7:51.86, 2021

Not even a teenager yet, 11-year-old Yu Zidi turned heads across multiple events during the championships including remarkable results of 4:40.97 in the 400m IM and 4:10.73 in the 400m free.

You can read more about the slew of personal bests she produced here. 

#5 China has a Sprint Butterflier

China has been seeking an elite 100m butterflier since Li Zhuhao, the last man from the nation to make a final at a World Championships (2017) or Olympic Games (2016).

Enter 21-year-old Wang Changhao, the swimmer who cranked out a statement-making swim en route to winning the event this week.

Wang touched in 51.20 to shave .04 off his previous PB of 51.24 notched for silver at last year’s Asian Games. He became China’s #2 performer and approached Li’s national record of 50.96 set in 2017.

Top 5 Chinese Men’s LCM 100 Butterfly Performers

  1. Li Zhuhao – 50.96, 2017
  2. Wang Changhao – 51.20, 2024
  3. Zhou Jiawei – 51.24, 2009
  4. Sun Jiajun – 51.54, 2024
  5. Shi Feng – 51.68, 2008

SwimSwam: 5 Big Takeaways From The 2024 Chinese National Championships

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