2023 CHINESE NATIONALS
- May 1st – May 8th
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships Qualifier
- Results via Asian Media
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
Amidst the record-breaking performances we’ve seen throughout the first three days of the Chinese National Championships in Hangzhou, there have also been some blistering times produced by age group swimmers that have flown under the radar.
Among those is 14-year-old Gao Weizhong, who was the runner-up to Li Bingjie (15:51.21) in the women’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 16:01.13.
#CHN_Nationals Day 1 final
women 1500 free
🥇Li Bingjie 15:51.21
🥈Gao Weizhong 16:01.13
🥉Ma Yonghui 16:14.48 pic.twitter.com/39kGra8L7O— Chinese Swimming News and Results (@CHNswim_fan) May 1, 2023
That time incredibly puts Gao nearly 11 seconds under the current U.S. National Age Group Record in the girls’ 13-14 age group (16:11.98 set by Becca Mann in 2012) and ranks her seventh in the world this season, qualifying her for the 2023 World Championships after coming in 28 seconds clear of the FINA ‘A’ cut (16:29.57).
2022-2023 LCM Women 1500 Free
Ledecky
15:26.27
| 2 | Simona Quadarella | ITA | 15:43.31 | 07/25 |
| 3 | Li Binjie | CHN | 15:45.71 | 07/25 |
| 4 | Anastassia Kirpitchnikova | FRA | 15:48.53 | 07/25 |
| 5 | Lani Pallister | AUS | 15:49.17 | 07/25 |
| 6 | Isabel Gose | GER | 15:54.58 | 07/25 |
| 7 | Katie Grimes | USA | 15:56.27 | 03/01 |
Although Gao only has a handful of swims on record that we can track down, she did go 16:50.41 at the 2021 Chinese Championships when she would’ve been 12, and then after turning 13, clocked 16:41.59 at China’s National Games in September 2021.
The fastest time for a 14-year-old in history is believed to be the 16:00.44 produced by China’s Xu Danlu at the 2013 World Championships, where she finished fifth in the final that featured an epic battle with Katie Ledecky and Lotte Friis both going well under the existing world record.
Other swimmers that stood out in the age group ranks through the first three days of the Chinese Championships were Zhang Zhanshuo and Yu Zidi.
Zhanshuo, 16, had an impressive double on Day 3, tying for silver in the men’s 400 IM (4:17.68) and then placing third in the 1500 free (15:11.34). That performance in the 400 IM would rank him sixth in the boys’ 15-16 age group, and his swim in the 1500 would slot in at fifth.
At 14, Zhang swam times of 4:31.24 in the 400 IM and 15:43.64 in the 1500 free at the Chinese National Games in September 2021.
Yu, a 10-year-old, swam a time of 2:21.59 in the women’s 200 IM, which is more than seven seconds under the current U.S. National Age Group Record of 2:28.70 (set by Kayla Han in 2019).
Many Chinese swimmers, phenomenal when they were very young, disappeared early
Yep. I looked up Xu Danlu, who holds the 1500 free LC record for 14-year-olds, and it would appear that she was out of the sport (at least on the international level) by the time she turned 16.
Weight gain due to development affects them greatly, and no solution has yet been found
A 10 year old going 2:21 in the 200 IM!?!?!?!?
Are you absolutely sure she’s 10? Maybe a typo on her recorded year of birth or something.
it looks like she was born October 2012, and went 4:17 in the 400 free and 4:53 in the 400 IM last month. Absolutely insane if that birth date is right, the 400 free is 20 seconds faster than the American 10&U NAG and a couple tenths faster than the 11/12 year old one wtf
A 10 year old faster than any American 12&under. That’s jaw-dropping. Still has months as a 10 year old to further the distance, too.
Um. Sure….
Gao is 15 now.
She is 15 for a month.
Is Schubert training her?
Not him.
Zhang Zhanshuo is 16.
Thanks, updated.
Gao is 15 not 14.