2026 China Swimming Open: Day Three Finals Live Recap

2026 CHINA SWIMMING OPEN

• March 19th – March 22nd
• Longgang Universiade Center Natatorium, Shenzhen, China
• LCM (50m)
• Psych Sheets
• Results
• Livestream
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap

We’re about to see day three finals unfold at the 2026 China Swimming Open from Shenzhen with a plethora of international talent ready to challenge the host nation’s swimmers.

This morning, Americans Gretchen Walsh and Regan Smith claimed the top two seeds in the women’s 100m fly, while teammate Jack Alexy landed lane four for tonight’s final in the men’s 100m free.

Alexy will be facing reigning world record holder and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, however, as Pan took the 2nd seed. Aussie Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers is ready to rumble as well, trying to follow up his 50m free bronze from last night.

Additional notables in the pool this evening include Noe Ponti of Switzerland, Thomas Ceccon of Italy and 13-year-old phenom Yu Zidi.

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 46.40 2024
• Chinese Record – Pan Zhanle, 46.40 2024

GOLD – Kyle Chalmers (AUS) & Jack Alexy (USA), 47.70
SILVER – 
BRONZE – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 48.05

The men’s 100m free saw a tie for the gold, with Australian Kyle Chalmers and American Jack Alexy touching simultaneously in 47.70.

That shut out domestic world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, relegating the 21-year-old to the bronze medal position.

New father Chalmers split 22.94/24.76 while Alexy raced his way to 22.60/25.10 as an alternate tactical path.

As for Chalmers, this swim represents a new season-best, while Alexy has already been as quick as 47.40, a time he produced at December’s U.S. Open Championships to rank 3rd in the world.

Pan is most likely saving this year’s best effort for the prestigious Asian Games, taking place in September in Japan.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Asian Record – Tang Qianting (CHN), 1:04.39 2024
• Chinese Record – Tang Qianting, 1:04.39 2024

GOLD – Tang Qianting (CHN), 1:05.91
SILVER – Kate Douglass (USA), 1:06.49
BRONZE – Kaylene Corbett (RSA), 1:07.78

After clocking a new Asian Record en route to gold in the women’s 50m breast, 22-year-old Tang Qianting of the host nation doubled up with a solid effort of 1:05.91 to defeat the women’s 100m breast field.

The reigning national record holder in this event opened in a speedy 30.38 and closed in 35.53 to get the job done, pushing American Kate Douglass down to the silver medal position.

24-year-old Douglass, who won 200m breast gold at the 2024 Olympic Games, registered 1:06.49 for runner-up status, followed by South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett who bagged the bronze in 1:07.78.

Tang’s result was just off the 1:05.36 season-best she produced last November at the Chinese National Games to rank #1 in the world, while Douglass’ time tonight was also similar to the 1:06.41 posted earlier this month at the Pro Swim Series in Westmont.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• Asian Record – Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2:05.48 2023
• Chinese Record – Qin Haiyang, 2:05.48 2023

GOLD – Arno Kammninga (NED), 2:10.98
SILVER – Dong Zhihao (CHN), 2:11.38
BRONZE – Yu Zongda (CHN), 2:11.57

With world record holder and 2025 world champion Qin Haiyang absent from the field, Dutchman Arno Kamminga took full advantage of the opportunity to claim the gold and $10k cash prize.

The 30-year-old veteran claimed the top spot in a modest 2:10.98, well off the top times in the world at the moment.

2024 world champion in this event, Dong Zhihao of China collected silver in 2:11.38 and teammate Yu Zongda posted 2:11.57, good enough for bronze

Going back to Qin, he’ll have his hands full at this Fall’s Asian Games, as the top 5 performers in the world right now all hail from the continent. Additionally, 17-year-old phenom Shin Ohashi of Japan just ripped a new World Junior Record of 2:06.59 tonight at the Japan Swim to up the ante.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Asian Record – Ye Shiwen (CHN), 4:28.43 2012
• Chinese Record – Ye Shiwen, 4:28.43 2012

GOLD – Yu Zidi (CHN), 4:33.33
SILVER – Ke Wenxi (CHN), 4:34.91
BRONZE – Chang Mohan (CHN), 4:36.60

For the first time tonight we saw an all-China podium, with 13-year-old sensation Yu Zidi delivering yet another impressive performance in this women’s 400m IM.

Yu hit the timepad at 4:33.33, another new lifetime best for the youngest-ever World Championships medalist.

Yu’s time shaved just under half a second off her previous PB of 4:33.76 turned in for a remarkable 4th-place finish as a 12-year-old last year in Singapore. The teen now froghops Min Zhou to check in as her nation’s #4 performer of all time.

Ke Wenxi touched well over a second later tonight in 4:34.91 and Chang Mohan rounded out the podium in 4:36.60.

Yu is still far away from Canadian Olympic dynamo Summer McIntosh‘s World Junior Record of 4:24.38; however, she still has many years to go for improvement in her hunt for history.

Splits for Yu included:

28.50
33.06 (1:01.56)
35.63
34.55 (2:11.74)
40.31
39.50 (3:31.55)
31.46
30.32 (4:33.33)

At just 13 years of age, Yu remains the #2 perfomer in the world at the moment.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Asian Record – Joseph Schooling (SGP), 50.39 2016
• Chinese Record – Li Zhuhao, 50.96 2017

GOLD – Noe Ponti (SUI), 51.01
SILVER – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 51.43
BRONZE – Xu Fang (CHN), 51.47

Nothing too crazy transpired in the men’s 100m fly final, with Swiss Olympic medalist Noe Ponti posting a winning result of 51.01.

That held off Italian 100m back world record holder Thomas Ceccon who touched in 51.43 followed closely by domestic athlete Xu Fang‘s outing of 51.47.

Entering this competition, 24-year-old Ponti owned a season-best of 51.47 from the Lausanne Swim Cup just last weekend, so he dropped significant time off that mark to grab the gold here.

Ceccon owns the national record for Italy, courtesy of the 50.42 notched in the semi-finals of last year’s World Championships. There in Singapore, the 25-year-old settled for 8th place overall in a slower 51.12.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Asian Record – Zhang Yufei (CHN), 55.62 2020
• Chinese Record – Zhang Yufei, 55.62 2020

GOLD – Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.22
SILVER – Regan Smith (USA), 56.28
BRONZE – Zhang Yufei (CHN), 57.12

23-year-old Gretchen Walsh did it again, crushing another monstrous performance to take gold in the women’s 100m fly.

Opening in 25.64 and closing in 29.58, Walsh zoomed her way to the wall in a head-turning mark of 55.22, the 7th-best time of her illustrious career.

That was only .02 off the season-best 55.20 Walsh put up at the Pro Swim Series in Westmont to rank #1 in the world. That outing was comprised of a 25.51 opener and a 29.69 back half.

Olympic teammate Regan Smith notched 56.28 as the silver medalist, with 27-year-old Zhang Yufei of China, a 6-time Olympic medalist from the 2024 Olympic Games, bagging the bronze in 57.12.

All-Time Top Performances, Women’s LCM 100 Fly

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – Sun Yang (CHN), 3:40.14 2012
• Chinese Record – Sun Yang, 3:40.14 2012

GOLD – Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 3:41.55 
SILVER – Lukas Märtens (GER), 3:43.04
BRONZE – Xu Haibo (CHN), 3:47.48

18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo put up the swim of his life en route to taking the men’s 400m free event, busting out a career-swiftest performance of 3:41.55.

That kept reigning world record holder Lukas Märtens of Germany at bay, with Märtens relegated to silver medal status in 3:43.04, still a big-time result.

Zhang’s teammate Xu Haibo rounded out the podium in 3:47.48.

As for teenager Zhang, his time this evening demolished his previous best-ever mark of 3:42.82, the World Junior Record he put on the books at last November’s Chinese National Games. Look for a follow-up post on Zhang’s impressive new PB.

Splits:

25.39
27.94 (53.33)
28.52
28.63 (1:50.48)
28.16
28.08 (2:46.72)
27.58
27.25 (3:41.55)

China’s Top 5 Men’s LCM 400 Freestyle Performers All-Time

1. Sun Yang – 3:40.14, 2012
2. Zhang Lin – 3:41.35, 2009
3. Zhang Zhanshuo – 3:41.55, 2026
4. Fei Liwei – 3:44.24, 2024
5. Hao Yun – 3:44.87, 2013

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE – FASTEST HEAT

• Asian Record – Wang Jianjiahe (CHN), 15:41.49 2021
• Chinese Record – Wang Jianjiahe, 15:41.49 2021

GOLD – Li Bingjie (CHN), 16:00.69
SILVER – Yang Peiqi (CHN), 16:08.26
BRONZE – Ma Yonghui (CHN), 16:12.86

It was the second all-China podium of the evening, as 24-year-old Olympic medalist Li Bingjie led the women’s 1500m free charge in a time of 16:00.69.

That held a healthy advantage over Yang Peiqi and Ma Yonghui who captured the minor nedals in the event. The former hit 16:08.26 for silver and Ma Yonghui stopped the clock at 16:12.86 for the bronze.

Li’s lifetime best sits at the 15:43.94 notched last year to become the 12th-fastest woman of all time.