2024 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, April 19th – Saturday, April 27th
- Shenzhen, China
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5 Recap/Day 6 Recap/Day 7 Recap/Day 8 Recap/Day 9 Recap
- Results
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
- Sun Yang – 3:40.14, 2011
- Zhang Lin – 3:41.35, 2009
- Hao Yun – 3:44.87, 2013
- Zhang Zhanshuo – 3:45.11, 2023
- Li Yunqi – 3:45.49, 2012
- Pan Zhanle – 3:45.58, 2024
- 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
- Lilly King (USA) – 1:04.13, 2017
- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:04.35, 2013
- Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 1:04.36, 2017
- Tang Qianting (CHN) – 1:04.39, 2024
- 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
- Zhang Lin – 7:32.12, 2009
- Sun Yang – 7:38.57, 2011
- Zhang Zhanshuo – 7:47.84
- Fei Liwei – 7:47.86
- 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
- Li Zhuhao – 50.96, 2017
- Wang Changhao – 51.20, 2024
- Zhou Jiawei – 51.24, 2009
- Sun Jiajun – 51.54, 2024
- Shi Feng – 51.68, 2008
A 51.20 fly in an individual event is roughly equivalent to 50 high in relay, peeling off somewhat longer reaction time of a flat start.
Seemingly Wang Changhao did well to align himself with the other elite trio, Xu & Qin & Pan, to compete for the ultimate duet in Paris.
Indeed. He did 51.24 in 100m fly and 50.68 in the medley relays whereby the quartet of xu, qin, wang and pan had clocked the 2nd fastest time in history during the asian games last year 3:27.01secs.
51.2 is still a problem when Dressel can swim almost 2 seconds faster..
China Women gold 4×100 medley does aus a favour with the overall tally taking a point of USA so I’m backing it
Ah, no!
https://swimswam.com/wu-qingfeng-qualifies-for-paris-in-womens-50free-on-night-9-of-chinese-nationals/
The best bet for gold for china in paris olympics:-
1. Tang Qian Ting -women 100m breastroke
2, Qin Haiyang – men 100m and 200m breastroke
3. Pan Zhanle – men 100m freestyle
4. Wang Shun – men 200m individual medley
5. Xu Jiayu – men 100m backstroke
6. Zhang Yufei – women 100m and 200m butterfly
7. Men 4x100m medley relays
8. Men 4x100m freestyle relays
9 Women 4x100m medley relays
10. Mixed 4x100m medley relays.
After my details observation…
Sounds about right. At the end of the day, though, I think they’ll walk away with 2-4 individual Golds and they’re probably slight favorites in the men’s 4×1 MR.
Ruta will win the 100 breast.
Drugs and more drugs
My prediction on relays for china:-
Men 4x100m medlay relays – gold based on their reaction time 3:27.01 in september 2023 ( 2nd fastest in history )
Men 4x100m freestyle relays – gold or silver
Women 4x100m medley relays – gold or silver
Women 4x200m relays – gold
Women 4x100m freestlye relays – either silver or bronze
Mixed 4x100m medley relays – gold based on their reaction time 3:37.73 in september 2023 ( 2nd fastest in history )
*Men 4x100m freestyle relays – gold or silver*
*Women 4x200m relays – gold*
Press X for doubt.
The term is called recency bias.
Did Australia get dqed in all their relays or what happened here
Yeah the women’s side is a weird one and they could have a shot to win the medley relay but it’s gonna be tough with USA and Australia and they don’t have a backstroke to go with Smith and McKeown.
I actually do think China will beat Australia despite the backstroke because statistically speaking the gap between the Breaststroke is much greater, but the freestyle relays are weird
Yeah but Australia probably gonna have Moc on the anchor and based on her form sub 52 is likely and I guess you can call it a close race but she’s probably gonna finish ahead of China anchor leg.
Mckeon will need to be on her best form otherwise Moc will be far behind Yang after Tang and Yufei swims
MOC will lead off and McKeown will swim breast, you read it here first. Jack or Harris will anchor. Still think they beat China but it’s close.
Australia will be demoted to 4×100 medley bronze if they can’t find breaststroker who can split 1:05 high or at least 1:06 low.
breast 1:06 low is a problem for australia? if so, it’s not good
Yes, it’s a big problem.
Their current top female breaststrokers are swimming times that 15 yo Leisel Jones already swam 24 years ago.
Their only hope is for 15 yo Sienna Toohey to have similar improvement rate as Lydia Jacoby had in 2021.
Strauch is on track for a 1:06 low I think. But I’m not sure it’ll matter anyway, don’t think Aus is winning this one
They weren’t going to win it, the point is whether they can hold onto silver or be pushed down by China.
If they can’t find breastroker who can split 1:05 high, they’ll get passed by China for silver.
My toxic trait is thinking MOC splits a 50. on the anchor leg and leaves everyone in the dust.
Jokes aside, if Kaylee is capable of a 57 low-mid as leadoff, then that’s the same advantage China might have on breaststroke, and Zhang isn’t so much faster than McKeon that MOC (or Jack) can’t bring it back on the freestyle leg. So I think it’s going to be a rather captivating battle for silver.
USA is beating China in the women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay. Regan Smith will clobber China in the backstroke leg.
Torri Huske has been faster than Yufei Zhang in the women’s 100 meter butterfly during calendar year 2024. In addition, China is submitting Yufei Zhang’s qualification time (56.12) in the women’s 100 meter butterfly from the 2023 World Aquatics Championships not from the 2024 Chinese National Swimming Championships.
Lilly King posted a split of 1:04.93 in the breaststroke leg of the women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
In addition, Torri Huske (junior redshirt) should be fresh as a daisy when the 2024 Summer Olympics commence. The tactic worked for Simone… Read more »
USA’s freestyle leg should also be faster, KD or someone else will be able to split 52 low
Kate Douglass was all over the map with relay splits at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships:
52.28
52.42
51.79
52.41
I’ll wait for the results in the women’s 100 meter freestyle from the 2024 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials before passing any final judgment. I’m still hoping Simone Manuel has that monster taper in her locker, now that she has returned from the dead, metaphorically speaking.
We’ll see what happens at trial but based on Douglass form right now it’s probably gonna be her on the freestyle leg .
huske was not good in relay for so many times, even 2 second slow than individual, all of the world know it
The crazy thing is that Huske has never been sub 56 on the relay and her fastest one is 56 low and if it’s not her then it’s probably Gretchen Walsh who did a personal best this month but right now based on 55.68 that she did this month ,it’s probably Huske cause she’s looking good in every event she swims right now.
The sophomore redshirt worked out for Simone Manuel (2015-2016 season).
Absolutely and right now it worked out for Huske with the 100 fly she swam this months but we’ll see if it can translate to a faster times at Paris.
Review the results in the lead-off leg of the women’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay from the 2022 World Aquatics Championships.
I suspect Torri Huske took a junior redshirt during the 2023-2024 season because Greg Meehan was burning her out during the 2022-2023 season. Does the Simone Manuel overtraining syndrome ring a bell?
Furthermore, Greg Meehan was sending Katie Ledecky into the dust bin during the summer of 2021.
Now if Torri Huske could match Mallory Comerford’s lead-off leg in the women’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, that should keep China at bay.
The refrain from one of the Chinese coaches at breakfast in the hotel during the 2024 Chinese National Swimming Championships:
“Don’t you love the smell of TMZ in the morning?”
Men’s 4×100 MR – slight favorite.
Mixed 4×100 MR – I dunno, I hqte these races, but they have a great shot.
Women’s 4×100 MR – longshot to win, good chance at silver.
Women’s 4×100 Free – I don’t see them beating the US but they could snag silver if US bonks.
Men’s 4×100 FR is probably about 10:1.. more likely they don’t medal at all. (US-AUS-GB-Italy)
Women’s 4×200 – 30:1
My predic
How many international medals will be taken away, Chinese or otherwise? Shambolic swimming.