CHINESE LONG COURSE INVITATIONAL
- Thursday, December 31st – Sunday, January 3rd
- Shijiazhuang City, China
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Prelims #1 Recap/Finals #1 Recap
- Prelims #2 Recap/Finals #2 Recap
- Prelims #3 Recap
- Results via Asian Media
The first of two newly-introduced high-level Chinese domestic swimming competitions wrapped up this morning in Shijiazhuang City. Swimmers to the tune of Xu Jiayu, Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun have been putting up some impressive swims, with the majority also then headed to the second meet slated for Guangzhou from March 4th to March 7th.
However, on the final day of the competition, it was teenager Yu Yiting who turned heads while competing in the women 400m IM event, hitting a new World Junior Record on her eventual path to gold.
The World Junior Record was actually thrown down last night in the prelims of the 400m IM, with the 15-year-old producing a monster mark of 4:35.94. That outing checked in as by far the fastest of her career, overtaking the 4:40.48 she logged at the National Championships last September.
As such, the young star’s 4:35.94 outing represented her first time under the 4:40 barrier and she accomplished it with an over-4 second clearance. In doing so, her time also overtook the reigning World Junior Record of 4:38.53 Spain’s Alba Vazquez Ruiz threw down en route to taking the World Junior title last year in Budapest.
For her part, Yu raced at the senior World Championships in Gwangju last year at just 14 years of age at the time (birth date September 5, 2005). She ultimately placed 11th in the 200m IM (2:11.60) and 14th in the 400m IM (4:42.52).
Although splits are not available at the time of publishing, Yu’s time here in Shijiazhuang now renders the young athlete not only as the newly-minted World Junior Record holder but also as China’s 5th fastest performer to date.
China’s All-Time Women’s 400m IM Performers
- Ye Shiwen – 4:28.43 WR, 2012
- Zheng Rongrong – 4:32.20, 2012
- Li Xuanxu – 4:32.91, 2012
- Zhou Min – 4:33.50, 2013
- Yu Yiting – 4:35.94, 2020
- Chen Yan – 4:36.66, 1998
- Li Lin – 4:36.73, 1992
With the finals at this meet taking place in the morning to mimic the timing as this summer’s Olympic Games, Yu was off her eye-popping performance from last night’s prelims, but still under the 4:40 threshold once again to grab gold. She nabbed the top prize in 4:37.62 to reap the 2nd fastest time of her young career.
This 15-year-old phenom is also the world’s 2nd fastest performer of the season.
2020-2021 LCM Women 400 IM
Ohashi
4:32.08
| 2 | Kaylee McKeown | AUS | 4:32.73 | 12/13 |
| 3 | Emma Weyant | USA | 4:32.76 | 07/24 |
| 4 | Hali Flickinger | USA | 4:33.96 | 06/13 |
| 5 | Melanie Margalis | USA | 4:34.08 | 06/13 |
Just for additional perspective, Yu’s 4:35.94 outing would rank her as the #2 female 15-16-year-old swimmer all-time in the United States. Elizabeth Beisel owns the National Age Record in 4:32.87 from her 2008 Olympic Trials debut, but Yu would rank ahead of Janet Evans, Ella Eastin, Becca Mann, and Dagny Knutson with what she achieved at this domestic meet.
Ye’s swim was at the freaking Olympic Games. I don’t know what bending over backwards FINA are doing to think that it might not be legit enough to be a WJR.
For crying out loud it used to be the WR!
I was about to say 4:35 at 15 is amazing (and it is) but then saw Ye at 4:28 at 16!!
Does anyone know the real fastest time swam by a junior? It has to be Ye’s 4:28 right?
Yep. 2012 was the year she turned 16, so she was still age-eligible at that time. One year before they started honoring World Junior Records.
That’s what bothers me about WJRs. They really are just fastest junior since 2013. Even as amazing the 435 is, there are at least two women aged 15-16 we know have been faster. Why not have a challenge period where associations but up their fastest documented time for juniors and set that as the WJR? Most of those swims where at high level meets. A set of criteria would have to be established but not hard to do. Any time not submitted during the challenge period can not be considered in the future
That’s almost right. If a previous “fastest junior” swim was done at the World Junior Championships, then it would be accounted for. Doesn’t look like any of those are still active records…can’t remember if any ‘true world junior bests’ were done at World Juniors as of 2013.
There are a few issues with going backward, with the biggest one being doping controls. But…I don’t think your solution would be a bad middle-ground. At least give federations the opportunity to prove that the pools were measured and the drug testing was done.
I agree that would have been an issue for something like MTMs 200 Fly from 1981but for more recent swims where the appropriate doping controls were in place such as at the 2012 Olympics, it would have been useful. Know nothing will happen now but that would have made things more of a real WJR.
Hmm, you’re right about Horton. I was thinking they started recognizing them in 2013, but it was March of 2014. Good find.
Sometimes they are not even the fastest since 2013. Many swims are not ratified. For example Milak’s two 1:52 200 fly in 2018 were both ignored.
Agree but the question is why didn’t they submit for ratification.