2025 Chinese National Games: Day Six Finals Live Recap

2025 CHINESE NATIONAL GAMES

• Monday, November 10th – Monday, November 17th (swimming)
• Shenzhen, China
• LCM (50m)
• Prelims at 9am local (8pm previous night ET)/Finals at 7pm local (6am ET)
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5 Recap
• Meet Central
• Results
• Livestream

We have a full agenda ready to be unleashed in Shenzhen on day six of the 2025 Chinese National Games.

The women’s 100m freestyle final will be our first event to take place, with the field highlighted by Olympic multi-medalist Siobhan Haughey.

Haughey of Hong Kong already claimed the 200m free title here and registered the sole semi-final time (53.46) under the 54-second barrier to be the woman to beat this evening.

World record holder Qin Haiyang will try to rebound from his 50m breaststroke disqualification with a potential victory in the 200m breast.

His primary rival is Dong Zhihao, the 20-year-old who topped this event’s podium at the 2024 World Championships.

30-year-old mainstay Xu Jiayu is seeking his 4th Chinese National Games title in the men’s 200m back, while Tang Qianting leads the women’s 200m breast final.

The last contest of the evening is the men’s 4x200m free relay, which means we’ll see 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo in the water again in pursuit of another piece of hardware. Zhang nailed a new World Junior Record in the 400m free and won the 200m free podium as well.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 51.71, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Asian Record – 52.02, Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 2023
• CHN Record – 52.48, Yang Junxuan (CHN), 2024

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 52.89
SILVER – Yang Junxuan, 53.55
BRONZE – Cheng Yujie, 53.65

Olympic multi-medalist Sioban Haughey of Hong Kong set herself apart from the women’s 100m freestyle final with a stellar swim of 52.89

Opening in 25.51 and closing in 27.38, 28-year-old Haughey notched the sole time of the field under the 53-second barrier, claiming gold after having already won the 200m free in stunning style two nights ago.

Haughey owns the Asian record at 52.02 from two years ago.

This is Haughey’s second elite competition since returning to the pool post-injury. The 28-year-old raced at the Hong Kong Age Group LC Championships earlier this month after having withdrawn from the 2025 World Championships due to a back injury.

National record holder Yang Junxuan snagged the silver in 53.55 and Cheng Yujie bagged the bronze in 53.65.

MEN’S 100 FLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2021
• Asian Record – 50.39, Joseph Schooling (SGP), 2016
• CHN Record – 50.96, Li Zhuhao (CHN), 2017

Top 8:

1. Xu Fang, 51.38
2. Li Taiyu, 52.09
3. Wang Xizhe, 52.18
4. Wang Changhao, 52.19
5. Niu Guangsheng, 52.28
6. Chen Juner, 52.65
7. Hong Jinquan, 52.75
8. Lin Yuchen, 52.77

Already the men’s 100m butterfly winner here, 22-year-old Xu Fang is staking his claim on a potential sweep of the discipline with an impressive semi swim in the 2fly.

Xu stopped the clock at 51.38 to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s main event, splitting 23.81/27.57 to erase his previous personal best of 51.51 from this past May. He remains China’s 5th-swiftest performer of all time.

Li Taiyu hit 52.09 as the 2nd-seeded swimmer with Wang Xizhe logging 52.18 for a .01 advantage over Wang Changhao.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Asian Record – 2:06.46, Zhao Jing (CHN), 2010
• CHN Record – 2:06.46, Zhao Jing (CHN), 2010

Top 8:

1. Liu Yaxin, 2:09.28
2. Yang Ruoxi, 2:09.49
3. Peng Xuwei, 2:09.75
4. Zhang Jingyan – 2:09.91
5. Lu Xingchen – 2:10.25
6. Liu Yuchen, 2:10.65
7. Li Wanwei, 2:11.21
8. Zhang Xinyue, 2:11.41

Four women dipped under the 2:10 barrier across the two semi-finals of the 200m backstroke.

26-year-old Liu Yaxin led the charge in a result of 2:09.28 to hold a small advantage over Yang Ruoxi‘s effort of 2:09.49.

Peng Xuwei is very much in the mix, courtesy of her 2:09.75 while Zhang Jingyan joined the party in 2:09.91.

Peng is China’s 2nd-fastest performer to date, owning a lifetime best of 2:06.54 from the Chinese Spring Nationals in March of this year.

Leader Liu is the 3rd-fastest, also nailing a PB of 2:07.40 this past March.

MEN’S 50 FREE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Asian Record – 21.64, Shuya Matsumoto (JPN), 2025
• CHN Record – 21.68, Yu Hexin, 2021

Top 8:

1. Chen Hao, 22.14
2. Ian Ho (HKG), 22.24
3. Yu Hexin, 22.29
4. Zhao Jiayue, 22.41 & Zhang Zhoujian 22.41 & He Junyi 22.41
5. –
6. –
7. Pan Zhanle, 22.53
8. Wu Zhixuan, 22.54

Nothing too crazy happened in the semi-finals of the men’s 50m freestyle, as no competitor delved into 21-point territory.

Chen Hao did clock a new PB en route to claiming the top spot in 22.14, with Ian Ho of Hong Kong immediately behind in 22.24.

Yu Hexin, the reigning Chinese national record holder, hit 22.29 and three men tied at 22.41 behind him.

Pan Zhanle, world record holder and Olympic champion in the 100m free, claimed the 7th seed in 22.53.

21-year-old Pan has been as swift as 21.91 in his career, a time he posted when he earned bronze at the 2023 Asian Games.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

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

GOLD – Qin Haiyang, 2:07.69
SILVER – Dong Zhihao, 2:08.99
BRONZE – Mak Sai Ting Adam, 2:09.93

26-year-old Qin Haiyang did ‘Qin Haiyang things’ to dominate this men’s 200m breaststroke final.

The reigning world record holder punched a result of 2:07.69 to own this event wire-to-wire, getting to the wall over two seconds ahead of his competitors.

Qin split 29.02/32.33/33.10/33.24 to come within striking distance of his mark of 2:07.41 which rendered him the world champion this year in Singapore.

2024 world champion Dong Zhihao achieved runner-up status in 2:08.99 and Mak Sai Ting Adam rounded out the podium in 2:09.93.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• Asian Record – 1:52.51, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2009
• CHN Record – 1:53.99, Xu Jiayu (CHN) 2018

GOLD – Xu Jiayu, 1:56.63
SILVER – Tao Guannan, 1:58.79
BRONZE – Wang Yutian, 1:59.38

Just as Qin beat the field handily in the previous event, 30-year-old Olympic medalist Xu Jiayu followed suit the men’s 200m back.

National record holder Xu turned in a time of 1:56.63 to easily defeat his peers, with the next-closest racer being Tao Guannan who registered 1:58.79. Guannan was the 200m IM silver medalist behind champion Wang Shun last night.

Wang Yutian earned the bronze in 1:59.38.

Xu’s national record stands at the 1:53.99 he scored in 2018 and the man owns the top 19 performances ever put up by a Chinese athlete.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• Asian Record – 2:19.65, Rie Kaneto (JPN), 2016
• CHN Record – 2:21.37, Qi Hui, 2009

GOLD – Lyu Qinyao, 2:23.63
SILVER – Tang Qianting, 2:24.60
BRONZE – Zhu Leijn, 2:25.03

In a major upset, 15-year-old Lu Qinyao beat 3-time Olympic medalist from Paris Tang Qianting to take gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke.

Splitting 33.41/36.36/36.63/37.23, teenager Lu ultimately got to the wall in 2:23.63 to beat Tang by nearly a second.

21-year-old Tang settled for silver in 2:24.60 and Zhu Leijn secured bronze in 2:25.03.

Entering this competition, Lyu’s lifetime best rested at the 2:24.33 notched in the semi-finals at this year’s World Championships to place 10th overall.

Tonight’s performance hacked significant time off that result to now check Lyu in as China’s 6th-best performer of all time.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• Asian Record – 25.05, Zhang Yufei (CHN), 2023
• CHN Record – 25.05, Zhang Yufei (CHN), 2023

Top 8:

1. Yu Yiting, 25.71
2. Zhang Yufei, 25.79
3. Lu Yue, 25.95
4. Wu Qingfeng, 26.09
5. Wang Yichun, 26.18
6. Yang Chang, 26.23
7. Gong Zhenqi, 26.54
8. Yang Wenwen, 26.59

The women’s 50m fly top 8 are separated by less than a second, with national record holder Zhang Yufei ranked 2nd among the pack a time of 25.79 for tomorrow night’s main event.

Holding a tiny advantage is Yu Yiting who notched 25.71 and Lu Yue was also under the 26-second barrier in 25.95 to stake her claim on a potential medal.

MEN’S 4×200 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record – 6:58.55, USA, 2009
• Asian Record – 7:00.91, CHN, 2025
• CHN Record – 7:00.91, 2025

GOLD – Shandong, 7:05.36
SILVER – Zhejiang, 7:06.74
BRONZE – China Public Security Sports Association, 7:15.95

A very young Shandong men’s 4x200m free relay collectively stopped the clock at 7:05.36 to take the gold ahead of Zhejiang’s 7:06.74. The Shandong relay is aged 19-18-18-18 and could dominate this race for years to come.

Liu Peixin opened in 1:47.03 and Zhao Yipu posted 1:46.08 on the 2nd leg. Li Yifeng turned in 1:47.97 before 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo put up a head-turning anchor of 1:44.28. Zhang already notched a new World Junior Record in the 400m free and also won the 200m free.

That young squad upset a relay with a few big names swam on the 2nd place Zhejiang relay. Zhejiang’s team included Fei Liwei (1:47.31), Sun Yang (1:47.78), Pan Zhanle (1:45.52), and Wang Shun (1:46.13).