2026 China Swimming Open: Day Two 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

We’ve entered day two of the 2026 China Swimming Open, where swimmers from around the world are taking to the Shenzhen pool for bragging rights but also for cash prizes. Winners of each race get $10,000, runners-up get $8,000, and 3rd place finishers receive $6,000.

Already through day one, we saw an Asian record bite the dust in the women’s 50m breaststroke at the hands of 2024 Olympic multi-medalist Tang Qianting.

Tonight, the women will try the 200m breast on for size, with the field featuring Americans Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh pitted against domestic swimmers Hu Qianhao and Zhu Leiju.

Another American in Jack Alexy will be featured in the men’s 50m freestyle final, where the 23-year-old Paris Olympic medalist leads the pack, one which includes reigning Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy of Australia.

Peng Xuwei of China will try to hold off American backstroking ace Regan Smith in the 200m, as Aussies Lani Pallister and Mollie O’Callaghan will take on top talent in the women’s 200m free among tonight’s marquee events.

Gretchen Walsh of the United States is primed to make some noise in the 50m free, although competitors Cheng Yujie of China, Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong and Shayna Jack of Australia won’t be going down quietly.

Refresh often for the latest and greatest results as each thrilling event gets underway.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – 21.64, Shuya Matsumoto (JPN) 2025
• Chinese Record – 21.68, Yu Hexin 2021

GOLD – Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 20.88 *WORLD RECORD*
SILVER – Jack Alexy (USA), 21.57
BRONZE – Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 22.01

In a shocking turn of events, 31-year-old Cameron McEvoy of Australia unexpectedly rocked a new World Record en route to winning the men’s 50m freestyle final.

The unconventional sprint trainer ripped a huge personal best of 20.88 to erase retired Brazilian Olympian Cesar Cielo‘s longstanding WR of 20.91, which was put on the books during the 2009 supersuited era.

It’s rare to see someone win by nearly a body length in something as incredibly quick as the 50m free but that’s exactly what happened, as American Olympic medalist Jack Alexy settled for silver in a still-respectable feat of 21.57. That’s not far off his lifetime best of 21.32 from last year’s World Championships.

New father Kyle Chalmers of Australia rounded out the podium in 22.01.

You can read more about McEvoy’s World Record-setting performance here.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – 23.97, Liu Xiang (CHN) 2021
• Chinese Record – 23.97, Liu Xiang 2021

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 24.41
SILVER – Cheng Yujie (CHN), 24.42
BRONZE – Kate Douglass (USA), 24.44

The women’s 50m free saw Olympic multi-medalist Siobhan Haughey get it done for gold, registering a winning effort of 24.41.

That carried the narrowest of victories into the wall, as domestic ace Cheng Yujie was relegated to the silver medal position only .01 back in 24.42.

Nearly just as close was versatile American Olympic champion Kate Douglass, with the 24-year-old stopping the clock at 24.44. Teammate Gretchen Walsh, the 8th-fastest woman in history in this event, found herself off the podium in 4th at 24.46.

Former University of Michigan Wolverine Haughey was just outside her lifetime best and national record of 24.30 scored during the 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup series.

Runner-up Cheng’s outing this evening was also within striking distance of her lifetime best of 24.23 from the Chinese National Games last November.

Douglass and Walsh actually tie as the 8th-swiftest performers all time, with both owning a PB of 23.91. The former remains the #1 performer in the world this season, courtesy of the 24.20 put up at last December’s U.S. Open Championships. Haughey now checks into slot #5 on the season.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• Asian Record – 51.86, Xu Jiayu (CHN) 2017
• Chinese Record – 51.86, Xu Jiayu 2017

GOLD – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 52.73
SILVER – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 53.38
BRONZE – Wang Gukailai (CHN), 54.05

Reigning world champion Pieter Coetze of South Africa denied Thomas Ceccon of Italy the gold in this men’s 100m back final, with the 24-year-old rocking a time of 52.73 for the decisive victory.

Ceccon, the current world record in this event and Olympic champion from Paris, collected silver in 53.38 and China’s Wang Gukailai rounded out the podium in 54.05.

Coetze opened in 25.46 and brought it home in 27.27 in this impressive performance, one which represents the 8th-best outing of his career. Coetze is the African record holder in the 1back, owning a career-swiftest mark of 51.85 from winning gold last year in Singapore. That rendered Coetze the #3 performer in history.

The South African represents the 3rd man of the season to clear the 53-second threshold, joining world leader Xu Jiayu of China who is not competing here and Hungary’s Hubert Kos.

Of note, 25-year-old Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia, the 2020 Olympic Games silver medalist, raced in the B-Final this evening, where he got to the wall first in 55.11. That’s well off his PB of 51.82 from July of 2023.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Asian Record – 2:06.46, Zhao Jing (CHN) 2010
• Chinese Record – 2:06.46, Zhao Jing 2010

GOLD – Regan Smith (USA), 2:04.93
SILVER – Peng Xuwei (CHN), 2:07.90
BRONZE – Sun Mingxia (CHN), 2:08.12

24-year-old American Regan Smith dominated the women’s 200m backstroke, getting to the wall nearly three seconds ahead of the competition.

The Olympic multi-medalist clocked a super speedy result of 2:04.93, a mark only .03 outside the world-leading 2:04.90 she established at the Pro Swim Series in Westmont earlier this month.

This evening, Smith split 29.14/31.25/31.87/32.67 to handily beat the pack, relegating the host nation’s swimmers to the minor medal positions.

Peng Xuwei secured silver in 2:07.90, over a second outside her PB of 2:06.54, and Sun Mingxia checked in with 2:08.12 for bronze. Sun’s time tonight beat her previous career-best benchmark of 2:08.61 from last year’s Asian Youth Games.

Making noise in the B-Final was 13-year-old Yu Zidi, the youngest-ever swimmer to medal at a World Championships. Yu produced a time of 2:12.20 to top the B-Final, etching a new personal best in the process.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Asian Record – 4:06.05, Kosuke Hagino (JPN) 2016
• Chinese Record – 4:09.10, Wang Shun 2013

GOLD – William Petric (AUS), 4:11.41
SILVER – Gu Enyi (CHN), 4:17.83
BRONZE – Tao Guannan (CHN), 4:18.15

Representing Australia, 21-year-old William Petric destroyed tonight’s 400m IM field, taking the gold by over six seconds.

Petric punched a result of 4:11.41 to earn the 2nd-fastest time of his young career, one which boasts a PB of 4:10.27 from last November’s Japan Open, to make him his nation’s 3rd-quickest performer of all time.

China got on the board behind Petric, courtesy of Gu Enyi hitting 4:17.83 for silver and Tao Guannan notching 4:18.15 for the bronze.

Petric’s topping the podium here will be a great confidence booster for the Nunawading swimmer heading into June’s Australian Championships, the meet that decides the Commonwealth Games roster.

As a refresher, tonight’s performance comes on the heels of Petric producing a big-time personal best in the 200m free last night. Petric’s bronze medal-worthy 1:46.14 overtook his previous PB of 1:47.00 from last November’s Japan Open thus inserting himself into the conversation of the Aussie men’s 4x200m freestyle relay mix.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – 1:53.92, Siobhan Haughey (HKG) 2021
• Chinese Record – 1:54.26, Tang Muhan 2021

GOLD – Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 1:53.52
SILVER – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 1:54.91
BRONZE – Lani Pallister (AUS), 1:56.02

Australia captured another gold medal, courtesy of 21-year-old Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan in the women’s 200m freestyle.

Multi-faceted O’Callaghan delivered a swift time of 1:53.52 as the clear winner and sole contestant to dip under the 1:54-barrier.

Closely after her 50m freestyle, Haughey dove back in and snagged silver here in 1:54.91, about a second outside her Asian record of 1:53.92 from the 2020 Olympic Games.

MOC’s teammate Lani Pallister also claimed some hardware, posting 1:56.02 as the bronze medalist.

MOC is the #2 performer of all time in this event, with her lifetime best of 1:52.48 sitting only behind retired Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus‘ world record of 1:52.23, with both results having happened at the 2024 Olympic Trials. In Paris, the duo switched positions, with MOC claiming gold in an Olympic record of 1:53.27 and Titmus settling for silver in 1:53.81.

MOC currently owns the SCM 200 free World Record, becoming the first-ever woman to clear the 1:50 threshold with her monstrous 1:49.36 from last year’s World Aquatics Swimming World Cup circuit.

The season’s world rankings now see MOC and Haughey insert themselves into the top 5.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Asian Record – 57.69, Qin Haiyang (CHN) 2023
• Chinese Record – 57.69, Qin Haiyang 2023

GOLD – Dong Zhihao & Zheng Yinghao, 59.83
SILVER – 
BRONZE – Wang Junteng, 1:00.14

We saw our first tie of the evening, with 2024 200m breast world champion Dong Zhihao and Zheng Yinghao touching simultaneously in 59.83 to reap co-gold.

They were the sole swimmers to dip under the 1:00 barrier, with Wang Junteng, just 17, hitting 1:00.14 for the bronze.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands found himself off the podium, with the 30-year-old veteran placing 4th in 1:00.16.

Asian record holder and reigning world champion Qin Haiyang is not racing at this competition.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

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

GOLD – Kate Douglass (USA), 2:21.03
SILVER – Lu Jingyao (CHN), 2:24.30
BRONZE – Kaylene Corbett (RSA), 2:25.07

As expected, American Olympic champion Douglass grabbed the women’s 200m breast gold by a comfortable margin.

She stopped the clock at 2:21.03, within striking distance of the 2:20.86 from the U.S. Open Championships, making her the woman to beat worldwide at the moment.

China’s 5th-fastest female of all time Lu Jinyao produced a mark of 2:24.30 as the silver medalist with South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett registering 2:25.07 for 3rd place.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL

• Asian Record – 14:31.02, Sun Yang (CHN) 2012
• Chinese Record – 14:31.02, Sun Yang 2012

GOLD – Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 14:51.93
SILVER – Liu Peixin (CHN), 15:08.96
BRONZE – Fei Liewei (CHN), 15:11.06

18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo did his thing in this men’s 1500m freestyle, putting up a swift mark of 14:51.93 to top the podium in a new personal best.

That held a healthy advantage over the rest of the all-Chinese podium, with teammates Liu Pexin notching 15:08.96 and Fei Liewei registering 15:11.06.

Teenager Zhang is now the #1 performer in the world this season.