Li Bingjie

View Current photo via Courtesy of Mike Lewis

Li Bingjie is a Chinese National swimmer. She is a 2020 Olympian, world champion, and Asian champion.

At the Chinese National Championships on April 1, 2017, Bingjie won the 400m free with a then World Leading time of 4:02.52.

See race video of Bingjie’s 4:02.52 performance here:

2017 World Championships

Bingjie finished third in the 400m Free behind the two Americans, Katie Ledecky and Leah Smith. Her time of 4:03.25 was well behind second place finisher, Leah Smith, and off her time from the Chinese Nationals.

Bingjie swam the anchor on China’s 4x200m Free Relay to help them win the silver medal, splitting a time of 1:55.46, fastest split on the Chinese team.

Day seven Bingjie won silver in the women’s 800m freestyle final. She dropped an impressive swim, 8:15.46, crushing her Asian record.

2018 Asian Games

Bingjie pulled her biggest international medal haul to date in Jakarta, scoring 5 medals over the course of the meet. She won her first international 200 free title (1:56.74) as well as led off China’s victorious 4×200 free relay. She also took triple silver in the 400-800-1500 behind her Chinese teammate Wang Jianjiahe.

2018 Short Course World Championships

Bingjie kept the medals coming in in her home world championships of Hangzhou, earning bronze in the 400 free, right behind silver medalist and countrywoman Wang Jianjiahe. She also helped China win it’s only relay title in the women’s 4×200 free relay, leading off in a 1:54.56.

2020 Olympic Games

Li started off her Games in the prelims of the 400 free, where she registered a new Asian record of 4:01.57 to qualify 2nd heading into the final. In the final, Li went another best of 4:01.08, finishing in 3rd behind Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus, earning her first Olympic medal with a bronze.

Li Bingjie was back in the 4×200 free relay, anchoring China in 1:55.30, holding a charging Katie Ledecky from the USA off to touch for gold in a new world record, 7:40.33.

Bingjie swam in the prelims of the 800 free the following night, finishing in 8:22.49 to place 10th, missing the final heat.

International Medals

Place Event Year Meet
Gold 800 Freestyle Relay 2020 Olympic Games
Bronze 400 Free 2020 Olympic Games
Silver 800 Free 2017 World Championships
Silver 800 Freestyle Relay 2017 World Championships
Bronze 400 Free 2017 World Championships
Gold 800 Freestyle Relay 2018 Short Course World Championships
Bronze 400 Free 2018 Short Course World Championships
Gold 200 Free 2018 Asian Games
Gold 800 Freestyle Relay 2018 Asian Games
Silver 400 Free 2018 Asian Games
Silver 800 Free 2018 Asian Games
Silver 1500 Free 2018 Asian Games

Best Times

Course Event Time Date Meet
lcm 200 Free 1:56.74 08/22/18 2018 Asian Games
Jakarta, Indonesia
lcm 400 Free 4:01.08 07/25/21 2020 Olympic Games
Tokyo, Japan
lcm 800 Free 8:15.46 07/29/17 2017 FINA World Championships
Budapest, Hungary
Li Bingjie 2017 World Championships Budapest, Hungary (photo: Mike Lewis) Li Bingjie 2017 World Championships Budapest, Hungary (photo: Mike Lewis) Li Bingjie (photo: Mike Lewis) Li Bingjie (photo: Mike Lewis) Bingjie Li 2017 World Championships Budapest, Hungary (photo: Mike Lewis) Team China (photo: Jack Spitser) Team China (photo: Jack Spitser)