China has finalized their roster for the 2013 World Championships, just a week-and-a-half before the swimming competition is set to begin.
Among the more notable names absent from the men’s include Wang Chengxiang, who was 14th at the Olympics in the 400 IM, and Zhang Fenglin, who is the Chinese National Record holder in the 200 backstroke and placed 4th at last year’s Olympics when he was only 19 years old. Another National Record holder, Zhou Jiawei, also won’t be at this meet (though at almost 30 years old, his absence makes more sense). He’s the Asian Record holder in the 50 fly and finished 13th at the Olympics in the 100 fly.
Also off the roster is Ning Zetao, who in April swam under 49 in the 100 free: a high mark in the traditionally-thin Chinese sprint group.
These absences were explained to usby one Chinese swimming insider not as necessarily the effect of declining speed, but rather as a financial trade-off. Many provinces have opted not to send their top swimmers to Worlds for fear of interfering with training for the National Games, effectively a Chinese Olympics, where the potential windfalls dwarf those from World Championship success.
The Games take place every four years, and will run from August 31st to September 12th.
The women’s team will be without Liping Ji, who was the bronze medalist in the 100 breaststroke at the 2011 World Championships, Ji Liaxing, who was 11th in the 200 IM at the Olympics, 400 IM Olympic bronze medalist Li Xuanxu, and 16-year old distance phenom Xin Xin.
The roster will include, however, multiple Olympic gold medalists: Jiao Liuyang (women’s 200 fly) and Sun Yang (men’s 400 and 1500 freestyles). There’s somewhat of a concern with this paired-down roster of depth, though, after the Chinese Olympic relays did not live up to hopes and nabbed only a single bronze medal.
The full roster is below
Men
Sun Yang, Wang Shun, Lv Zhuiwu, Xu Jiayu, Chen Yin, Hao Yun, Cheng Feiyi, Li Xiayan, Li Yunqi, Wu Peng, Dai Jun, Sun Xiaolei, Mao Feilian, Gu Biaorong, Shi Yi, Liu Weijia, Shi Tengfei, Lou Junyi, Pu Wenjie, Qiu Yinghua, Huang Yunkun, Liu Junwu
Women
Shao Yiwen, Xu Danlu, FU Yuanhui, Zhao Jing, Tang Yi, Ye Shiwen, Qiu Yuhan, Lu Ying, Jiao Liuyang, Liu Zige, Sun Ye, Yin Fan, Shen Duo, Suo Ran, He Yuzhe, Chen Xinyi, Zhang Wenqing, Shi Jinlin, Zhou Yanxin, Bai Anqi, Wang Haibin, Guo Junjun, Pang Jiaying, Liu Lan, Yao Jianan
Ev-er-y-body Hao Yun to-night!….EVERYBODY WANG SHUN TONIGHT!
No medal for the Men’s 4×200 relay for sure.
Half the squad from 2012 are way slower this year
Not a lot of depth, but a few stars on the team. Also, I don’t see the Chinese men in medal contention for the 800 free relay.
Ji Li Ping is no longer in the form she was in 2009-12 so good job she is not selected
So is Sun Yang officially swimming the 800?
Well, I am glad to see Liu Zige, Pang Jiaying, Tang yi and Ye Shiwen on the roster!
I am sorry Liping Ji and Li Xuanxu aren’t.
Also, I wish the Chinese would find a way to bring the men’s team au pair with the women’s team..