Fans of Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao may get a chance to see the former world champion in action for the first time since 2017, as the 25-year-old sprint freestyler is reportedly set to compete at the 2018 Chinese National Swimming Championships this month. Taking place October 13th-17th, Ning is among the over 650 swimmers set to race, although his events at this time are not yet known.
Ning won the 100m freestyle crown at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan with a speedy 47.84, just off his own national and Asian continental record of 47.65 set in 2014. He wasn’t able to produce the same spectacular results in Rio, however,finishing 30th after prelims in the men’s 50m freestyle (22.38) and 12th after semi-finals in the 100m freestyle (48.32).
Ning then ran into team issues, including violations involving sponsorships that led to his being kicked off of the Chinese national team. He wound up not competing at the 2017 World Championships, nor this year’s Asian Games.
We know he had been training with Aussie coach Matt Brown in Brisbane in 2017, a partnership that produced a speedy 47.92 100m freestyle at the National Games of China. That allowed the fan-coined ‘heart throb’ to finish 2017 ranked as the 6th fastest swimmer in the world. But, the Chinese star has not competed at an elite meet since.
Actually, he won in Kazan in a time of 47.84, and he set that Asian record in 2014.
Good memory! Fixed that, thanks.