2025 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- May 17-24, 2025
- Shenzhen, China
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results
The 2025 Chinese National Swimming Championships kicked off today from Shenzhen, China with the competition representing the sole opportunity for swimmers to qualify for this summer’s World Championships.
Right off the bat, we saw a monster swim at the hands of Olympian Li Bingjie in the women’s 400m free with the 23-year-old firing off a new Asian Record of 3:59.99.
Li beat the field by well over 2 seconds en route to establishing the new benchmark. Yang Peiqi settled for silver in 4:02.53 while Liu Yaxin rounded out the podium in 4:02.57. The entire podium easily cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 4:10.23 needed for Singapore, although just Li and Yang will be added to the roster as the top 2 performers.
Entering this competition, Li’s lifetime best in this 400m free rested at the 4:01.08 put on the books at the 2020 Olympic Games en route to earning bronze. That represented the Chinese national and Asian record.
Flash forward to tonight and the ace dipped under the 4:00 barrier for the first time ever, becoming just the 6th woman ever to do so.
Top 10 Women’s LCM 400 Free Performers All-Time
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS) – 3:55.38, 2023
- Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 3:56.08, 2023
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:56.46, 2016
- Federica Pelligrini (ITA) – 3:59.15, 2009
- Erika Fairweather (NZL) – 3:59.44, 2024
- Li Bingjie (CHN) – 3:59.99, 2025 *Asian Record
- Joanne Jackson (GBR) – 4:00.60, 2009
- Leah Smith (USA) – 4:00.65, 2016
- Rebecca Adlington (GBR) – 4:00.79, 2009
- Camille Muffat (FRA) – 4:01.13, 2012
Splits for Li’s swim are below.
After that bronze in Tokyo, Li struggled at the 2024 Olympic Games last year in Paris, placing 9th in 4:03.96 to miss making the final. Her time this evening would have garnered her the bronze medalist, beating American Katie Ledecky‘s outing of 4:00.86 behind winner Ariarne Titmus of Australia who won gold in 3:57.49 and Summer McIntosh of Canada who earned silver in 3:58.37.
Li’s 3:59.99 is a sign that the multi-faceted performer is back in form, right on time to challenge the aforementioned Olympic medalists this summer. Especially with Titmus taking time off out of the water, there’s a slot ready for another challenger to occupy at the World Championships.
Great swim for her and 12 year old Zidi just went 2:12.52 in the 2 IM it’s nuts. Pan won the 400 in 3:45.34, and FeWei was 3:45.5, and Sun got 3rd in 3:47.5
Zidi went 54.78 leading off a relay too
Okay what? That’s even more insane like wow imagiene a 12 year old guy doing that and that’s .25 faster than the boys 11-12 NAG and 2 seconds on the women’s side. She might be the fastest Jr ever at that age. Imagine being only 2 seconds off the WJR in the 100 free at TWELVE
Last year she was
50m free – 26.41, #3
100m free – 56.32, #1
200m free -2:00.32, #1
400m free – 4:10.73, #1
800m free – 8:45.47, #1
1500m free – 16:46.40, #1
100 back – 1:05.06, #12
100m breast – 1:14.41, #30
200m fly – 2:14.04, #1
400m IM – 4:40.97, #1
With the big drop in the 100 surely she can take #1 in the 50 too but won’t swim it here. Even her weakest event is great for her age.
Pan relay split is 47.40s，rt 0.3s
She’s back