Ning Zetao Breaks Asian Record in Men’s 100 Free

As Asian sprinters continue to rise to the global challenge, China’s Ning Zetao became the first swimmer from his continent to go under 48 seconds in the 100 long course meter freestyle on Thursday at the 2014 Asian Games.

He swam a 47.70, which broke his own Asian Record of 48.27 set in September of 2013.

This swim was foreshadowed a bit by Zetao’s anchor on China’s 400 free relay, where he split a dastardly 47.08 to pull China away from Japan and away from the old Asian Record of 4:14.73 (which the Japanese also broke) on Wednesday.

For the 21-year old Zetao, this is the return to the track he was on before 2011, when a positive test for the performance enhancing drug clenbuterol cost him a year of competition.

That ranks him 3rd in the world this year, behind James Magnussen and Cameron McEvoy. While everyone has been watching the unavoidable rise in Chinese swimming, it’s still a bit shocking to see a Chinese swimmer end the year ranked so high in this event. An Asian hasn’t won an Olympic medal in the 100 free since 1952, when Japans Hiroshi Suzuki took silver. No Asian swimmer has ever won a men’s 50 free Olympic medal, no Asian swimmer has ever medaled in the 100 free at the long course World Championships, and no Asian swimmer has ever held a World Record in the men’s 100 meter freestyle, dating back to the original official recording in 1905.

But now, Zetao is in a position to break many of those historic trends. Given the blatant inconsistency we’ve seen in the world’s men’s 100 freestylers in the last half-decade, where a swimmer will look capable of challenging the World Record one meet and look barely a contender the next, the possibility for a breakthrough from Zetao is there. What, then will the trend be? Will the Chinese find three other swimmers to follow suit and add one more hat into the ring at the Olympics beside France, Australia, the USA, Russia, and Brazil? Given the success Yu Hexin had at the Youth Olympic Games (though he hasn’t been as sharp in Incheon), that might just be the course we’re seeing.

Look out for that 400 free relay in Rio – it’s going to be a good one.

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john26
10 years ago

I gotta say Ning’s technique isnt that different from Adrian’s.

Sven
10 years ago

As the field of epigenetics grows more mature, the world of sport may have some interesting issues to face. My quick definition, for those who haven’t heard of epigenetics before, is a field that studies how the expression of genes changes based on a person’s behavior and actions. Basically, the things you do won’t change your genetic code, but they’ll change the way certain genes exert their influence on the body.

Anyway, I bring that up because I know there have been some studies suggesting that taking performance enhancing drugs can alter the way your genes are expressed even years AFTER taking them. So someone who lasted cycled some steroids five years ago may still be benefiting in some way… Read more »

Sven
Reply to  Sven
10 years ago

doh. *last cycled

Zhen
Reply to  Sven
10 years ago

Very good discussion, interesting point.

Bob
10 years ago

China games last year he went 48,27

Rafael
10 years ago

Bob zetao was 48,27

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

What do you mean? He won the Military Games in June with a 48.4. He dropped .7 in 2.5 months.

Rafael
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
10 years ago

He went 48,27 at 2013 China Games.. a 0,57 drop in a year

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

OH! Ok, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. 🙂

Zhen
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
10 years ago

I think he also had a relay split of 47.6 early this year in Australia.

Zhen
Reply to  Zhen
10 years ago

He had a 47.44 final split in the 400 free relay last October at the East Asian games.

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/ning-zetao-nearly-lezaks-japan-with-scorching-anchor-leg/

Rafael
10 years ago

China Situation Right now on relay

Zetao 47,7
Yang 48,9
The guy who went 48,6 (why was he not on Asian? Burnout? Injury? Suspension?)
Hexin Yu 49,07 (YOG)

A good team, and they have the guy who swam today to let one rest.. but they would add up to around to 3:12:5, even putting Zetao 47,7 and everybody at least 0,5 faster than Flat.. But.. they can improve until worlds.. would right now be behind US BRA RUS FRA And AUS, I think.. A great improvement

Zhen
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

The third guy is Lv Zhiwu, he retired after last year’s nationals. Only 25 years old, a pity.

Rafael
Reply to  Zhen
10 years ago

So who would be China freestyle relay team? Ning, Hexin and the other 2? The freestyle relay is on the same day of 400 free.. it would be a tough double for Sun..
Also china does not seem to have the depth to sit out any swimmer of prelims to get final (While US, FRA, RUS, AUS and BRA can probably change 2 guys from prelims)

Zhen
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

I agree. So far the medley relay is probably more promising than the 400 free relay, unless more sprinters coming out in the next two years.

Luigi
10 years ago

I am very sorry to learn that this swimmer has tested positive to Celnbuterol in the past. To me, this information casts a shadow on his today achievement; I can’t help it.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago
bkkang
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago

Clenbuterol is a commonly drug used in lean pork production in China. Sun Yang requested for vegetarian food while he was in detention to the dismayed of then prison inmates. It will be very naive to use clenbuterol as performance enhanced drug in today’s sport science.Because of a few incidences of clenbuterol in China athletes tested positive in the past due pork contamination, all athletes are refrained from taking meat in China restaurants or street food vendor(2011). Ning is clean as a whistle!!! Recently, an innocent noodle consumer was detained for drug related offense and later police investigation traced the contamination due to a street vendor concocted the gravy of his famous noodle with poppy seeds to attract repeating customers… Read more »

Philip Johnson
Reply to  bkkang
10 years ago

He’s in the “I accidentally took clenbuterol” club along with Hardy, Cielo, Contador, etc. I suppose.

aswimfan
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

I agree.

This news about him tested positive to clenbuterol is very disappointing. Just like the other swimmers mentioned by Phillip Johnson, I now cast his achievements with a shadow of doubt.

KP
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago

Yes, and it makes me crazy that cheaters are usually a few steps ahead of testers, at least for a while. Growth hormone is a tough one to catch too. I believe I once read (exercise physiologists please correct me if I’m wrong) that GH is more responsible for muscle growth in women than testosterone. I also suspect that GH may be the preferred PED in the NFL.

Zhen
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago

Clenbuterol is widespread in China. Chinese Swimming Federation bans swimmers for life if they are caught doping even for the first time (Ouyang Kunpeng, Li Zhesi), with Clenbuterol an exception, which results a two-year ban in line with the FINA rule. In fact, Ouyang was banned for life also due to Clenbuterol, but that decision was made before the Clenbuterol scandal went into surface in China. His ban was changed to two-years after the scandal, but it was too late for him to return to competition. In fact one reason Chinese athletes like to train overseas is that they can eat whatever they want…

Zhen
Reply to  Zhen
10 years ago

I am not saying he is absolutely clean, but he is a very different swimmer from what he was two years ago. At the time of the ban, he was just a mediocre 400IMer in China. During the two years of no-competition, he transformed himself into China’s top sprinter. He must have gone through a lot.

Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Did not know he was suspended for a banned substance, that makes me sad.

SwimmingSwan
Reply to  Philip Johnson
8 years ago

China’s largest sausage maker ShuangHui was found putting clenbuterol in the meat production. He claimed to have been a big fan of the sausages. It’s probably true, since there are legal substitutes of clenbuterol.

bobo gigi
10 years ago

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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