2016 Chinese Olympic Swimming Trials
- April 3rd-10th, 2016
- Foshan, Guangdong, China
- Foshan Century Lotus Swimming & Diving Hall
- Live video
The continuation of a fall-from-the-podium for 2012 Olympic Champion Ye Shiwen, the 20-year old has finished just 7th in the 400 IM at the 2016 Chinese Olympic Swimming Trials that began on Sunday in Foshan.
Ye was the 2012 Olympic Champion in both the 200 and 400 IMs when she was just 16 years old, which included breaking a World Record in the longer distance. Since that meet, however, her results have declined: she hasn’t won a single medal at a long course World Championship meet since, and has only been in the same realm of those times at the 2014 Asian Games where she won double gold.
Ye was the top swimmer in prelims, but swam just a 4:50.74 in finals to take the 7th-place position. That’s 22 seconds short of the time with which she won Olympic gold in London.
Chinese media reports that after three straight years of poor physical condition and injuries from Ye, she was left huddled on the deck on Monday with severe stomach cramps.
With her fall-off, Zhou Min won the race in finals in 4:36.97, with Wang Xinya also coming-in under the FINA ‘A’ standard in 4:42.45.
Zhou’s time places her 8th in the world so far in the 2015-2016 season.
2015-2016 LCM Women 400 IM
HOSSZU
4.26.36*WR
| 2 | Maya DiRADO | USA | 4.31.15 | 08/06 |
| 3 | Mireia BELMONTE | ESP | 4.32.39 | 08/06 |
| 4 | Hannah MILEY | GBR | 4.32.54 | 08/06 |
| 5 | Elizabeth BEISEL | USA | 4.33.55 | 05/13 |
| 6 | Aimee WILLMOTT | GBR | 4.34.08 | 08/06 |
| 7 | Sakiko SHIMIZU | JPN | 4.34.66 | 08/06 |
With Chinese qualifying standards hard to define or discover, and a quite fluid selection priority, Ye still could be chosen for the team if Chinese officials believe in the temporary reason for her falter
Afteall, Sun Yang has almost been guaranteed a spot on the squad for Rio by Chinese media despite skipping this week’s Olympic Trials.
In his absence, the men’s 400 free began the meet with a Qiu Ziao victory in 3:47.99. He was the only swimmer in the final under the FINA ‘A’ standard, which ensures there’s still room for the defending Olympic Champion Sun in August at the Olympics.
The other men’s final on the day went to Wang Shun, who swam 4:13.62 in the 400 IM – the 7th-best time in the world this season.
2015-2016 LCM Men 400 IM
HAGINO
4.06.05
| 2 | Chase KALISZ | USA | 4.06.75 | 08/06 |
| 3 | Daiya SETO | JPN | 4.08.47 | 08/06 |
| 4 | Jay LITHERLAND | USA | 4.11.02 | 06/26 |
| 5 | Thomas FRASER-HOLMES | AUS | 4.11.09 | 04/07 |
| 6 | Max LITCHFEILD | GBR | 4.11.62 | 08/06 |
Placing 2nd behind Wang in the race is An Jiabao, the first known appearance at this meet of the two swimmers who tested positive for clenbuterol late last year but received only a warning from Chinese anti-doping authorities and was waved-on to continue. FINA is still considering whether or not to appeal those suspensions.
Those three races were the day’s individual finals; though there were fast times in semi-finals. That includes a 59.64 to lead the 100 breaststroke from Wang Lizhuo, the other warned swimmer, which breaks his own Chinese National Record of 59.79 done at this meet last year.
Only Cameron van der Burgh, Adam Peaty, and Felipe Silva have been faster than Wang this season.
Yan Zibei joined Lizhuo under the minute mark, the only two Chinese swimmers to accomplish that feat, with a 59.94 to qualify 2nd into the final. Wang and Yan were 1st and 2nd, respectively, at this meet last year.
In the women’s 100 fly, Chen Xinyi led the qualifiers in 57.60 – pacing Zhang Yufei (58.20), Lu Ying (58.22), and Zhou Yilin (58.33) into the final.
With the meet’s dual purpose as a Chinese National Championship event, relays are still being swum, and Shanghai won the women’s 400 free relay in 3:40.69.
Ye had stomach cramp during final. See the link below with picture (in Chinese)
http://sports.sina.cn/others/swim/2016-04-03/detail-ifxqxcnp8502788.d.html?from=wap
Ye was having stomach cramp during the race. See the link below:
http://sports.sina.cn/others/swim/2016-04-03/detail-ifxqxcnp8502788.d.html?from=wap
it is sad to see the last Olympics champion of an event fell short 4 years later (regardless of age), but this is not an unique incident. That is why Olympics are so exciting because repeated champions are rare and few. If Ye has not been doing well and seems to have been plagued by injuries and illness, maybe better she can retire and have a life after swimming. At the end of the day, 4:50.74 still rank 75 in 2016 in this world.
Any doping accusation without proof is unfair to an athletes – this particular point is because every sport power house has athletes being caught but we don’t just assume all great performances are drug assisted… Read more »
That “social security”, if they are successful at the highest level, is a ton of money for the rest of their life with other social benefits. It IS terrible to end a career so young and in sometimes harsh conditions, but you have to understand the “prize” they seek!
I am NOT surprised at all at Ye Shiwens demise. It is shameful and sad. China does the same thing in diving and other sports. They make their female athletes peak as mid teens then they retire amid mysterious illnesses and injuries before what is considered in the US “drinking age” and receive “social security”! (with plenty of sarcasm).
If your family sees a chance for you to study/practice 12/7 so as to further your chances out of poverty -would you sneer or take it with both 7 year old arms?
We used to have lots of Vietnamese restaurants where the kids were studying at the back table till closing time. Now we have few Vietnamese restaurants because those kids are doctors dentists & scientists . Someone like Ledecky is one per Billion ,born extremely talented in a successful grounded family in the wealthiest district in the wealthiest nation.
Why are 7 year old boys in the Favelas kicking soccer balls till 10 pm ?
+1000 ????????
Ye looks physically almost a different person than 2010-12 which is not surprising since she was 13-15. Girls of this age who train mega loads in swimming & other sports have delayed growth right across the spectrum from bones to muscles to hormones to mental & emotional aspects. There are only 24/7 .
One pathway is to give puberty delaying drugs & before everyone goes bananas it is a good response to many life situations . The effects pale into comparison to parents & doctors prescribing gender transforming drugs – but
Ye ‘s 400 im in Perth was good at the 200m mark then it was obvious she had completely lost her breastroke & got disillusioned & just swam… Read more »
per your last paragraph, there’s that and there’s a much simpler possibility.
Official page?
And we’re all racist for being suspicious, if you remember 2012. Doped or not, it is a shame to see such a talent struggle.
Doped or not???!!!! How could it be a shame to see a doper struggle
I highly doubt that a 16 year old was doping willingly. If you look at the 1990s Chinese cases they were abused, so in some cases like this it might not be the athletes fault.
Sorry, but that is a pretty stupid comment. It’s that attitude that keeps China abusing their athletes – people are willing to look the other way.
Hold on, I don’t actually think that. In 2012 Chinese media called the Western world racist as an excuse after people were suspicious of Ye( which I am). But regardless if that she is pretty talented, so it’s a shame to see her do so poorly. I don’t think it’s racist to be suspicious of Ye or other Chinese swimmers, the same way it’s not racist to think Jamaican sprinters dope since they’ve had issues as well.