2023 CHINESE SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, March 19th – Friday, March 24th
- Qingdao, China
- LCM (50m)
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Results via Asian Media
Competing on day five of the 2023 Chinese Spring Championships, Wang Changhao fired off a new national record in the men’s 50m fly.
Stopping the clock in a time of 23.25, Wang grabbed the gold ahead of Chen Juner and Sun Jiajun. Chen settled for silver in 23.40 while Sun rounded out the top 3 in 23.43.
En route to victory, Wang sliced .11 off of the previous national standard of 23.36 Li Zhuhao put on the books at the 2017 Chinese Championships.
Wang now checks in as the 2nd fastest performer in the world this season, tying Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter.
2022-2023 LCM Men 50 Fly
Kostin
22.62
| 2 | Thomas Ceccon | ITA | 22.68 | 07/24 |
| 3 | Maxime Grousset | FRA | 22.74 | 07/23 |
| 4 | Diogo Ribeiro | POR | 22.80 WJR | 07/24 |
| 5 | Michael Andrew | USA | 22.85 | 05/21 |
The women’s 50m free saw multi-event winner here Zhang Yufei soar to the wall first in a winning time of 24.40. That got the edge over runner-up Cheng Yujie who touched in 24.57 while Wu Qingfeng also landed on the podium in a result of 24.65.
As for Zhang, the 24-year-old owns a lifetime best of 24.29 in this event, a time she established at the 2021 National Games. That rendered her China’s 2nd fastest woman of all time, sitting only behind national record holder Xiang Liu and her Asian Record of 23.97.
Zhang now enters the world rankings in slot #3, tying American Abbie Weitzeil.
2022-2023 LCM Women 50 Free
Sjostrom
WR 23.61
| 2 | Abbey Weitzeil | USA | 24.00 | 07/01 |
| 3 | Shayna Jack | AUS | 24.01 | 07/29 |
| 4 | Yufei Zhang | CHN | 24.15 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 24.26 | 06/18 |
Olympic medalist Yi Shiwen was also in the water this evening, contesting the women’s 200m breaststroke. Yi produced a mark of 2:24.01 to beat the field handily, as the next-closest swimmer got to the wall over 2 seconds behind.
Runner-up status went to Zhu Leiju in 2:26.54 while Yang Chang was well back in 2:29.19 for bronze.
Yi has been as fast as 2:22.53 in this event over the course of her career, a time she logged during the 2019 FINA World Cup Series to become China’s 2nd fastest woman in history.
Her tonight now renders Yi 4th in the world this season, tying South African Kaylene Corbett.
2022-2023 LCM Women 200 Breast
Chikunova
2:17.55 WR
| 2 | Tatjana Schoenmaker | RSA | 2:20.80 | 07/28 |
| 3 | Lilly King | USA | 2:20.95 | 06/28 |
| 4 | Kate Douglass | USA | 2:21.22 | 06/28 |
| 5 | Tes Schouten | NED | 2:21.63 | 07/28 |
Additional winners included Qin Haiyang producing a big-time result of 2:07.60 in the 200m breast, followed by 17-year-old Dong Zhihao who scored a new World Junior Record in 2:08.83. You can read more about these performances here.
Fei Liwei was the fastest men’s 800m freestyler to close out the session, touching in 7:54.37 as the only competitor to get under the 8:00 threshold.
I read an article recently that Zhang Yufei said she was going to focus more now on the 50 Free, 50 and 100Fly.
Does that mean she is not concentrating as much focus on the 200 Fly for the future?
China’s main meet this year is the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Zhang’s coach said that her goal is to participate in 10 events (50-100-200 FR and FL and 4 relays). 200 FL is pretty much a sure thing so she doesn’t have to focus on it as much this season.
Thanks for the reply.
So is Zhang and most of China’s top swimmers focusing more on the Asian games in September than the WC with the ultimate goal peaking for Paris?
Yes, the Asian Games is a huge deal since it is at home. Also, last time China lost to Japan in the swimming medal table due to Zhang Yufei false starting in a relay.
One possible story of Zhang Yufei the past couple of years: she was one of the very best swimmers in the world in 2021, had an off-year last year for a straightforward reason (Covid lockdowns), and will now resume being one of the very best swimmers in the world.
Not just lockdowns, team China planned to peak for the Asian Games which were cancelled. Going to worlds was a last minute thing for many of them.
Was Ye Shiwen going to compete or is she retired?
She wants to compete at this year’s Asian Games which will be hosted in her hometown Hangzhou.