Wang Jianjiahe Becomes 4th Fastest 800 Free Performer Ever W/ WJR

2018 FINA WORLD CUP – EINDHOVEN

Immediately after Japan’s Daiya Seto established a new World Cup Record in the men’s 400m IM, 16-year-old Wang Jianjiahe of China smashed a new World Junior Record in the women’s 800m freestyle event.

Winning gold ahead of America’s Leah Smith and Russia’s Anna Egorova, who finished with the silver and bronze in respective efforts of 8:15.42 and 8:21.83, Jianjiahe owned the race from the start to clock a head-turning mark of 8:03.86. That convincingly erased her own previous WJR outing of 8:12.30 she set at the Beijing stop of last year’s World Cup Series.

Below is a comparison of Wang’s splits:

2017 – 58.98/1:02.08/1:02.30/1:02.30/1:02.40/1:02.49/1:02.47/1:02.00 = 8:12.30

2018 – 57.89/1:01.09/1:01.26/1:00.70/1:00.87/1:01.21/1:01.42/59.42 = 8:03.86, WJR

Wang already set a new WJR yesterday in the 400m free with 3:54.63 for gold on the first day of this Eindhoven World Cup stop.

With her 800m freestyle performance tonight, Wang now sits as the 4th fastest performer of all-time in the event:

  1. 7:59.34, Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 2013 Berlin
  2. 8:01.06, Camille Muffat (FRA), 2012 Angers
  3. 8:01.22, Lauren Boyle (NZL), 2013 Eindhoven
  4. 8:03.86, Wang Jianjiahe (CHN), 2018 Eindhoven
  5. 8:04.53, Alessia Filippi (ITA), 2009

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Paul
5 years ago

While Bingjie Li is getting worse, Wang Jianjiahe is improving

Aquajosh
5 years ago

If she’s going to Budapest, she’ll have another crack at them in the fastest pool in Europe in just a few days.

RAL
Reply to  Aquajosh
5 years ago

I doubt she will try very hard. She may try in the championship this year if she swims. More likely she will try next year in World Championships.

RAL
5 years ago

Finished 0.11s(400m) and 5s(800m) over world records at 16, she has a long way to go. There’s no telling what she can do. Sky’s the limit.

Yozhik
5 years ago

The pair of Chinese swimmers Li Binhjie and Wang Jianjiahe reminds me the situation with Canadian Penny Oleksiak and Taylor Ruck.
I wouldn’t expect Wang Jianjiahe to make 58sec at last 100 and under 29sec at last 50 in 1500 race as Li Bingjie did and I wouldn’t say that Jianjiahe is of Titmus’ level in 400 yet but I am sure that she will progress steadily with her personal bests to be an elite swimmer in everything she swims.

Dee
5 years ago

Aah 2012 Camille – The most beautiful freestyle stroke I’ve ever seen.

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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