2020 CHINESE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- September 26th – October 2nd
- Qingdao, China
- LCM (50m)
- Results via Asian Media
Yesterday 22-year-old Zhang Yufei cranked out a monumental time of 55.62 in the prelims of the women’s 100m butterfly while competing at the 2020 Chinese Swimming Championships.
Splitting 25.76/29.86, Zhang torched her previous lifetime best of 56.57 to beat her heat by over 3 seconds and check-in as the world’s 2nd fastest performer all-time.
Her 55.62 monster effort registered as the new Asian continental and Chinese national record in the event, doubling up on the 100m free national record Zhang already captured earlier at this meet. With both performances, Zhang has become China’s first-ever female to go under 53 in the 100m freestyle (52.90) and under 56 in the 100m fly.
You can watch Zhang’s history-making 55.62 swim here, starting at 1:21.50.
Zhang’s 55.62 sits just .14 outside of Swedish superstar Sarah Sjostrom‘s World Record time of 55.48, which was established en route to gold at the 2016 Olympic Games. For comparison, Sjostrom went out in 26.01 and brought it back in 29.47. As such, Zhang was .25 faster on the front end of her race.
As originally reported:
Zhang Yufei already nailed one Chinese national record here at these Chinese Swimming Championships, but the 22-year-old had more in store during today’s prelims.
Taking on the women’s 100m fly, Zhang busted out a lifetime best of 55.62. That result crushes the previous Chinese national record of 56.07 that Liu Zige put on the books way back in 2009.
In fact, her outing here ranks Zhang as the 2nd fastest time performer all-time worldwide, sitting only .14 away from Sarah Sjostrom‘s current World Record of 55.48 set at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Entering this meet Zhang’s official career-quickest was represented by the 57.29 she posted at the 2017 FINA World Aquatic Championships. That time was in the earlier rounds, with Zhang ultimately taking 8th place in the event with a final time of 57.51.
Zhang already hit a time trial of 56.47 in July of this year.
At last year’s World Championships, Zhang missed the final, settling for a 13th place finish with a time of 57.93.
In between those World Championships was the 2018 Asian Games, where Zhang snagged silver in 57.40 behind winner Rikako Ikee’s 56.30 stunner.
Look for race video shortly.
Earlier at this competition, Zhang became China’s first-ever female to dip under the 53-second threshold in the 100m free. She produced a time of 52.90 for a new Chinese national record.
Dear goodness, that was a monster swim. She is having quite the meet, with the 100 free and now 100 fly.
Great swim and there are several things she can do better and go faster. I like that she had Caeleb Dressel like finish (more aggressive last 25-30m).
Her start and turns can get much better (also hope someone will post under water video of her race to see the stroke under water).
Start to think that you might have to be 55 at the Olympics to earn a medal, but not sure if anyone is ready for swim a 54 for gold yet, on the other hand not sure if anyone expected a 54 second world record in the men’s 100m back at the 1988 Olympics either (I am to young to remember what people were speculating about going… Read more »
Her start and turn were very good?
And she faded in the last 5-10m (which is where she probably lost the WR)?