The waves were high and the spirits higher as China's national swimming championships wrapped up on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. Over nine exciting days, the nation's top swimmers dove into action, giving us a glimpse of what to expect at the Paris Olympics just three months away! 🇫🇷✨
Making headlines was Tang Qianting, who didn't just break the Asian record in the women's 100m breaststroke once—but twice! She set the new record at an incredible 1:04.39. Talk about smashing it! 💥
Not to be outdone, Yang Junxuan sped through the water to set a new national record in the women's 100m freestyle, clocking in at 52.68 seconds. She shaved off precious milliseconds from the previous record held by Zhang Yufei. 🏃♀️💨
Speaking of Zhang Yufei, the Olympic champion was on fire, scooping up five golds and one silver. 🔥✨
But the real star of the show was 19-year-old Pan Zhanle. He dominated the pool with seven titles—four individual and three team events. Pan blasted through the men's 100m freestyle final, breaking the 47-second barrier with an astonishing 46.97 seconds. He's now one of only two swimmers worldwide to consecutively finish within 47 seconds, sharing the spotlight with Romania's David Popovici, also 19. 🌟🌍
Pan's been on a roll! He first made waves at the Hangzhou Asian Games with the same 46.97 seconds, becoming the first Asian swimmer to break the mark. Then, he rocked the world stage at the World Championships in Doha, setting a record of 46.80 seconds in the men's 4x100m medley relay, beating Popovici's previous record. 🥇🌊
In a heartwarming comeback, Olympic champion Ye Shiwen, who won two golds in London, secured her spot for the Paris Olympics after an eight-year wait. Welcome back, Ye! 🌹🏅
With such thrilling performances, Team China is all set to make a big splash in Paris. Can't wait to see what they bring to the Olympic pool! 🇨🇳🏊♂️🇫🇷
Reference(s):
China's national swimming championships conclude in Shenzhen
cgtn.com
