2021 Chinese Summer Nats Day 3: Chen Yujie Dips Under 25 To Win Women’s 50 Free

2021 CHINESE SUMMER NATIONALS

• May 31 – June 6, 2021
• Long Course Meters (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Meet
• Results via @CHNswim_fan On Twitter
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Recap
• Day 4 Recap
• Day 5 Recap

On the final day of racing at the 2021 Chinese Summer Nationals, swimmers took to the men’s 50 freestyle, 200 breast, and 1500 freestyle, as well as the women’s 50 free. As was the case on days 1-4, no swimmers managed to add their names to the 2021 Chinese Olympic roster in their respective events.

Women’s 50 Freestyle – Final

• FINA ‘A’ cut: 24.77
• Chinese National Record: 24.03 – Liu Xiang (2020)

Top 3:

1. Cheng Yujie 24.90
2. Wang Yichun 25.23
3. Wu Yue 25.81

In the women’s 50 freestyle, Cheng Yujie was within range of the 24.77 FINA A standard with her winning time of 24.90. She was 0.13 of the Olympic qualifying standard but even she had hit that time exactly, it likely wouldn’t have been enough to qualify considering that the entire podium at the most recent Olympic Trials meet in China.

There, Zhang Yufei hit a 24.32 for gold and Wu Qinfeng followed in a 24.37 to also qualify. Liu Xiang also notched a FINA A qualifying time of 24.61 for bronze.

Here at Chinese Summer Nationals, Wang Yichun and Wu Yue placed 2nd and 3rd in a 25.23 and 25.81, respectively.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Final

• Fina ‘A’ cut: 2:10.35
• Chinese National Record: 2:07.35 – Qin Haiyang (2017)

Top 3:

1. Qin Haiyang 2:10.60
2. Dong Zhihao 2:12.24
3. Yu Zongda 2:12.52

Chinese record holder Qin Haiyang delivered a gold medal performance here with a 2:10.35 which slightly trails his NR of 2:07.35 from back in 2017. That’s also a bit above the current FINA A standard of 2:10.35 but it’s faster than what he swam last month when he hit a 2:11.16 for silver at the first Trials meet.

Dong Zhihao was a 2:12.24 for the silver medal and Yu Zongda earned bronze with a 2:12.52. Zhongda also won bronze at the most recent Chinese Olympic Trials meet with a swim of 2:12.79.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – Final

• FINA ‘A’ cut: 22.01
• Chinese National Record: 21.79 – Yu Hexin (2020)

Top 3:

1. Wang Changhao 22.53
2. Pan Zhanle 22.59
3. Shen Jiahao 22.90

Wang Chanhao managed to pull off the 50 freestyle victory with a 22.53, leaving him a half-second over the 22.01 FINA A cut. Pan Zhanle and Shen Jiahao were also under 23, swimming a 22.59 and 22.90 for silver and bronze, respectively.

Those men were all in the running to claim the second available 50 freestyle Olympic spot, hoping to join Yu Hexin who swam a 21.89 to qualify at the Trials meet last month. Hexin’s gold medal time of 21.89 was actually a bit slower than his prelim swim in which he threw down a 21.83, just 0.04 off his 2020 Chinese record of 21.79.

Wang Changhao got even closer to the cut last month with his silver medal-winning swim of 22.43 and Yang Jintong took bronze there in a 22.47.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle – Fast Heat

• FINA ‘A’ cut: 15:00.99
• Chinese National Record: 14:31.02 – Sun Yang (2012)

Top 3:

1. Cheng Long 15:23.01
2. Liu Peixin 15:23.65
3. Wang Ziyang 15:27.94

To close out the meet, Cheng Long swam a 15:23.01 1500 freestyle, trailing his recent time of 15:19.85 by a few seconds, as well as the FINA A cut of 15:23.01. Long was joined on the podium by Liu Peixin with a 15:23.65 and Wang Ziyang with a 15:27.94.

Long was also just short of the 800 freestyle cut earlier in the week when he posted an 8:00.34 which was 6 seconds off the FINA A of 7:54.31. No men cracked either FINA A standard in the 800 or 1500 across both Olympic Trials meets.