Wang Shun, AKA “Steve,” Crushed Jacob Pebley in an IM Practice (Video)

2018 US WINTER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 28th-December 1st, 2018
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Psych Sheets
• Results
• Short Course Time Trial Info
• Live Stream
  • via nbcsports.com (A Finals)
  • via usaswimming.org (B Finals)
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheet
• Prelims/Finals at 9 am / 5 pm ET
• LCM (50m)

If you don’t know the name Wang Shun yet, it’s time to commit it to memory.

In 2016, Wang Shun won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finishing behind 4-peat gold medalist Michael Phelps and Japan’s formidable Kosuke Hagino. Later that year at the 2016 Short Course World Championships in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Wang won gold in the 200 SCM IM in a time of 1:51.74. Last summer in Budapest, Wang nabbed Bronze in the 200 IM behind Team USA’s Chase Kalisz and Japan’s Hagino, respectively, in a time of 1:56.28.

Wang is part of a highly-competitive Chinese National Team that has been spending increasingly more time training in the United States. Twice this fall, members of the Chinese National Team visited Team Elite in San Diego for training camps with some of the best from Team USA, including Jacob Pebley and Michael Chadwick.

After spending a week out of town for Nathan Adrian‘s wedding, Pebley was greeted back in San Diego with an IM workout and a new, mysterious training partner whom the Team Elite coaches only referred to as “Steve.” Steve, as it turned out, was a talented IM’er and a competitive practice swimmer. Steve was later introduced to Pebley as Wang Shun. Pebley said that Shun “crushed” Pebley, a backstroke specialist, during their introductory IM set (Shun is the Chinese National Record holder in the 200 IM and 400 IM).