Zhang Yufei Clocks Monster 56.47 100 Fly For Unofficial Lifetime Best

SUMMER TEST COMPETITION (CHN)

• Wednesday, July 29th – Friday, July 31st
• Shandong Province, China
• 50m (LCM)
• Day 1 Recap
• Results via Chinese app

Several Chinese national team members were in the water yesterday competing against one another in a closed competition before heading to a 3-week training camp.

A 3-day, unofficial meet is being held in Shandong Province, with the likes of Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, and Ye Shiwen getting some swimming under their belts before their National Championships in the middle of next month.

Yesterday we saw Zhang Yufei bust out a monster fly split of 56.11 to help the mixed medley relay combination of Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei and Yang Junxuan nearly unofficially beat the national record in the mixed event. The squad touched in a time of 3:40.56, just .12 shy of the 3:40.45 China put up for gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Competing in the individual 100m fly event on day 2 here in Shandong Province, Zhang was super strong once again, powering her way to a winning effort of 56.68.

Splitting 26.25/30.43, 22-year-old Zhang beat the field by nearly 2 seconds, although runner-up Wang Yichen put up a respectable time of 58.71 to represent the other swimmer under the minute mark in the final.

However, in the prelims, Zhang was even quicker, posting a morning swim of 56.47. Splits for that huge swim included 26.04/30.43 to give her the quickest time of her career.

Although Zhang’s time here is unofficial, it checks in as her lifetime best, crushing her previous PB of 57.29 from the 2017 World Championships. As such, today represents her first time ever under the 57-second threshold. Her morning outing here would have rendered Zhang as the bronze medalist in Gwangju last year, as opposed to 57.93 she registered in reality to place 13th.

Liu Zige has owned the Chinese national record in this women’s 100m fly since 2009, when she posted a 56.07 at the National Games over a decade ago. That still stands as the Asian continental record in the event, but Zhang made a major move among the all-time Asian performers, unofficially inserting herself into the 4th slot on the list.

In the men’s 100m breast, it was Sun Jiajun came out on top, touching in 59.53 for the only time under the minute barrier. Opening in 27.57 and closing in 31.96, the 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist edged out Asian record holder Yan Zibei.

Yan wound up registering at a time of 1:00.68 for silver, with Zhang Ruixuan rounding out the top 3 in 1:01.49.

For 19-year-old Sun, this performance checks-in unofficially as his first venture ever under the 1:00 threshold. In Buenos Aires at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Sun put up a time of 1:00.59 for gold.

Along with Yan and Wang Lizhuo, Sun joins the shortlist of Chinese swimmers breaking the minute barrier.

Additional Notes:

• Wang Yutian took the men’s 100m back in a time of 55.62, with World Championships gold medalist Xu Jiayu not in the race.
• The women’s 100m back saw Peng Xuwei take gold by almost 2 seconds, hitting 1:00.33.
• Ji Xinjie got it done int he men’s 400m free, with his time of 3:49.52 getting him to the top of the podium in the only mark under 3:53.