Shijiazhuang Day 3: Wang Shun, Xu Jiayu Double Up For Gold

CHINESE LONG COURSE INVITATIONAL

• Thursday, December 31st – Sunday, January 3rd
• Shijiazhuang City, China
• LCM (50m)
• SwimSwam Preview
• Prelims #1 Recap/Finals #1 Recap
• Prelims #2 Recap/Finals #2 Recap
• Prelims #3 Recap
• Results via Asian Media

The first of two newly-introduced high-level Chinese domestic swimming competitions wrapped up tonight in Shijiazhuang City. Swimmers to the tune of Xu Jiayu, Zhang Yufei, and Wang Shun have been putting up some impressive swims, with the majority also then headed to the second meet slated for Guangzhou from March 4th to March 7th.

Only the top 16 athletes in each individual event at the 2020 National Swimming Championships have been formally invited, along with additional wild card spots for other national swimming team and national swimming training camp athletes. Wild card athletes must have participated in events hosted by the China Swimming Association after January 1, 2019.

As a reminder, prelims are taking place in the evening while finals are slated for each morning session, giving athletes a taste of the timing that will be place come the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games this July.

While competing in the women’s 1500m freestyle’s slower heats last night, 18-year-old Li Bingjie busted out the fastest time of her life. Stopping the clock in a time of 15:52.31, her outing here shaved just over half a second off of her previous PB of 15:52.87. That result was posted over 3 years ago.

Her time was enough to hang on for gold, as the finals’ session fastest heat was won by Wang Jianjiahe in 15:59.70. Wang has already been as fast as 15:45.59, a mark she produced last September to easily top the world rankings. Li is now situated behind Wang as teh world’s 2nd fastest swimmer this season.

Additionally, Bingjie’s 15:52.31 time here from last night keeps her positioned as China’s 2nd fastest performer all-time, sitting only behind national record holder Wang Jianjiahe (15:45.59). Her time now slides into the all-time performance rankings within China in slot #5.

All-Time Chinese Women’s 1500 Freestyle Performances:

1. 15:45.59 – Wang Jianjiahe, 2020
2. 15:46.69 – Wang Jianjiahe, 2019
3. 15:49.85 – Wang Jianjiahe, 2019
4. 15:51.00 – Wang Jianjiahe, 2019
5. 15:52.31 – Li Bingjie, 2020

Just one male swimmer got under 49 seconds in the 100m freestyle, with He Junyi grabbing gold in 48.57. That podiu-topping effort sliced .18 off of the 48.75 he logged last night to snag the top seed. Historically, He already represents China’s 2nd fastest performer with his personal best of 48.10 logged at the 2019 Chinese Spring Championships.

Yang Junxuan was the winner of the women’s 100m free race, doubling up on her 200m free victory from earlier in the meet. After posting a top-seeded time of 54.38, the 18-year-old dropped down to 54.13 to clear the field by just under half a second.

Zhu Menghui came into the wall in 54.54 for silver, while Zhang Yifan rounded out the top 3 in 55.00.

For Yang, the teen’s PB rests at the 53.45 in this event from last September’s Chinese National Championships, so this morning’s time fell within a second of that milestone.

China’s 2nd fastest 200m backstroke performer of all-time, Peng Xuwei, logged a winning time of 2:08.01 to beat the field tonight in the women’s race. Her time here checks-in as China’s 9th fastest performance all-time, as well as the 4th fastest time of Peng’s career.

Peng’s lifetime best of 2:06.55 from 2017 sits only behind national record holder Zhao Jing’s 2:06.46 from 2010 in the all-time national rankings. Her time here now ranks her as the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world this season.

Olympic medalist and 2019 world champion in the 100m back Xu Jiayu got it done in the longer event of the discipline this morning. He stopped the clock in a time of 1:58.53, which is well of his season-best of 1:55.26 from last September, but enough to hold off Wang Yutian who finished in 1:59.10. the pair represented the only men under 2:00 in the race.

Producing a time of 15:03.39 to take the men’s 1500m freestyle, Cheng Long now inserts himself into the season’s world rankings in slot #7.

Entering this meet, the open water ace’s lifetime best was repressed by the 15:10.80 he logged in March of last year. Flash forward to tonight, however, and after hacking over 7 seconds off of that PB, Cheng now checks-in as China’s 7th fastest performer all-time.

Chinese Men’s LCM 1500 Freestyle Top Performers All-Time

1. Sun Yang – 14:31.02 WR, 2012
2. Zhang Lin – 14:45.84, 2008
3. Wang Shun – 14:56.92, 2011
4. Qiu Ziao – 14:58.34, 2016
5. Hao Yun – 14:58.44, 2012
6. Ji Xinjie – 15:03.38, 2019
7. Cheng Long – 15:03.39, 2020

National record holder Wang Shun swept the IM events, doubling up on his 200m IM victory from earlier with a win in this 400m IM this morning. He earned a gold medal-worthy outing of 4:11.85, just under 3 seconds outside his lifetime best of 4:09.10 from 2013.

Wang’s time nearly matched his previous season-best of 4:11.89 from last September, keeping him positioned as the #2 swimmer in the world so far this season.

At just 15 years of age, Yu Yiting produced a winning mark of 4:37.62 to grab the gold in the women’s 400m IM. However, she logged an even more impressive time of 4:35.94 last night in the prelims to establish a new World Junior Record in the event.

Although splits are not available at the time of publishing, Yu’s 4:35.94 from last night overtakes the reigning World Junior Record of 4:38.53 Spain’s Alba Vazquez Ruiz threw down en route to taking the World Junior title last year in Budapest.

Yu’s time here in Shijiazhuang now renders the young athlete not only as the newly-minted World Junior Record holder but also as China’s 5th fastest performer to date. You can read more about her groundbreaking swim here.

China’s All-Time Women’s 400m IM Performers

1. Ye Shiwen – 4:28.43 WR, 2012
2. Zheng Rongrong – 4:32.20, 2012
3. Li Xuanxu – 4:32.91, 2012
4. Zhou Min – 4:33.50, 2013
5. Yu Yiting – 4:35.94, 2020
6. Chen Yan – 4:36.66, 1998
7. Li Lin – 4:36.73, 1992