Dong Zhihao is a Chinese Breaststroker. He broke the 200 breast World Junior Record 3 times in 2023.
Junior Swimming
2021 Chinese Summer Nationals
At just 16, Dong took bronze in the 400 IM at Summer Nationals with a 4:29.95. Then, Dong hit a 2:12.24 200 breast to net a sliver behind national record holder Qin Haiyang.
2023 Chinese Spring Championships (Qingdao, China)
Right behind Qin’s head-turning 2:07.60 200 breast, Dong clocked a 2:08.83. That time brought the World Junior Record under the 2:09 barrier for the first time ever and ranked Dong #4 in the world at that time for the season. Interestingly, Qin’s national record of 2:07.35 and the previous record of 2:08.71 also set by Qin were under the WJR but never ratified. The fastest-ever junior swim was a 2:07.01 set by Akhiro Yamaguchi in 2012. Dong also clocked a 1:00.73 100 breast.
2023 Chinese National Championship
Dong took 2nd to Qin with a near PB time of 2:09.17. Don also put up a PB of 1:00.42 in the 100 breast. The Chinese Federation selected Dong for the World Championship and Asian Games roster.
National/International Swimming
2023 World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka, Japan)
Dong relaxed through the 200 breast prelims with a 2:10.06 before clocking a new WJR with a PB swim of 2:08.47 in semis to make it back 4th. In the final, he maintained seed but dropped a further .43 seconds to a fantastic 2:08.04, another WJR.
2022(3) Asian Games (Hangzhou, China)
Dong took silver in his signature 200 breast with a 2:08.67 behind Qin’s 2:07.03 Games Record.
–This biography was originally developed by Lucas Caswell