2023 CHINESE WORLD TRIALS
- Sunday, December 10th – Friday, December 15th
- Jinan, China
- LCM (50m)
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
- Results via Asian media
The 2023 Chinese World Trials continued today from Jinan, bringing us more significant swims from both the men’s and women’s sides.
Asian Record holder Pan Zhanle dove in for the men’s 100m freestyle, stopping the clock in a speedy 47.60 to take the gold. He hit the sole sub-48-second time of the field, relegating Ji Xinjie as the silver medalist and Wang Haoyu with the bronze. Ji posted 48.31 and Wang touched in 48.31.
As for Pan, the 19-year-old is the reigning Asian Games gold medalist in this event, courtesy of the monster 46.97 registered in Hangzhou. That performance rendered the teen as the 5th-fastest performer in history.
Pan also participated in the mixed medley relay event this evening, scoring a free split of 47.32.
Topping the relay podium, however, was the national team of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei and Yang Junxuan. Xu opened with a backstroke split of 52.94 before triple World Championships gold medalist Qin carried the speed with a 58.23 breaststroke leg. Zhang posted 58.04 on fly before Yang sealed the deal in 53.13.
Collectively, the squad hit a final time of 3:42.34, about 5 seconds off of the gold medal-winning time of 3:38.57 from this year’s World Championships. 3 of the 4 members raced on the squad in Fukuoka, with Cheng Yujie on free instead of Yang.
Olympic multi-medalist Zhang was also in the water to contest the 200m fly tonight but she lost the race by just a fingernail. Chen Luying turned in a time of 2:08.36 to eke out the victory over Zhang who touched just .02 later in 2:08.38. Yu Liyan rounded out the top 3 performers in 2:09.06.
Chen’s result checks in as a lifetime best and now ranks her as China’s 16th-best performer all-time. Zhang already ranks as the 2nd-fastest 200m flyer ever from her nation, owning a PB of 2:08.86 from when she topped the podium at the 2020 Olympic Games.
The men’s 1500m free saw Fei Liwei double up on his 800m free victory from earlier in the competition. Fei logged a gold medal-worthy 14:57.47, just 2 seconds off the 14:55.47 which garnered him gold at this year’s Asian Games.
Tonight Zhang Zhanshuo touched next in 15:03.07 while Zhao Heting also landed on the podium in 15:18.59.
Additional Notes
- Olympic champion Wang Shun scratched the men’s 200m IM, reportedly sick with the flu. In his stead, it was Zhao Liangzhou who got it done for gold. Zhao produced a time of 2:01.66 to get the edge over Huang Zhiwei who settled for silver in 2:01.80. Deng Ziqi also landed on the podium in 2:02.33 for bronze.
- Wang Letian won the women’s 50m back this evening in a time of 27.95. Chen Jie and Yu Yiting also landed on the podium with respective results of 28.18 and 28.46.
Zhang Zhanshuo’s 15:03.07 is faster than the USA 16U NAG.
Legendary NAG at that
Including morning heat swim of 47.79 Pan actually swam 3 sub 48s in the space of 10 hours.
Too bad they don’t do doping tests at these Chinese events
They do.
But you rather hide behind your ignorance.
I was curious to see the result of Pan Zhanle in the 100 free after his (low profile) 1.46.7 in the 200 free and this 47.60 is really significant about Pan’s consistency in the 100 free.
With Ji Xinjie’s 48.2, it looks like China has found their fourth leg to the 4×100 free relay
In theory it’s a pretty strong relay too, Pan Zhanle 47.0 (flat start) + Wang Haoyu 47.5 + Chen Juner 48.0 + Ji Xinjie 47.8 (?) = 3:10.3
Wang Haoyu has split 46 before.
46.97 Pan Zhanle (from WUGs)
47.74 Chen Juner (from Asian Games)
47.80 Chen Juner (approximation)
46.97 Wang Haoyu (from Worlds – yes it’s the same as Pan’s flat start)
3:09.48 Total
Ugh. Chen’s is supposed to be WUGs.
For sure Ji Xinjie is another good option for the 4×100 free relay: we’ll see his times in the 100 and 200 free at Doha Worlds
The only problem with Ji is his age (26) which is rather ancient compared to the quartet that set the Asian record in Hangzhou (two 19 and one 18/20).
How did he split 49.0 flying start in 4 med and then immediately turns around and pops a 47.6. Other than Qin, you just never know what you’re gonna get with team China
Odds are he was either sick and just recovered or he just didn’t try in the med relay because their team was so far ahead
Probably he wasn’t all-in in that 49.0 in the medley relay, because – beyond the 47.6 in the 100 free – today Pan has also swum a 47.3 split in the relay.
Honestly I don’t understand why this is even an issue. I mean you could say the same thing about the US, other than Murphy you never know what you get with team US, except even with Murphy you still don’t know what you’re gonna get. It’s obvious that the top swimmers are not taking this meet as a “competitive” meet. Many of them are swimming events that they would never compete in on the international level. There’s just no reason for Pan to kill himself going as fast as possible on these relays. He has the times to qualify for whatever meet he’s going to, Doha, Paris etc. He might go a fast time on the individual 100 to prove… Read more »