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With Qin Haiyang & Pan Zhanle Magic, China Cracks New Asian Men’s Medley Relay Record

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The men’s 4x100m medley relay marked the penultimate event on this last night of competition at the 2023 World Championships and it was a thrilling battle to the wall.

Ultimately the United States collectively got there first, establishing a new Championships Record of 3:27.20. China was next in 3:29.00 while Australia surprisingly landed on the podium in 3:29.62 for bronze.

As for the Chinese quartet of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Wang Changhao and Pan Zhanle, they notched a new Asian Record en route to securing silver.

The previous Asian Record rested at the 3:29.91 the nation of Japan put up at the 2020 Olympic Games, so tonight’s Chinese squad hacked nearly one second off of that standard.

The first swimmer ever to sweep a stroke’s events at a World Championships, Qin was a game-changer in this Chinese relay, smashing a split of 57.43 on breaststroke. The 24-year-old out-split Japan’s prior record swimmer Ryuya Mura by over one and a half seconds.

Within tonight’s race, Qin’s 57.43 was the swiftest by over half a second, with the next-closest breaststroke leg represented by American Nic Fink‘s solid split of 58.03. China was in 5th place after Xu’s leadoff and Qin rocketed his nation into 2nd with his contribution.

Additionally, Pan stepped up big time for China on the final leg, ripping a split of 46.62 as one of three sub-47-second anchors in the field. Aussie Kyle Chalmers unleashed 46.89 while Great Britain’s 200m freestyle winner here Matt Richards clocked 46.93.

New Asian Record (CHN) Old Asian Record (JPN)
Xu Jiayu – 53.39 Ryosuke Irie – 53.05
Qin Haiyang – 57.43 Ryuya Mura – 58.94
Wang Changhao – 51.56 Naoki Mizunuma – 50.88
Pan Zhanle – 46.62 Katsumi Nakamura – 47.04
3:29.00 3:29.91

China’s silver here is added to their impressive haul over the past 8 days, accumulating 16 medals, including 5 golds, 3 silvers and 8 bronze.

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Andrew
1 year ago

Xu is so washed lmfao

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Whoa, he only swam a 53.39? Well to be fair, he was asked to swim twice. That’s what lack of depth will do.

Verram
1 year ago

China has had an epic meet in Fukuoka

Jasmine
1 year ago

When Xu retires, China will no longer be relevant in this, I feel. You can’t have two non-existent legs.

David S
1 year ago

China is almost the future of swimming.
They just need a butterflyer

Chris
Reply to  David S
1 year ago

lol- yea right

chip
Reply to  David S
1 year ago

Wang Changhao is training under Cui Dengrong, Zhang Yufei’s coach who turned her and Qin Haiyang around. Also there’s Chen Juner, who’s more of a 200 FL guy, but his 47 split in the 100 FR shows that he has a lot of speed. Hopefully he can translate that into the 100 FL.

David S
Reply to  chip
1 year ago

Thanks.
Paris will be very interesting

Philip Johnson
Reply to  David S
1 year ago

It was suppose to be interesting here I thought?

David S
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Every year is interesting

Jordan
Reply to  chip
1 year ago

I will put my money on Chen. Wang is too short to be a world class flyer.

Swim Alchemist
Reply to  Jordan
1 year ago

There’s lots of short butterfly swimmers (Schooling is sub 6-feet.), and Wang doesn’t even look short? He’s almost as tall as Qin Haiyang…I’d have to imagine 6’1” at least?

Jordan
Reply to  Swim Alchemist
1 year ago

Yeah you are right. All three of them Qin, Wang and Chen are 190cm. I guess I thought Chen looks taller as he is slimmer.

Jasmine
Reply to  chip
1 year ago

Is there any other backstroker out there? I can see Xu retiring after Paris, and there is gonna be another gaping hole there.

Carlo
Reply to  chip
1 year ago

When did he start training under cui Dengrong?
He needs to improve ASAP.

chip
Reply to  Carlo
1 year ago

Not sure, but he was in the Team Cui hype video this year.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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