Chinese swimmer Sun Jiajun made waves at China’s National Swimming Championships in Wuhan on Wednesday, setting a new Asian record in the men’s 50 meters butterfly final.
The 24-year-old, a Paris Olympics relay gold medalist, dominated the event from the outset. After breaking the national record twice in the heats and semifinals, Sun pushed himself to new heights in the final. Remarkably, he completed the entire length without taking a breath, touching the wall first in a blistering 21.96 seconds, shaving 0.01 seconds off his semifinal time.
“I knew I could do well after I broke the national record yesterday,” Sun said after his victory. “I pushed myself to the extreme yesterday and today I did improve a little bit more, but I think it’s only a matter of how long I can keep this up for.”
The championships in Wuhan also serve as a qualifying event for the year-ending short course world championships in Budapest, adding extra significance to the swimmers’ performances.
In the women’s events, Shanghai’s Tang Qianting set a new Asian record in the 100 meters breaststroke semifinals. Tang advanced to the final in first place with a time of 1 minute, 2.66 seconds, just 0.3 seconds shy of the world record.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yufei showcased her versatility and resilience. Despite taking a rest from training after the Olympics, she clinched victory in the women’s 50 meters butterfly final with a time of 25.16 seconds. She later added to her medal haul by winning the mixed 50 meters medley relay.
The outstanding performances at the championships highlight the strength and depth of China’s swimming talent as they prepare for upcoming international competitions.
