China's national swimming championships conclude in Shenzhen

China's national swimming championships concluded on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

The nine-day tournament simulated the schedule of the Paris Olympics, which is taking place in three months. The results will be factored in along with the results from the most recent two editions of the World Championships for the final Olympic roster of Team China.

During the nine days, the Asian record of the women's 100m breaststroke was refreshed twice by Tang Qianting and set at 1:04.39. A national record was also set by Yang Junxuan in the women's 100m freestyle when she bested Zhang Yufei's old record from four years ago with 52.68 seconds.

Pan Zhanle, 19, won the most titles – seven in total, including four as an individual and three from team events. He broke the 47s deadlock in the men's 100m freestyle final, clocking 46.97 seconds, which made him one of only two swimmers to have managed to consecutively finish within 47s, the other being Romanian David Popovici, who is also 19 years old.

Pan won the Hangzhou Asian Games with 46.97 seconds to become the first Asian swimmer to break the mark. He then set a world record of 46.80 seconds in the men's 4x100m medley relay at the World Championships in Doha in February this year, beating Popovici's previous record of 46.86 seconds.

While Pan achieved a three-peat in the past seven months, Popovici finished within the 47s mark twice two years ago during the European championships.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion Zhang Yufei won a total of five golds and one silver. Another Olympic champion Ye Shiwen, who won two golds in London, qualified for the Olympics after an eight-year wait after underperforming in Rio and failing to qualify for Tokyo.

(Cover: Zhang Yufei competes in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at China's national swimming championships in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, April 26, 2024. /CFP)