Chinese Nationals: Day 1

W50m breaststroke

Reigning champion and Asian record holder Chen Huijia (30.46) from Zhejiang (same as Luo Xuejuan) won the event easily. Another rising star from Navy after Qi Hui, Zhang Hongtao was 2nd and 1:07 swimmer in 100m breaststrok, Liu Xiaoyu took bronze. Surprisingly, Shanghai beauty, Ji Liping, who normally does well in the sprinting, was not in the top 3. Not sure if she is in the race.

Ji Liping (Shanghai)

1. Chen Huijia (Zhejiang) 31.21


2. Zhang Hongtao (Navy) 31.68 (31.47p)


3. Liu Xianyu (Liaoning) 31.76





M200m free


Undoubtly, Zhang Lin is unchallenged in China. Jiang Haiqi regains his momentum to place 2nd after losing out the podium in the national games. Zhang Enjian, also gradually regains his peak 1:48 form from 2007 and took 3rd.





1. Zhang Lin (Beijing) 1:47.54 (1:49.26p)


2. Jiang Haiqi (Shanghai) 1:49.25 (1:51.26p)


3. Zhang Enjian (Tianjin) 1:49.61 (1:51.20p)





M100m back


Almost a repeat of the podium positions from last year meet. Reigning champion, Cheng Feiyi who won at 54.99 last year, captured the title again at 55.24. Asian champion in this event, He Jianbin, placed 3rd. Diao Jigong, 200m back champion last year, took 2nd.





1. Cheng Feiyi (Liaoning) 55.24


2. Diao Jigong (Navy) 55.39


3. He Jianbin (Guangdong) 55.67

Huang Liang (Navy) 56.15p




M100m breaststroke


NR holder Zhang Guoying (1:01.15 in 2009) and 1:01.2 swimmer Wang Shuai once again had another clash after a series of head-to-head competitions last year (World championships, national games, East Asian Games and Asian Championships) and Wang won by 0.17s this time. Lai Zhongjian, a 2004 Olympic and world championship semifinalist and a former 200m breaststroke NR holder, took 3rd with a pb of 1:02.02.





1. Wang Shuai (Beijing) 1:01.77


2. Zhang Guoying (Guangdong) 1:01.94


3. Lai Zhongjian (Navy/Guangxi) 1:02.02 (1:02.14p)





W200m fly


There seems to be no effect on Jiao Liuyang after the plastic suit took off when she won her pet event at 2:5.46, similar to what she did last year. Liu Zige was not in the race. National Games 3rd placer, Gong Jie, who trains with Jiao in the same team, got 2nd and Hebei's Ha Sinan also performed consistently and did a fine time of 2:9.55. After the race, Jiao said her body is not considered "a very heavy type" so the plastic suit would not do much effect on her.





1. Jiao Liuyang (Guangzhou army/Heilongjiang) 2:5.46 (2:11.91p)


2. Gong Jie (Guangzhou army) 2:8.12 (2:10.24p)


3. Ha Sinan (Hebei) 2:9.55

4. Deng Biying (Hubei) 2:9.73





M100m fly


Zhou Jiawei pulled out last year due to a back injury but won today at a fine 52.61, compared with NR at 51.24 last year. This could be his last season of his career. He wants to qualify for Asian Games which holds in his home province, Guangdong. 200m fly specialist, Chen Yin, also a world championships finalist in 2007, placed 2nd and National Game 3rd placer in 200m fly, Chen Weiwu, was third. 2008 Olympic semifinalist, Shi Feng, only took 6th.





1. Zhou Jiawei (Guangdong) 52.61


2. Chen Yin (Hebei) 53.44


3. Chen Weiwu (Shandong) 53.66


6. Shi Feng (Shanghai) 54.33

Sun Bowei (Henan) 54.24p



W400m IM


Asian record holder, 16-year-old, Li Xuanxu, is still in the top form who won at 4:34.59, faster than the former non-plastic suit Area record set by Chen Yan in 1997 (4:34.79). Having been a double Olympic finalist in 2008 (400m IM and 800m free), Li has been a consistent sub 4-40 swimmer since 2007 but she had only raced in 2 international meets so far (Olympics 2008 and Japan Open 2007). The level of competition is really high this time when all top 3 swam below 4:38. Zhejiang seems to do much better in the IM events with 2 swimmers in the top 3.





1. Li Xuanxu (Hunan) 4:34.59


2. Zheng Rongrong (Zhejiang) 4:37.68


3. Ye Shiwen (Zhejiang) 4:37.97 (4:42.03p)





W100m back


A repeat of medalists from National Game but the champion switched to Gao Chang who scored a sizzling 55.6-55.7 in shortcourse in Japan open earlier in Feb. Zhao Jing, Asian record holder at 58.96, just had an nasal operation not very long ago. It is expected not to have a fast time in this meet since she is in the midst of recovering. Zhou Yanxin, also a sub 1:00 swimmer, was a distant 3rd.





1. Gao Chang (Shandong) 59.69


2. Zhao Jing (Hubei) 1:00.06 (1:1.46p)


3. Zhou Yanxin (Shanghai) 1:00.98





W4x200m free

After retirement of Xu Yanwei and Zhu Yingwen, both core members in the national team over years, Shanghai 4x200m team does not seem to be affected much with new blood like Tang Yi and Zhu Qianwei who are already at 1:56-1:57 and veteran Pang, Asian holder at 1:55.05.
1. Shanghai (Tang Yi, Lu Ying, Zhu Qianwei, Pang Jiaying) 8:01.88


2. Shandong 8:03.90


3. Beijing 8:05.50





M4x100m free


1. Guangdong 3:21.71


2. Jiangsu 3:24.43


3. Zhejiang 3:24.50

Chinese spring national championshipps postponed til tomorrow

Chinese Spring nationals ("National champion meet") will only start tomorrow due to today's natiaonal mourning for the Apr 14 Earthquake in Yushu, Qinghai province. No entertainment events are allowed today. Furthermore, the competition schedule will be shortened and Olympic champion, Liu Zige won't be competiting, according to her coach, Jin Wei who accompanied his another swimmer, Shi Feng, the fly specialist, in Shaoxing for the meet. Liu is currently training in Shanhai gate (Near Great wall area). She and her coach donated RMB200,000 for the earthquake relief. Double world silver medalist, Wu Peng, is currently training in the US and won' t be here.

There will still be a stardom in these competitions including Zhang Lin (world champion in men's 800m free), Zhao Jing (world champion in women's 50m back), Jiao Liuyang (Olympic silver medalist in women's 200m fly), Gao Chang (World championships bronze medalist in women's 50m back) and Zhou Jiawei (men's 50m fly Asian record holder). By the way, Qi Hui, former women's 200m breaststroke WR holder finally made her decision to retire after a long career of 12 years since 1998 Asian Games. Yang Yu, a triple LC world champ. medalist in women's 200m free and a two-time SC world champion in 200m free, also moved on after National Games but Olympic bronze medalist, Pang Jiaying, who is at the same age as Yang, will still stay in the pool for another Olympic cycle. Another notable retiree includes 29-year-old veteran swimmer, Zhu Yingwen, 2005 World bronze medalist in women's 50m free. She has been suffering from the hip dislocation throughout her career and one time she needed to snap her hip back in the midst of the race. Hope all these great swimmers have great futures.

Zhang Lin had a good meet in Queensland winter SC

A group of swimmers including Olympic silver medalist, Zhang Lin, Xin Tong, Zhang Yu and Ren Chen were competiting in Queensland winter SC meet on Jun 20-21. Zhang won his pet events 200 (1:45.40) and 400m free (3:44. 77) in which were followed by his teammate Ren Chen (1:47.08 and 3:48.09), from Hebei province, if I am not wrong. Ren is the finalist of 1500m free in Word SC championships in 2006. Zhang Yu, backstroke specialist, has not shown the convincible form to compete in WC when he finished second in 200m back with 1:58.90. Xin Tong, shadowed by Zhang in Beijing team finished 1:49.46 in 200m free.