China’s National Swimming Championships showcased standout performances on Sunday as Qin Haiyang and Yu Yiting asserted their dominance in their respective events.
Qin Haiyang secured gold for Shanghai in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, delivering a commanding swim at the Shenzhen competition. Qin established a narrow lead halfway through the race, fending off a strong challenge from Jiangsu’s Dong Zhihao. Ultimately, Qin touched the wall first with a season-best time of 58.61 seconds, reaffirming his position as one of China’s premier breaststroke swimmers.
In the women’s 100-meter butterfly, Zhejiang’s Yu Yiting surged ahead at the 50-meter mark and maintained her lead to finish in 57.30 seconds. Jiangsu’s Zhang Yufei, the Olympic silver medalist from the Tokyo 2021 Games and bronze medalist at Paris 2024, closely pursued but fell short by just 0.09 seconds, settling for the silver medal.
Not stopping there, the 19-year-old Yu returned to the pool just over an hour later and captured another title in the women’s 200-meter individual medley with an impressive time of 2:08.67.
Meanwhile, Guangdong’s Chen Juner made his mark in the men’s 50-meter butterfly, powering through to gold with a swift 23.41-second finish.
The National Swimming Championships continue to highlight China’s rising talent and elite competitors as the nation prepares for upcoming international contests.