The Chinese National Swimming Championships in Hangzhou witnessed a stellar performance by 13-year-old prodigy Yu Zidi, who claimed the women's 400 freestyle title in a remarkable lifetime best of 4:05.06. This achievement not only ranks her 13th in the world this season but also solidifies her position as the 13th all-time among Chinese women. Yu's journey to this milestone began with a personal best time of 4:10.73, set in 2024 when she was just 11 years old, which she further improved to 4:09.79 in the prelims on Thursday. The event saw the withdrawal of Asian Record holder Li Bingjie due to illness, allowing Yu to claim the victory with a time of 4:05.06. Second place went to Tang Muhan, who finished with a time of 4:06.08, and Fan Yaqi secured the bronze medal with a personal best of 4:06.74. The women's 100 freestyle also witnessed a thrilling race, with the top five finishers separated by less than half a second and the top four all within 21 one-hundredths. Despite starting in 6th place at the halfway mark, Yu Yiting powered to victory in a personal best time of 53.43, just 24 hours after breaking the Asian Record in the 200 IM. Her split times of 26.15 and 27.28 contributed to her win, lowering her best time from 53.86 in the prelims. This victory not only moves her into 12th place in the world this season but also secures her a spot on China's 4x100 free relay at the Asian Games. The men's events also showcased impressive performances, with Wang Shun claiming the 400 IM in 4:13.93, improving on his season-best, and Fei Liwei securing the men's 1500 freestyle victory in 14:55.87, inching under his season-best. The championships highlighted the rising talent in Chinese swimming, with five women ranked in the world's top 20 this season and the emergence of young swimmers like Yu Zidi and Fan Yaqi, who are setting new personal bests and challenging the established stars.
