China’s Li Bingjie won her first title of the weekend in the 200 free with a 1:56.74 on Wednesday night in Jakarta. Li went 1-2 with teammate Yang Junxuan who got the silver with a 1:57.48, just ahead of Japan’s Chihiro Igarashi (1:57.49).
Li and Yang are both 16-years-old and big stars in the making for China. Li is already a star as she is coming off a summer where she won three medals at the 2017 World Championships. Her 2018 campaign has not been as strong but she was able to win gold in the 200 free, an off event, and place just outside the top eight in the Virtual World Championships with her time.
Li also continued China’s streak in this event as the Chinese have now won seven of the last eight Asian Games gold medals in the 200 free. Li joins the likes of Zhuang Yong (1990), Le Ying (1994), Yang Yu (2002), Pang Jiaying (2006), Zhu Qianwei (2010) and Shen Duo (2014) as Chinese winners in this event.
Japan’s Yui Ohashi (2:00.29), Thailand’s Natthanan Junkrajang (2:01.67), Hong Kong’s Camille Cheng (2:01.95), Thailand’s Kornkarnjana Sapianchai (2:01.96) and the Philippine’s Jasmine Alkhaldi (2:03.24) also swam in the final.
- Li Bingjie, CHN, 1:56.74
- Yang Junxuan, CHN, 1:57.48
- Chihiro Igarashi, JPN, 1:57.49
- Yui Ohashi, JPN, 2:00.29
- Natthanan Junkrajang, THA, 2:01.67
- Camille Cheng, HKG, 2:01.95
- Kornkarnjana Sapianchai, THA, 2:01.96
- Jasmine Alkhaldi, PHI, 2:03.24
2018 Virtual World Championships
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 1:54.44, Pan Pacs
- Ariarne Titmus, AUS, 1:54.85, Commonwealth Games
- Rikako Ikee, JPN, 1:54.85, Pan Pacs
- Charlotte Bonnet, FRA, 1:54.95, Europeans
- Katie Ledecky, USA, 1:55.15, Pan Pacs
- Emma McKeon, AUS, 1:56.26, Commonwealth Games
- Allison Schmitt, USA, 1:56.71, Pan Pacs
- Femke Heemskerk, NED, 1:56.72, Europeans
