China won its third straight gold medal in the pool on the first night of action from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Liu Yaxin followed in the footsteps of Wang Jianjiahe and Sun Yang to win China’s third gold medal of the night. Liu took out the 200 back with a 2:07.65 for the gold medal, missing the Games Record of 2:06.46 from Zhao Jing in 2010.
Liu will be joined on the podium by fellow Chinese swimmer Peng Xuwei (2:09.14) who won the bronze medal. The silver medalist was Natsumi Sakai of Japan at 2:08.13. She went slightly faster than what she did at Pan Pacs earlier this month.
This is China’s fourth gold medal in the 200 back at the Asian Games as Liu joins Lin Li (1990), He Cihong (1994) and Zhao (2010) as Chinese winners in the event. Liu’s time was also outside the top eight of the 2018 Virtual World Championships, which is all the finals time compiled from the three other major meets this summer.
- Liu Yaxin, CHN, 2:07.65
- Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 2:08.13
- Peng Xuwei, CHN, 2:09.14
- Sayaka Akase, JPN, 2:10.35
- Im Dasol, KOR, 2:13.66
- Wong Toto, HKG, 2:14.68
- Nurul Fitriyati, INA, 2:19.38
- Roxanne Yu, PHI, 2:21.25
2018 Virtual World Championships
- Kylie Masse, CAN, 2:05.98, Commonwealth Games
- Kathleen Baker, USA, 2:06.14, Pan Pacs
- Margherita Panziera, ITA, 2:06.18, Europeans
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 2:06.41, Pan Pacs
- Regan Smith, USA, 2:06.46, Pan Pacs
- Emily Seebohm, AUS, 2:06.82, Commonwealth Games
- Kaylee McKeown, AUS, 2:07.01, Pan Pacs
- Daria Ustinova, RUS, 2:07.12, Europeans
