China’s Wang Jianjiahe won her second gold medal of the 2018 Asian Games with a new Games Record in the 800 free with an 8:18.55. Wang earlier won the 1500 free gold medal in a very tight battle with teammate Li Bingjie. It was expected to be another tight battle with those two but Li was well off pace and swam an 8:28.14 for the silver medal.
Li’s time would not put her in the Virtual Worlds top eight, just a year removed from getting the silver medal in the 800 at the 2017 World Championships. If Li can get back to her 2017 form, China has a solid 1-2 punch with Wang and Li as both are just 16-years-old.
Japan’s Waka Kobori (8:30.65) won the bronze medal, dropping a second from her time at Pan Pacs earlier this month.
Wang broke the Games Record that had stood since 2010 at 8:23.55 by China’s Li Xuanxu. China now has eight gold medals in the 800 as Wang joins the likes of Yan Ming (1986, 1990), Luo Ping (1994), Chen Hua (1998, 2002), Li Xuanxu (2010) and Rose Bi (2014) as winners of the event for the Chinese.
Japan’s Yukimi Moriyama (8:40.71), Singapore’s Ching Gan (8:47.07), Korea’s Han Dakyung (8:48.38), Hong Kong’s Ho Nam Wai (8:53.16) and Thailand’s Ammiga Himathongkom (8:53.47) also placed in the top eight.
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 8:18.55, Games Record
- Li Bingjie, CHN, 8:28.14
- Waka Kobori, JPN, 8:30.65
- Yukimi Moriyama, JPN, 8:40.71
- Ching Gan, SGP, 8:47.07
- Han Dakyung, KOR, 8:48.38
- Ho Nam Wai, HKG, 8:53.16
- Ammiga Himathongkom, THA, 8:53.47
2018 Virtual World Championships
- Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:09.13, Pan Pacs
- Simona Quadarella, ITA, 8:16.45, Europeans
- Ariarne Titmus, AUS, 8:17.07, Pan Pacs
- Leah Smith, USA, 8:17.21, Pan Pacs
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 8:18.55, Asian Games
- Ajna Kesely, HUN, 8:22.01, Europeans
- Anna Egorova, RUS, 8:24.71, Europeans
- Kiah Melverton, AUS, 8:25.64, Pan Pacs
Congratulations