15-year-old Yu Yiting had swam a big best time in the heats of the 400 IM at 4:35.94 at the China Swim Series. She is eligible for the world junior record which currently stands at 4:38.53 by Spain’s Alba Vazquez Ruiz from the 2019 Junior Worlds. Yu was a 4:37.62 in the final for her second fastest time of her career.
China has the fastest time ever by an 18 and under swimmer with Ye Shiwen’s 4:28.43 from the 2012 Olympics when she was 16, which was before FINA started recognizing world junior records. China’s Zhou Min also holds a non-ratified junior record from 2014 at 4:35.69, but she had turned 18 before January 1, 2015, which left her ineligible.
Yu put herself third in the world rankings within the last 12 months:
- 4:32.53, Melanie Margalis, USA
- 4:32.73, Kaylee McKeown, AUS
- 4:35.94, Yu Yiting, CHN
- 4:36.02, Katinka Hosszu, HUN
- 4:36.77, Sakiko Shimizu, JPN
- 4:37.54, Aimee Willmott, GBR
In the men’s 400 IM, Wang Shun swam an impressive 4:11.85 ahead of Huang Chaosheng (4:18.78) and Qin Haiyang (4:18.97), who have both experienced success on China’s national team at the international level.
Wang Jianjiahe broke the 16:00 barrier in the 1500 free at 15:59.70, which was behind Li Bingjie’s heat swim at 15:52, which improved on her best time from 2017. Wang was a 15:45 earlier in September as she enters the Olympic year as a medal favorite in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle events. In the men’s race Cheng Long touched at 15:03.39.
Xu Jiayu, the winner of the last two World titles in the 100 backstroke, won the 200 back at 1:58.53 just ahead of Wang Yutian (1:59.10) while Peng Xuwei won the women’s race at 2:08.01.
Yang Junxuan, another rising member for the Chinese national team, won the 100 freestyle at 54.13 ahead of Zhu Menghui (54.54). Yang and Xu teamed up with Yan Zibei and Zhang Yufei in the mixed medley relay to finish at 3:41.95. This was the same quartet that set the world record a few months ago for the only long course world record of 2020 in the sport of swimming.
He Junyi also won the men’s 100 freestyle at 48.57.