In a thrilling midweek session at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the Chinese mainland team added two silver and two bronze medals to its overall tally, showcasing depth across relays and distance events. Meanwhile, France's Leon Marchand rewrote the record books in the men's 200m individual medley.
Relay Powerhouse: The mixed 4×100m medley relay saw a Chinese mainland squad of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei and Wu Qingfeng touch the wall in 3:39.99 to claim silver. Neutral Athletes B (NAB) stunned the field with a new World Championships best of 3:37.97, while Canada took bronze. The defending champions, the USA, missed out on a finals berth altogether.
Freestyle Comeback: In the women's 200m freestyle final, Li Bingjie powered home in 1:54.52, turning the last 50 meters into a sprint finish to secure her second individual silver of the week. Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan led from the start to take gold, and the USA's Claire Weinstein landed bronze. Li reflected on her race: "I improved my personal best by more than a second. I'm quite satisfied with today's performance." She now sets her sights on the 800m freestyle.
World Record Alert: France's Leon Marchand continued his meteoric rise by setting a new world record in the men's 200m individual medley. The feat underlines his status as one of swimming's hottest talents and adds another layer of excitement as the Championships head into the home stretch.
With two more bronze medals also on the board, the Chinese mainland team is well-positioned for a strong overall finish in Singapore. Fans and rivals alike will be watching closely as the battle for podium spots intensifies in the coming days.
Reference(s):
China adds 2 silvers, Marchand sets world record at Singapore Worlds
cgtn.com
