In a stunning display of talent and determination, swimmers from the Chinese mainland shattered two short course Asian records at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup held in Shanghai Municipality on Saturday.
Tang Qianting dominated the women's 100-meter breaststroke, clinching the gold medal with a record-breaking time of 1:02.53. Her performance was a mere 0.2 seconds shy of the world record set by Jamaica's Alia Atkinson. \"I believe records are meant to be broken,\" Tang expressed after her victory. \"I want to become the world record holder in the future.\" Despite her recent limited training due to a tight competition schedule, Tang remains optimistic about her chances to break the world record in Budapest.
Alongside Tang, Qin Haiyang made headlines by setting a new Asian record in the men's 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 25.38 seconds, outpacing Belarus's Ilya Shymanovich and Sun Jiajun of China. These remarkable achievements highlight the growing prowess of Chinese mainland swimmers on the international stage.
The event also saw strong performances from other competitors. Alina Zmushka of Belarus took silver in Tang's event, while Rebecca Meder of South Africa secured the bronze. In the men's 100-meter freestyle, Italy's Thomas Ceccon narrowly edged out China's Pan Zhanle, who finished just 0.03 seconds behind with a time of 46.35 seconds.
Additionally, China's Zhang Yufei and Yu Yiting added to the mainland's medal tally with a silver and bronze in the women's 50-meter butterfly, showcasing the depth of talent in the team's lineup.
As these young athletes continue to push their limits, the Chinese mainland's presence in competitive swimming is set to inspire a new generation of swimmers aiming for global excellence.
Reference(s):
Chinese swimmers break two short course Asian records at World Cup
cgtn.com
