Qin Haiyang completed a seep of Chinese breaststroke titles with a 2:07.57 victory in the 200m on day 6 at nationals in Shenzhen.

After taking the 100m crown in the first global sub-59sec of 2025, a 58.61, and the 50m in 26.71, Qin took the lead off the blocks in the 200m and travelled more than a second faster per 50m that his nearest challenger over the last three of four lengths, his splits after the opening 50 very closely aligned, each just inside 33sec.

In terms of the World record he set at Fukuoka 2023 when thundering to the breaststroke title treble at a height of power he then fell well shy of at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last year as one of the 23-go-free swimmers caught up in the mass contamination saga, each 100m of the race was around a second slower today:

• 28.81; 1:01.77 (32.96) 1:34.69 (32.92) 2:07.57 (32.88) Shenzen 2025

His World record from 2023 for comparison:

• 28.53; 1:00.72 (32.19) 1:33.36 (32.64) 2:05.48 (32.12) Fukuoka 2023

The teammate who made the final of the 200m in Paris when Qin did not, Dong Zhihao clocked 2:09.98 for silver today, the podium completed by Yu Zongda in 2:11.99.

The session curtain-closer, the men's 4x200m free, delivered the oddity of victory from this winning Zhejiang quartet, home in 7:12.76:

Wang Shun 1:47.10
Fei Liwei 1:48.26
Sun Yang* 1:47.60
Pan Zhanle 1:49.80

In order, that's two of the China-23-go-free, a twice penalised 2012-2016 Olympic champion - China's first-ever golden Games boy in the pool - back from a four-years-three-months suspension and ineligible to reach for China in international waters under new Chinese Swimming Association rules, and the latest Chinese man to claim Olympic gold but somewhat slower than his best this day, which may well have including training sets and a lack of anything like a taper.

Teammates in domestic waters - but not when it comes to Olympic or, this July in Singapore, World-Championship waters.

In other action...

Veteran China backstroke No1 Xu Jiayu added the 2025 200m crown to his pantheon of national titles, Olympic, World and Asian prizes with a 1:57.56 victory ahead of Yu Jingming, 1:58.52, and Tao Guannan, 1:58.99.

The women's 100m free title went to Wu Qingfeng a fraction ahead of Cheng Yujie, 53.27 to 53.35, the battle for bronze won by Yu Yiting over Yang Wenwen 54.31 to 54.66.

Lyu Qinyao topped the women's 200m breaststroke final in 2:25.81 ahead of 20212 Olympic 200-400IM champion Ye Shiwen, seemingly recovered from a reported bout of possible Covid, on 2:26.37, and Qu Jianing, 2:26.48. Chiona's top breaststroke swimmer, Tang Qianting, clocked 2:31 in heats yesterday but did not take her place in semis. Covid is doing the rounds in the city, has affected others at the championships, and that may explain Tang's absence.

In semi-finals on day 6, He Junyi, Chen Hat and Pan Zhanle lined up for the centre lanes in the 50m free showdown tomorrow with respective times of 22.23, 22.25 and 22.35.

Peng Xuwei led the way into the women's 200m back final as sole sub-10er, in 2:09.21; three men under 52 topped the semi's of the men's 100m butterfly, led by Chen Juner in 51.50; and Wang Yichun led Wu Qingfeng and Zhang Yufei into the women's 50 'fly final, the three lined up in 26.08, 26.18 and 26.20 respectively.

Day 5 at Chinese Championships in Shenzhen witnessed history unfolding: when Yu Zidi - aged 12 - stopped the clock in 2:06.83 for the national 200m butterfly title, she confirmed her new status as the fastest pre-teen swimmer in history, specifically over 200m, not only on 'fly but medley and, by the close of play freestyle, too.

RESULTS IN FULL

Also in the May Vortex:

• Yu Zidi - Aged 12 - 2:06.83 In 200 'Fly: The Faster Pre-Teen All-Rounder In History
• Daniel Wiffen Tops 800 As Mare Nostrum Picks Up In Barcelona
• Third Victory In Career Best For Li Bingjie - 1:55.5 In 200 Free
• Pan Zhanle Leads China's 4x200 Construction Company In 1:45.45
• Ryan Murphy To Take Break From Racing This Summer
• Andrii Govorov Waves Farewell
• Qin Haiyang Clocks First Two Sub-59s Of 2025
• Yu Yiting, 19, & Yu Zidi, 12, on 2:08 and Extraordinary 2:10 in the 200IM
• Apostolos Siskos Cracks Greek 200 Back Mark As First Under 1:55 in 2025
• Third Para World Record In As Many Days For Aussie Alexa Leary
• Doubles for Anastasia Gorbenko & Ilya Shymanovich at Monaco Mare Nostrum
• Li Bingjie The First Asian Women's Sub-Minute 400 Free in 3:59.99
• 100-200 Double for Siobhan Haughey At Mare Nostrum Opening
• Léon Marchand's Next 'Merci France!' - 2:08 Best 200 Breast Outside Title Tests
• Alexa Leary Makes It A Brace Of World Para Records in Sydney
• Léon Marchand Returns The FFN Favour - 4:07.11, His Fastest 400IM Beyond Major Title Chases
• Léon Marchand Gets French Champs Fly Past - Responds With 4:12 Cut For Singapore Worlds Ticket In Heats At Texan Trial
• Cameron McEvoy Mastery of Consistent Dash Speed Continues Apace: 21.5 & 21.7 at Sydney Open
• Pan Vs Sun* Confined To Home Pool As China Makes Its First Olympic Swim Champion Ineligible
• Simone Manuel On Growing up In Swimming: "I didn't feel like I fit in"
• Sexual Assault Charge Added To Rape Allegation In Yannick Agnel Trial
• Irish Olympic Heroes Daniel Wiffen & Mona McSharry Lead Team Of 12 To Singapore Worlds
• Paraguayan Swimmer Expelled From Paris 2024 Hints At Comeback
• McIntosh's Endless Summer
• Dawn Fraser Talks Of Brush With Death In TV Interview
• Mary-Sophie Harvey High Five Includes Fourth Career Best At Giant Paris Open
• Ronan Wantenaar's Breakthrough
• Underpinning Parental Pride In Sean McCann's Progress in the Pool
• Marrit Steenbergen Sails Under 53 For Tenth Time For Giant Win In Paris
• Cameron McEvoy Sets Sights Cielo's 20.9 WR & Sees "No Reason" To Rule Out Brisbane 2032 At 39
• Mary-Sophie Harvey & Marrit Steenbergen At The Double in Paris
• Scotland's Never Too Late campaign sees 152% increase in adult swimming programmes
• Coach Matteo Giunta Defends Federica Pellegrini On "Zero Tolerance" Stance In Sinner Doping Case
• Great Britain Selects 20 For European U23 Championships 
• ASU Boss Says College Sports Revenue-Share Announcement Close
• Jordan Crooks Takes A Break From Racing
• Gary Hall Jr's Medals Back From The Flames
• Jon Rudd's Time In Ireland Is Done As He Heads Off To Lead Saudi Performance Program
• Lukas Märtens Makes It 200-400 Double With 1:44.25 Victory At German Nationals
• Gretchen Walsh Joins Sjöstrom In Club Of Sub-25 'Fly Dashers; Irish & Danish Marks For Ellen Walshe & Tomas Koski
• Katie Ledecky Sweeps To Her 2nd Career Fastest 400 Free - 3:56.8

IN OTHER COVERAGE:

This Week's SOS FORUM

FORUM: On The 25th Anniversary Of Flying Past Mary T, Susie O Is Back - In Aussie Armoury For Brisbane 2032

In our Thema & Timeline, we welcome Susie O’Neill to the board of the Australian Olympic Committee and mark today’s 25th anniversary of her confining Mary T Meagher’s epic 1981 World 200 ’fly record to history; plus - the first Soviet Olympic swim champion, Galina Prozumenshikova

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

A Song Of Susie O’Neill

“You couldn’t ask for a nicer, more deserving person to break your record than Susie. I really admire her perseverance. She just missed it a few times but she kept working at it and finally did it.” - Mary T Meagher, when Susie O’Neill claimed the 200 ’fly WR after 19 Years

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Related... From the Archive:

Almost 20 Year On: What The 200 ’Fly At Sydney 2000 Really Meant To Susie O’Neill

“I felt like this was my race, home crowd and to come second for me is failure.” - Susie O’Neill, 19 years after silver as defending 200m champion in the Sydney 2000 ’fly final

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord