China’s national swimming championships in Beijing produced a wave of record-breaking swims from established stars and newcomers alike: one world record, six Asian records and several national records went down. The meet also served as the selection trial for the World Aquatics Short-Course Championships, which Beijing will host December 1-6.

• Xu Jiayu was the standout. He broke the world record in the 50m backstroke with a 22.03 blast while leading off his squad's mixed medley relay. That beat South African Pieter Coetze’s mark of 22.09 set recently on World Cup Tour:
• Xu Jiayu also lowered his own Asian 100m backstroke record twice, the first in the solo and then while leading Zhejiang to an Asian record of 3:36.00 in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, the split 48.54, a touch inside the career high he clocked three days earlier.

It represents a new flowering for an 'old' star of Chinese swimming - what Xu told the Olympic Channel.

Other highlights from China s/c nationals:

• Zhang Yufei set an Asian short-course record of 54.87 seconds in the women’s 100m butterfly, her fourth gold of the event. Her earlier wins came in the 50m butterfly, the 100m medley and the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay, where Jiangsu set a national record. She said Asian records keep falling at nationals because the team’s overall standard has risen.
• Zhang Zhanshuo took his third gold with an Asian record of 7:28.61 in the men’s 800m freestyle, after earlier wins in the 400m and 1,500m.

Zhang Yufei:

Zhang Zhanshuo

In other action:

Fifteen-year-old Hu Qianhe from Hunan won the 200m breaststroke in 2:18.39 in her first short-course meet, after only a month of practice. She broke a 25-year-old national youth record and qualified for the world championships. Seventeen-year-old Sun Mingxia set a national youth record of 56.96 in the 100m backstroke.

More details:

Zhang Yufei, Zhang Zhanshuo shine as Asian records tumble in Beijing

Four Asian records fell at China's 2026 National Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing on Tuesday, with Zhang Yufei, Zhang Zhanshuo and Xu Jiayu delivering standout performances in the short-course pool.Zhang Yufei captured the women's 100m butterfly

CGTNCGTN

Meanwhile, not dar from nationals...

Pooling their knowledge: Olympic champions share life lessons 

Ye Shiwen and Wang Shun, both Olympic medley champions, of 2012 and 202one, respectively - each not without controversy attached - spoke to students at Beijing University of Technology this week as part of the Meet the Champions Lecture Series, the South China Morning Posts reports.

In summary: Rather than celebrating their medals, they talked candidly about failure, setbacks and the mental resilience elite sport demands.

Wang, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, recalled being teased as “Mr Bronze” because he kept finishing third. He told students that hitting a wall in training is no different from failing an exam or watching a project collapse, and that learning to manage negative emotions is the key to staying on course. Now competing in his thirties, he credited better sports science, a strong support team and refusing to let age define his limits. He likened an athlete’s career to an electrocardiogram, with ups and downs that are entirely normal.

Ye, who won two golds at London 2012, described the deep slump that followed her early success and how hard it was to start again from zero. She said the experience changed how she sees success. She once thought only winning proved her worth, but now believes giving everything without regret is success in itself.

The pair also led a “Champion PE Class.” Ye guided students through a tricky shoulder coordination drill, which drew plenty of laughter.

Both were optimistic about Chinese swimming’s future. Ye praised the depth of young women’s medley swimmers, including rising star Yu Zidi. Wang said the healthy competition within the squad bodes well for a sport that offers more than 30 Olympic golds.

The article in full (Tu Jiayi, China Daily – Hong Kong Edition, 29 October 2026)

Pooling their knowledge: Olympic champions share life lessons

Olympic swimming champions Wang Shun and Ye Shiwen traded the pool for the podium on Tuesday, but instead of focusing on their gold medals, they gave college students a raw and honest lesson on handling failure.

China DailyTu Jiayi

Steenbergen and Niewold Leads The Dutch To Beijing S/S Worlds

Marrit Steenbergen and Sean Niewold will lead a 15-strong Dutch team to the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Beijing, December 1-6.

The squad was selected on the strength of performances at Dutch Qualifiers in Rotterdam and, for the likes of Steenbergen and Niewold, efforts on the Silk Road World Cup tour.

The Netherlands Team:

Women

Marrit Steenbergen – 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, 50 and 100 backstroke, 100 and 200 medley
Maaike de Waard – 50 butterfly, 50 and 100 backstroke
Imani de Jong – 200 and 400 freestyle
Milou van Wijk – 50 and 100 freestyle
Tessa Giele – 50 backstroke and 100 medley
Kim Busch – 50 butterfly
Tes Schouten – 200 breaststroke
Valerie van Roon – 50 freestyle
Femke Spiering – 100 butterfly
Yara van Kalmthout – Relay

Men

Caspar Corbeau – 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke
Sean Niewold – 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 medley
Thomas Jansen – 200 and 400 metre medley
Kai van Westering – 200 backstroke
Koen de Groot – 50 breaststroke

Ryan Erisman Gets U.S. S/C Nationals Started With 7:34.84 800 free

Ryan Erisman moved up to all-time No 5 American over 800m freestyle in the 25m pool with a 7mins 34.84 personal best on the first evening of finals at U.S. Nationals at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois. The meet serves as selection trials for the World Short-Course Championships in Beijing December 1-6. Erisman won the race by 12 seconds.

The opening night also featured the women's 1500m free, which was topped by Minnesota’s Katie McCarthy, her 16:10.50 inside the B qualification time for the World Aquatics winter showcase in China.

Also in The Vortex:

• Gators Snap Up Brit Ace Matt Richards
• Jess Corones Moves On - Swimming's Loss, Football's Gain
• Open water: Can You Teach Your Brain To Swim Straight? Seems so ...

In other October Coverage:

VOICE: In a new series, SOS shares, with permission, the wisdom from the book of experience and expertise, as imparted by athletes, coaches and others who've been there and done it.

Pepper's Points Pack A Punch On The Best Of Busch & Coaching

"Frank showed me that the greatest thing we were building all those years was never a swimming career." - Seth Pepper

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• If you have suggestions or links to examples of swimming voices being used to enrich the sport of swimming, please send a note to: craig.lord@stateofswimming.com

RETURN OF THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

Coaches Boxall, Higson, MacDonald & Meiring Lead Commonwealth Team At ISL All-Stars Comeback

The International Swimming League is back, for its comeback All-Star Match in London on December 19, today marking the arrival of the first four coaches for the "Commonwealth Team" ahead of battle with USA, Europe and Team Intercontinental for 'the largest prize pool for a single night of racing'

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

SWIM FOR GOOD CAUSES

Swim Across America-Funded Cancer Research Leads to Immunotherapy Approval

Groundbreaking research at the Swim Across America Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center helps advance a treatment that could allow patients to avoid chemotherapy, radiation and surgery while preserving their quality of life, Jeni Howard, of Swim Across America, takes up the story

State Of Swimming +SOS Guest

FORUM:

Does Your World Cup Swimmeth Over Or Is Nothing Left In The Tank?

The World Cup is three years shy of its 50th birthday. Is it time for a face lift? And would you rely on any 'swimfluencer' to grow your sport? Caveat Emptor

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Time To Banish The Art Of Blazers Marking Their Own Homework

It's early days for swimming Integrity Units - there's a long way to go before the system is working as it should, it seems to many in aquatics. AQIU now has before it a submission from the Slovak swim community that makes the eyes water. What happens next will test the entire integrity ecosystem

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

NEWS:

Swim Across America-Funded Cancer Research Leads to Immunotherapy Approval

Groundbreaking research at the Swim Across America Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center helps advance a treatment that could allow patients to avoid chemotherapy, radiation and surgery while preserving their quality of life, Jeni Howard, of Swim Across America, takes up the story

State Of Swimming +SOS Guest

News - State Of Swimming +

Latest Posts. Page photo: Cate Campbell, by Patrick B. Kraemer

State Of Swimming +SOS Guest

2026 WORLD CUP

World Cup 2026 - State Of Swimming +

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

MORE WORLD RECORDS

Walsh Washes Away Another World Mark: 22.75 S/C 50 Free

When a domestic time-trial of an event in Virginia highlights the nature of a World Cup ripe for a face lift

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

World Cup 2027

Berlin, Paris, London To Host 2027 World Cup With LA2028 Selection Twist In New Olympic Sprints

Europe to host the long-course edition of the World Cup in October 2027, with incentive for sprinters to show up and make the depth of competition at the series better than its been in many years

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord