On the 16th local time, the 2024 Doha World Swimming Championships continued. In the men's 200m breaststroke final, Chinese player Dong Zhihao won the gold medal with a time of 2:07.94. He overtook five runners in the last 50 meters and staged a super reversal.
After that, in the men's 4X200m freestyle relay final, the Chinese team composed of Ji Xinjie, Wang Haoyu, Pan Zhanle and Zhang Zhanshuo also completed the reversal and won the gold medal.
Image source: Screenshot of FINA website
In this competition, the "Frog King" Qin Haiyang did not go with the team. But 18-year-old Dong Zhihao defended the honor of the Chinese men's breaststroke.
At the Fukuoka World Swimming Championships last year, Dong Zhihao won the fourth place in the men's 200-meter breaststroke, setting a world youth record.
In this competition, the youngster is still in excellent form. In the semi-finals, Dong Zhihao accelerated in the last 50 meters, overtook many competitors, and ranked second with a time of 2:09.16 to advance.
In the finals, he once again staged a super reversal.
Image source: Screenshot of FINA video
Dong Zhihao, who started in lane 5, adopted a steady following tactic in the first 100 meters and ranked sixth. At the 150m, he began to gradually accelerate and close the gap between him and his rivals.
In the last 50 meters, Dong Zhihao sprinted hard, overtaking many players in a row, and the sliding frequency improved significantly. In the last 5 meters, he rose to first place and eventually won the championship. The time of 2:07.94 also refreshed Dong Zhihao's personal best.
In the men's 200m breaststroke final of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Qin Haiyang (middle) won the gold medal and Dong Zhihao (left) won the silver medal. Photo by China News Service reporter Tang Yanjun
After standing on the top podium, Dong Zhihao bluntly said that he didn't expect to win the championship. He admits that his previous form was not the best, and this time he withstood the pressure.
"The coach told me that the fourth 50m will definitely be able to catch up, and the key is that the third 50m can't be too different in speed, so I rushed to the third 50m. He explained the performance in the game.
Talking about the Paris Olympics, Dong Zhihao said in a low-key manner that he would strive for the top eight.
After the men's 200-meter breaststroke final, the Chinese team won another gold medal in the relay field.
In the men's 4X200m freestyle relay final, the Chinese team sent Ji Xinjie, Wang Haoyu, Pan Zhanle and Zhang Zhanshuo to compete.
After the start of the game, the U.S. team took the lead. The Chinese team gradually chased from fourth place to second place, narrowing the gap with the American team.
Image source: Screenshot of FINA website
After the last batter of the Chinese team, Zhang Zhanshuo, continued to chase the American team with all his might, and kept an eye on the position of South Korea's Hwang Xuanyou, who is the first man in the world to swim in the men's 200m freestyle.
In the final 100 meters, the gap between China and the United States was only 0.27 seconds.
In the sprint stage, Zhang Zhanshuo and Huang Xuanyou both completed the overtaking of the American players, and the game evolved into two teams competing for the championship between China and South Korea.
Zhang Zhanshuo took the lead in touching the wall with an advantage of 0.1 seconds. In the end, the Chinese team won the championship with a time of 7:01.81, setting a new national record and winning the gold medal in the men's 4X200m freestyle relay world championships for the first time.
It is worth mentioning that the lineup of the South Korean team won the championship in the Hangzhou Asian Games and set a new Asian record.
"Before the game, I didn't expect to be able to beat the Korean team in its heyday. Ji Xinjie said after the game.
The picture shows Chinese players Wang Haoyu, Zhang Zhanshuo, Ji Xinjie and Pan Zhanle (from left to right) showing the gold medal. (Data map)
Poon Chin-lok, who previously broke the world record in the men's 100m freestyle, said that there was an element of luck in winning the championship, and the team still needs to work hard: "In the whole relay, I am not the fastest in the whole relay. When you go back, you still have to continue to practice, so that your teammates can be more relaxed and stress-free. ”
With the two gold medals in the men's breaststroke 200m and the men's 4X200m freestyle relay, the Chinese swimming team has won 6 gold medals at this World Championships, creating the best in history.
Congratulations to the Chinese team!
Source: China-Singapore Sports Circle, China News Network