A Historic Performance in Nagoya

On the concluding day of the swimming competition in Nagoya, Japan, Chinese freestyle swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo achieved a remarkable milestone by securing his seventh gold medal of the Asian Games. Zhang triumphed in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing with a time of 3 minutes and 41.28 seconds.

His impressive performance landed him just 1.30 seconds shy of the world record currently held by Germany’s Lukas Martens, who clocked 3:39.98. Throughout the week, Zhang also secured victories in the 200, 800, and 1,500-meter freestyle events, as well as three relay golds. Following his final victory, the swimmer celebrated poolside, counting his seven medals on his fingers.


China’s Dominance in the Pool

The Chinese team delivered a historic showing, securing a record-breaking 30 gold medals and 54 total medals over the six-day event, comfortably surpassing the 28 gold medals they achieved three years ago in Hangzhou. Japan also improved upon its previous figures, finishing with seven gold medals and a total of 37 podium finishes.

Among the highlights for Japan was 17-year-old Shin Ohashi, who achieved the only world record of the games. On Thursday, Ohashi completed the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:04.83, shattering the previous record of 2:05.48 held by China’s Qin Haiyang.


Rising Stars and Future Prospects

Much of the pre-competition focus was on China’s 13-year-old prodigy, Yu Zidi, who lived up to the high expectations. Yu claimed gold in three events: the 200-meter butterfly, as well as the 200 and 400-meter individual medleys.

While her performance in the 200 IM (2:06.10) was slightly behind the world-record pace set by Canada's Summer McIntosh (2:05.70), Yu has established herself as a significant contender for upcoming major international competitions, including next year's world championships and the 2028 Olympics, where the field will include powerhouses such as the United States and Australia.


Closing Highlights

The final day saw China secure five out of seven available gold medals, maintaining the momentum they established throughout the week. Key results included:

  • Zhang Yufei: Won the women's 50 fly (25.41), with teammate Wu Qingfeng securing silver.
  • Qin Haiyang: Claimed gold in the 50 breaststroke (26.68), while Ohashi took the bronze.
  • Li Bingjie: Took top honors in the 800 free (8:24.02).
  • Women's 4x100 medley relay: Team China secured victory with a time of 3:54.55.

Other international successes included Japan's Kodai Nishiono winning the men's 200 backstroke (1:56.42) and Taiwan’s Wang Kuan-hung taking gold in the 200 fly (1:55.05).