2016 CHINESE OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS
- April 3rd-10th, 2016
- Foshan, Guangdong, China
- Foshan Century Lotus Swimming & Diving Hall
- Live video
- Full results
Finals
After falling flat in the 400 IM on day 1 of the 2016 Chinese Olympic Trials, to the tune of a 7th-place finish, Olympic Champion Ye Shiwen rebounded in the 200 IM final on Wednesday to take the win in 2:12.02 – two-tenths of a second faster than Zhou Min in 2:12.21.
An apparent stomach ailment left Ye doubled-over on deck after the 400 IM falter, but this time in the 200 is two seconds better than she swam in the finals at last year’s World Championships, though not as fast as she was in the prelims and semi-finals of that meet.
While the time won’t turn many heads globally (it’s tied for 12th in the world this season), it should be enough to secure Ye’s spot on the Chinese Olympic Team and give her 4 months to turn her season around for another Olympic run.
The 200 IM was one of three individual finals held on Thursday. In the women’s 200 free, Shen Duo outbattled Qiu Yuhan by a margin of 1:55.82-1:55.84 to win, and the two now rank 5th and 6th in the world, respectively, in the event. Duo finished 6th in this event at last year’s World Championships, and while Qiu didn’t swim the event individually at Worlds last year, but led off China’s bronze-medal winning 800 free relay in 1:56.8.
China’s top 4 in that event went 1:55.82-1:55.84-1:56.46-1:57.70. That aggregates to a 5:45.82, which, without even accounting for relay starts, is only half-a-second from the time that won Team USA gold at last year’s World Championships.
The only men’s individual final of the day was the 200 fly, where Li Zhuhao from Zhejiang won in 1:55.54 to just miss his own Junior World Record time set at China’s Fall Nationals in late 2015.
He beat out his teammate Wu Yuhang (1:56.92) and Yu Ying Bao (1:56.97) for that victory, with the two Zhejiang swimmers now both in the world’s top 5 this season in an event where China has never won a men’s Olympic medal.
Semi-Finals
- In the men’s 100 free semi-finals, Ning Zetao swam 47.96 to qualify 1st to the final. Ning, the only Chinese swimmer ever under 48 seconds in this event, leads an improving Chinese sprint group that should crush the National Record in the 100 free this summer if they enter the race at the Olympics. The next three qualifiers on Wednesday were Yu He Xin (48.81), Lin Yongqing (48.96), and He Jianbin (49.39).
- In the women’s 200 fly semifinals, Zhou Yilin qualified 1st in 2:08.93, despite swimming what was overall by-far the slower of the two heats. Worlds bronze medalist Zhang Yufei was also safely through to the final in 2:09.58, but with four swimmers going under 2:10, she won’t have an easy path to Rio in Thursday’s final.
- The men’s 200 breaststroke semi-final was generally lackluster, with nobody swimming better than 2:11.6. 2015 Worlds finalist Mao Feilian swam 2:12.58 to qualify 5th for the final.
Does anyone know if all the olympic qualifiers for china are drug tested? Also, what are the qualifying standards for China? Are they just the Fina A standard?
Notice the Chinese are never a presence at meets with any international profile other than Worlds Champs and the Olympics. That way they can staying shrouded behind the curtain and dope dope dope without having to drug test, and then get off the sauce just in time for clean urine at the big games.
Michaeltran, I agree with most of your predictions.
But like you I couldn’t stand seeing Missy lose the 200 back. I still pick her for gold. She can’t lose her baby race!
I don’t see Katie Ledecky lose the 200 free.
With such big stars like Missy, Allison and Katie, USA can’t lose the 4X200 free relay. It would be a fiasco.
And I believe much in Lilly King. At least in the 100 breast. She’s the next Soni for USA. If she can manage well her taper and peak in Rio, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her win the gold. I predict a sub 1.05 for her next summer.
In the 50 free, Ranomi vs Cate
Victor P, there’s a difference between the freedom of speech and racism.
Here in France racism is not an opinion, that’s a crime.
By the way you make me laugh a little bit when we sometimes know the censure in several American movies and the puritanism in several parts of the country or in several medias. I don’t see where is freedom here. 🙂
On Facebook they are much faster to remove a photo about a nude body than to remove horrors from racists or even terrorists.
You can remark that it’s a freedom which varies according to circumstances. 🙂
And I hate American food. They are exporting obesity and cancer. No political correctness. Eat Japanese food. They live to like a hundred year old, the Japanese. OK an exaggeration but the Japanese live long.
Coach Mike….get over yourself! Because someone comment on Chinese food that you don’t like its all the sudden racism? Maybe Hank had a bad experience with some MSG. Political correctness doesn’t apply when a comment is pure sarcasm.
Surely Ning’s semifinal time deserves a bit more press? 47.96 is a legit time.
I think thats the best he can get. Lets not forget that he was already caught, so he should be happy if no one talks about him, there is nothing good to say about him. The sad thing is that he wont disappear just because people stop talking about him …
I agree with your predictions, except 50 which is more open that you side for me and that US can battle for silver on 4×100 I would say bronze at most, but if Oleksiak and Ruck evolution on 100 fly/400 free translates into 100 free too I would say the race will be Australia, Netherland and then Canada. And that not counting Sweden who just needs another leg to battle for medal.
Also I would add Sweden and Denmark on teams who could medal on 4×100 medley.
I don´t see Missy and Schmitt under 1:55, but both can be 1:55, the real question for the Chinese team is the third leg is onlt 14! Ai Yanhan 1:56:46, while she… Read more »