Zhang Yufei Hits 25.32 50 Fly Chinese Record To Collect 3rd Bronze Of The Meet

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• LCM (50-meter format)
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Zhang Yufei took bronze in the women’s 50 butterfly at the 2022 World Championships in a Chinese record-breaking time of 25.32. Zhang undercut Lu Ying‘s time of 25.37 by just 0.05 seconds. Zhang finished 3rd in the final to Sarah Sjostrom who collected her 4th-straight title in the event with a 24.95 and Melanie Henique who put up a 25.31 for silver.

That former national record by Lu was established at the 2015 World Championships. Lu also won a bronze medal with that time back in 2015, sharing the podium with Sjostrom (24.96) and Jeanette Ottesen (25.34).

Zhang now holds the Chinese records in the 100 freestyle (52.90), 100 butterfly (55.62), and the 50 butterfly. This is Zhang’s first World Championships medal in the 50 butterfly and her third bronze medal of this meet. The Asian record in this event is a 25.11, held by Rikako Ikee of Japan from back in 2018.

Coming into this meet Zhang’s best time was a 26.03 from back in 2019. She got down to 25.39 during the prelims and then swam a 25.54 during semi-finals.

She previously took bronze in both the 100 butterfly and 200 butterflies with a 56.41 and 2:06.32, respectively. Zhang has been a bit slower at 2022 Worlds than she was at the Tokyo Olympics where she put up a 2:03.86 to win the 200 and a 55.64 to take silver in the 100.

Zhang followed up her 50 butterfly final with a semi-final swim in the 50 freestyle with less than a half-hour in between. Zhang managed to qualify for her 4th final of the meet with a 24.60 to tie Anna Hopkin of Great Britain for 5th heading into the final.