On Sept. 22, the swimming events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games brought more good news, as Qingdao swimmers Zhang Zhanshuo and Xu Fang both reached the top of the podium on the same day, adding two gold medals to China’s swimming tally.
In the afternoon, the men’s 1500m freestyle final got underway. Nineteen-year-old Qingdao swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo won the title in 14:42.42, claiming his second gold medal of the Games and helping China secure its fifth consecutive Asian Games title in the event.
Japan’s swimmer took an early lead, but Zhang refused to be drawn into his opponent’s pace and stuck to his own race strategy. He gradually closed the gap in the second half before launching a full sprint in the closing stages to overtake his rival and secure the victory, showcasing his outstanding endurance and mental strength.
It is worth noting that Zhang had also produced a dramatic comeback in the final leg of the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay the previous day, helping China win the gold medal.
Later, in the men’s 4x100m medley relay final, Qingdao swimmer Xu Fang teamed up with Xu Jiayu, Dong Zhihao and Pan Zhanle to win gold for China in 3:27.89. China successfully defended its title, securing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the event.
[Photo/Xinhua]
Swimming the butterfly leg, Xu Fang remained composed under pressure as rivals closed the gap, holding the team’s position and creating favorable conditions for Pan Zhanle to make the final-leg push.
With Zhang Zhanshuo excelling in both middle- and long-distance freestyle and Xu Fang steadily improving in the butterfly, the two Qingdao swimmers’ gold-medal performances on the same day highlight the strong results of Qingdao’s swimming talent development program.
Editor: Liu Shuo/ Wang Yulin
