On Day 8 of the 2025 National Swimming Championships: Wang Shun breaks the meet record in the 400m individual medley, while Yu Zidi claims the gold; Pan Zhanle secures his 9th gold medal.

On May 24, the 8-day-long 2025 National Swimming Championships concluded at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center Swimming Pool, with finals held for eight events that day.

In the men's 50-meter backstroke final, Xu Jiayu clinched the gold medal with a time of 24.46 seconds, while Wang Gukai took home the silver with 24.99 seconds, and Wang Zicheng secured bronze in 25.01 seconds. All three swimmers not only claimed their respective medals but also met the World Championships A-standard time of 25.11 seconds.

In the women's 50-meter breaststroke final, Tang Qianting clinched the gold medal with a time of 30.23 seconds, becoming the only swimmer in the entire field to meet the World Championships A-standard (30.75). Yang Chang secured the silver medal at 31.07 seconds, while Yu Jingyao took home the bronze with a time of 31.30 seconds. Notably, Tang Qianting set a new Asian record of 29.51 seconds at the 2024 Doha World Championships. The existing world record, 29.16 seconds, was set by Lithuanian star Rūta Meilutytė at the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships. During the preliminary rounds, both Tang Qianting and Yang Chang had already achieved the World Championships A-standard, and they repeated that feat again in the semifinals. According to the selection criteria, Tang Qianting has earned her spot at the World Championships, while the second berth remains undecided. Earlier in the competition, Tang Qianting consistently broke meet records in both the preliminaries and semifinals, showcasing exceptional form and confidence.

In the men's 1500m freestyle final, Shandong swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo claimed the gold medal with a time of 15:02.62, while Zhao Youting finished second in 15:05.16, and Zhao Zihao took bronze in 15:08.22. Notably, none of the three athletes managed to meet the World Championships A-standard time of 15:01.86. The previous world record—and current Asian record—was set by Sun Yang at the 2012 London Olympics, clocking in at an impressive 14:31.02. However, this mark was broken at the 2024 Paris Olympics by American swimmer Fink, who posted a time of 14:30.67.

In the women's 50m freestyle final, Wu Qingfeng clinched the gold medal with a stunning time of 24.18 seconds, breaking the meet record of 24.20 seconds previously held by Liu Xiang. Cheng Yujie finished second in 24.33 seconds, while Zhang Yufei took bronze in 25.02 seconds. Notably, both Wu Qingfeng and Cheng Yujie met the World Championships A standard (24.86).

In the men's 400m individual medley final, Wang Shun clinched the gold medal with a stunning time of 4:10.64, breaking the meet record in the process. Zhang Zhanshuo, who earlier won gold in the 1500m freestyle final, secured the silver medal with a personal best of 4:11.86, while Xie Yichen finished third in 4:18.73.

In the women's 400m individual medley final, 12-year-old Yu Zidi claimed victory with a time of 4:35.53, clinching her second personal title and earning three spots for the World Championships. Meanwhile, 14-year-old dark horse Chang Mohan also showcased remarkable talent, finishing second with a stunning performance of 4:37.33. Li Bingjie made significant progress in her secondary event, delivering a strong swim to secure third place at 4:38.66. All three athletes not only broke their personal bests but also met the A-standard qualifying time for the World Championships.

Yu Zidi previously claimed the silver medal in the 200m individual medley and the gold in the 200m butterfly. Her remarkable, age-defying performances have drawn widespread attention, earning her the nickname "Little Sister." She also became the youngest Chinese swimmer in history to qualify for the World Championships.

In the men's 4x100m medley relay final, the Zhejiang team—consisting of Xu JiaYu, Dong Yifan, Shen Jiahao, and Pan Zhanle—claimed victory with a time of 3:34.66. The Hubei team finished second in 3:36.39, while Shandong took home the bronze medal with a time of 3:36.71. This also marks Pan Zhanle's ninth gold medal of the tournament.

In this competition, Pan Zhanle participated in a total of 9 events, winning gold in all of them. He secured spots on the World Championships roster for the men’s 100m and 200m freestyle, as well as the 400m freestyle. Additionally, he met the B standard in the 50m freestyle, earning him another berth since no other swimmer achieved the A standard. However, perhaps due to juggling too many events simultaneously—and compounded by a cold—Pan Zhanle failed to break through with his individual performances. In particular, he consistently struggled to dip below 47 seconds in the 100m freestyle across all his races.

Xu JiaYu, Dong Yifan, Shen Jiahao, and Pan Zhanle (from left to right) at the award ceremony

In the women's 4x100m medley relay final, the Zhejiang team—comprising Qian Xinan, Ye Shiwen, Yu Yiting, and Wu Qingfeng—claimed the gold medal with a time of 3:58.54.Shanghai team finished second with a time of 4:02.07, while Hubei team took third place at 4:02.38.