On the first day of the 2025 National Swimming Championships: Li Bingjie breaks the Asian record in the 400m freestyle, going under the 4-minute mark; Pan Zhanle fulfills his childhood dream by defeating Sun Yang.

The men's 400m freestyle final, which kicked off first, drew significant attention as "veteran" Sun Yang went head-to-head with "rising star" Pan Zhanle. In the end, Pan Zhanle claimed victory with a time of 3:45.34, setting a new personal best. Fei Liwei took home the silver medal at 3:45.57, while Sun Yang finished third with a time of 3:47.53.

After the race, Pan Zhanle said: "I felt quite a lot of pressure in this competition—there were some really strong opponents right beside me. But compared to the world's top athletes, I think this result isn’t very impressive, so I’ll have to keep working hard."

The world record for the men's 400-meter freestyle is2024 Paris Olympic champion,German athleteMartenes on April 14, Beijing timeAt the Stockholm Swimming OpenSwum out3:39.96，Breaking the long-standing silence in one fell swoop16The world record of the year.

3:47.53 is Sun Yang's fastest time since his comeback. The former champion is now redefining the spirit of sportsmanship in a new way—being a true champion doesn’t mean never losing; it means picking yourself up and starting again after every fall.

In the mixed zone, Sun Yang shook hands with Pan Zhanle in celebration, saying: "I'm thrilled—this result is even better than at the Spring Championships. Actually, I think it’s great to see this moment, bringing together both veterans and newcomers. It’s also exactly why Chinese swimming can continue to thrive." He added, "Watching these young athletes grow makes me happier than winning a gold medal myself," showcasing the most admirable humility of an experienced athlete.

Notably, ten years ago, 10-year-old Pan Zhanle famously declared his ambition in front of the camera: "Being faster than Sun Yang would be enough." At the time, such a childlike wish probably seemed far-fetched—after all, Sun Yang was at the peak of his career then, having already claimed two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics. His winning time of 3:40.14 in the men’s 400m freestyle ranked fourth-fastest in history.

"As I grew up, I became you—and then I surpassed you." Sun Yang and Pan Zhanle’s heartfelt embrace turned into the most beautiful and touching moment of last night.

This time at the National Championships, Pan Zhanle has entered the 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle events, putting him on track to potentially sweep all four titles. His performance in the upcoming competition is already generating plenty of excitement and anticipation.

In the women's 400m freestyle final, Li Bingjie broke the 4-minute barrier, clocking a stunning time of 3:59.99 to claim the gold medal and set a new Asian record. Her previous Asian record, which she herself had set at the 2023 National Spring Championships, stood at 4:01.08. With this remarkable achievement, Li Bingjie became just the sixth woman in history to swim the 400m freestyle under 4 minutes, joining an exclusive club that now includes Titmus (Australia), McIntosh (Canada), Ledecky (USA), Ferry-Whitaker (New Zealand), and Pellegrini (Italy).

Li Bingjie also holds the world record in the short-course 400m freestyle (3:51.30, set in 2022), the Asian record in the 1500m freestyle (15:41.80, set in 2022), and the Asian record in the long-course women’s 800m freestyle (8:13.31, set in 2023).

In the international competition, the race for the women’s 400m freestyle title was fiercely contested, with three swimmers—Ledecky, Titmus, and McIntosh—alternately breaking the world record over the past few years. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Li Bingjie clinched the bronze medal in the 400m freestyle with a personal best time of 4:01.08. However, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Li Bingjie finished ninth, clocking in at 4:03.96. Meanwhile, Ledecky secured the bronze with a time of 4:00.86, while Titmus claimed the gold in an impressive 3:57.49, and 17-year-old McIntosh took home the silver with a time of 3:58.37.

Yang Peiqi and Liu Yaxin finished second and third, respectively, with times of 4:02.53 and 4:02.57, both athletes also setting new personal bests.

The schedule for May 18 is as follows: