Xu Fang Breaks National Record at Chinese Swimming Championships
HANGZHOU, China — Xu Fang shattered a nine-year-old national record in the men’s 100m butterfly at the 2026 National Swimming Championships on Friday, while 13-year-old prodigy Yu Zidi set a new personal best in the women’s 400m individual medley, according to Xinhua News. The performances on Day 4 of the championships underscored the remarkable depth of talent in Chinese swimming as athletes push toward the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Record-Breaking Performance
Xu Fang, 23, from Shandong Province, clocked 50.73 seconds in the men’s 100m butterfly final at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Aquatics Center, eclipsing the previous national record of 50.96 set by Li Zhumao in 2017. The improvement of 0.23 seconds marks a significant milestone for the Qingdao-born swimmer, who is entering his competitive prime.
“This result was within expectations,” Xu told Xinhua after the race. “Recently I’ve been swimming butterfly less and freestyle more, which helped improve my butterfly.” He added with a laugh: “I’ve achieved this time in training too, but maybe the coach’s stopwatch was fast.”
Yu Zidi’s Continued Rise
In the women’s 400m individual medley, 13-year-old Yu Zidi delivered a personal best of 4:30.79, further cementing her status as one of China’s most promising young swimmers. Yu, who won gold in this event at the 2025 National Games at just 12 years old, also made history last year as the youngest medalist in World Championships swimming history, earning bronze in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
“Today I performed at my training level,” Yu said. “Before the race, the coach emphasized how to swim the backstroke and breaststroke, so I swam fairly well today.” Looking ahead to the Asian Games, she added: “I think I can’t keep looking back. My goal is still to first challenge my own best time.”
Yu’s achievements have drawn international recognition. In March 2026, she was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year, as Guangming Daily reported, becoming the youngest Chinese swimmer ever to receive such an honor.
A Showcase of Young Talent
The women’s 400m IM final was notably dominated by teenagers. Fifteen-year-olds Ke Wenxi and Chang Mohan finished second and third respectively. Ke’s perspective on the competition reflected a mature approach: “Training is more important than competition. Only with solid training can you have confidence and perform normally in competition.”
Elsewhere on Day 4, 17-year-old Li Wanwei broke the national youth record in the women’s 100m backstroke with a time of 59.17 seconds. Zhang Yufei, the Olympic gold medalist, won the women’s 100m butterfly in 56.64 seconds but expressed dissatisfaction with her time, saying she hopes to use results to prove the effectiveness of her training methods.
Zhang Zhanshuo won the men’s 200m freestyle in 1:44.98, while Tang Qianting claimed victory in the women’s 100m breaststroke with 1:05.93. The Jiangsu team took the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Asian Games Selection and Broader Implications
The National Swimming Championships serve as the official selection event for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, making strong performances here particularly significant. The depth on display — from established stars like Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun to emerging talents like Yu Zidi and Li Wanwei — suggests China will field a formidable team.
Xu Fang’s record also highlights the strength of Shandong Province’s swimming development system. Qingdao, known as China’s “Swimming Town,” has produced a steady pipeline of elite swimmers through a program established in 1960. At the 2025 National Games, Shandong won seven swimming gold medals, breaking Zhejiang’s long-standing dominance.
What’s Next
The championships continue through their full schedule, with more events expected to produce competitive performances as athletes vie for Asian Games selection. For Xu Fang, the national record marks a new benchmark, but with the Asian Games on the horizon, the focus will soon shift to international competition. Yu Zidi, meanwhile, continues to develop at a remarkable pace — her personal best in the 400m IM suggests she is on track to challenge for medals on the continental stage.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled for later this year, will provide the ultimate test of whether China’s deep talent pool can translate domestic success into international results.