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Stephy Zhang

Olympic gold medallist Wang Shun had to settle for silver in the 200 metres individual medley on his 2026 season debut, while the 13-year-old sensation Yu Zidi staged a stunning comeback for her third triumph of the China Open Swimming Championships on Sunday.
The only athlete born in the 1990s who competed in his final, the 32-year-old Wang qualified fastest in his group from the morning heats.
He began the final strongly but faded towards the end and was overtaken by the talented 21-year-old Australian William Petric, who won in one minute and 57.53 seconds.
Wang clocked 1:58.57 to take silver, while countryman Xie Yichen claimed bronze in 1:58.74.
The 200m medley champion from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Wang said he had felt “dazed” in the call room, but that it had felt “real and great” to be back competing. Wang last raced at November’s National Games, where he signed off with 400m IM gold.
“More than four months have passed since then … I am fortunate I could focus on doing one thing well,” he said. “When you look back, you realise you have covered so much ground and faced so many difficulties. It is precisely these experiences that make me feel exceptionally fulfilled”.
Reflecting on life since the Games, Wang noted that a non-competitive lifestyle did not suit him. “I am participating in this competition to force myself back into training, using it as a starting point leading towards the [2026] Asian Games,” he said.
In the women’s 200m individual medley, Yu overcame a large deficit during the final 50-metre freestyle leg to edge teammate Yu Yiting by 0.08 seconds and complete her hat-trick of golds in 2:09.01.
The US’s Alex Walsh claimed bronze in 2:10.90.
Yu modestly said she “might still be lacking in certain strokes”, calling her butterfly and breaststroke “somewhat slow”.
She competed in five events across the four-day championships, and also secured gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley.
Elsewhere, Zhang Yufei finished fifth in the women’s 50m butterfly final in 25.95. Americans Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass took gold and silver in 25.12 and 25.34, respectively, while China’s Yu Yiting and Wang Yichun tied for third in 25.94.
Zhang had secured bronze in the 100m butterfly the previous day.


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The 13-year-old fights back to win 200m individual medley, while Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Shun is second on season debut


The 13-year-old fights back to win 200m individual medley, while Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Shun is second on season debut.


Yu Zidi

Zhang Yufei

Wang Shun

Yu Zidi completes golden hat-trick in China Open Swimming Championships

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 13-year-old fights back to win 200m individual medley, while Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Shun is second on season debut

The 13-year-old fights back to win 200m individual medley, while Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Shun is second on season debut