Yu Zidi completes golden hat-trick in China Open Swimming Championships
The 13-year-old fights back to win 200m individual medley, while Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Shun is second on season debut
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”.