Chinese swimmers reflect on 3km open water knockout debut

Chinese swimmers joined in tackling the grueling and fast-paced 3km open water knockout sprint, a new World Championships event that tested their speed, strategy, and stamina.

SINGAPORE, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Tian Muran fell just one place short of advancing to the semifinals of the 3km open water knockout sprint at the World Aquatics Championships, but she walked away with a smile.

"It was exhausting, fun, and thrilling," the 27-year-old Chinese swimmer said after her heat on Saturday. "Everyone was fighting so hard for the top 10 spots at the finish."

The event, making its debut at the World Championships this year, posed a challenge even for experienced open water swimmers like Tian. She has competed on the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup circuit since 2017 but only tried the 3km knockout format for the first time last month in Portugal, where she placed sixth.

First introduced at the World Junior Open Water Championships in 2023, the 3km knockout sprint has since featured in two of the three stops on the 2025 World Cup calendar, including the Portuguese leg.

The format consists of three back-to-back races with only a 10-minute rest between rounds. Swimmers begin with a 1,500-meter heat, from which the top 10 from each group advance to a 1,000-meter semifinal. The final 10 then compete in a 500-meter sprint to decide the podium. While the total distance is only 3 kilometers, the format requires strategic pacing and precise energy management.

"I underestimated it a bit today," Tian admitted. "I tried to save some energy early on, and by the time I gave it everything, it was just a little too late." She finished 11th in her group, narrowly missing a semifinal spot.

Her teammate, Cheng Hanyu, placed 19th in the other group and did not advance either. Both had competed in the women's 5km race the previous day, finishing 15th and 32nd, respectively.

"It's a very fresh and innovative format," Cheng said. "More challenging than other events - it really tests your strength and how well you can manage your physical limits."

On the men's side, Zhang Jinhou and Lan Tianchen, who competed in all three open water events in Singapore, were eliminated in the first round of the knockout sprint.

"It was tough but very interesting," Zhang said. "This format really shows you where you stand against the top athletes."

World Aquatics promoted the event with a highlight reel, describing it as a test of "all about speed, strategy, and survival," where each round is shorter and faster, and there's "no second chance" once you fall behind. ■