China's Liu, Qin win Swimming World Cup gold in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- China claimed two gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Shanghai on Friday.

Held in a short-course format, the tournament comprises three legs - in China, South Korea and Singapore - all of which serve as qualifiers for the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest this December.

Liu Yaxin triumphed in the women's 400m freestyle with a time of three minutes and 58.45 seconds, with Li Bingjie and Tang Muhan taking second and third respectively.

"I am pleased with my time," Liu expressed. "Having five Chinese swimmers in the 400m freestyle final felt like competing with friends, which made it less pressured."

The men's 100m breaststroke saw world champion Qin Haiyang claim gold in 55.73 seconds, while his compatriot Sun Jiajun captured bronze.

In the women's 200m butterfly, 17-year-old Chen Luying earned a silver for China, clocking at a new junior world record of 2:02.71. America's Regan Smith secured gold in 2:01.85.

Olympic champion Zhang Yufei secured a silver in the women's 50m freestyle, finishing just 0.18 seconds behind the winner, Poland's Katarzyna Wasick.

China's Yu Yiting narrowly missed the women's 100m medley gold, settling for silver after a close race with Olympic champion Kate Douglass of the United States, who also won the women's 200m breaststroke.

"It's my first time swimming the 100m medley in short course, so I'm very excited," Douglass shared.

France's Olympic champion Leon Marchand dominated the men's 100m medley with a time of 50.65 seconds. Chinese veteran Wang Shun finished fourth, while Olympic 100m freestyle champion Pan Zhanle came in sixth.

"I felt great," Pan said, reflecting on his performance. "I've improved my personal best by one second."

Pan also expressed his admiration for Wang, stating, "It's my first time competing with him, and I learned a lot."

The star-studded World Cup attracted 200 swimmers, including 19 Olympic champions, and marked the first international competition for China's swimming team since the Paris Olympic Games. ■