Chinese swimmers dominate at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Chinese swimmers demonstrated significant dominance in several events. In the men's 800m medley relay, the Chinese team set a new Asian record of 7:00.17 to claim gold, defeating Japan, who took silver. Following the victory, Pan Zhanle declared, “From now on, the relay will be our specialty.”

Thirteen-year-old prodigy Wei Zidi also secured two gold medals, setting a new meet record in the women's 200m butterfly and an Asian record in the 200m individual medley. Despite her athletic success, Wei expressed discomfort with the intense media attention, noting the difficulty of handling interviews at her age.

In individual competition, South Korean swimmer Lee Ju-ho made history by winning the bronze medal in the men's 100m backstroke. This achievement marks the first time a South Korean swimmer has won medals in three consecutive Asian Games, following his previous podium finishes in 2018 and 2023.