The 2024 Chinese National Swimming Championships in Shenzhen were marked by a historic moment as 20-year-old Tang Qianting broke the first Asian Record in the women’s 100m breaststroke event. With a personal best time of 1:04.68, she surpassed her own Chinese national record of 1:05.27 set at the World Championships in Doha earlier this year and also exceeded the previous Asian Record of 1:05.19 set by Japan’s Reona Aoki at the 2022 Japanese World Championships Trials.
Tang’s split times of 29.74 for the opening and 34.94 for the closing were faster than the current world record of 1:04.13 set by American Lilly King in 2017. This new record has catapulted Tang to become the fifth-fastest swimmer in history for the women’s LCM 100m breaststroke event, making her a strong contender for the Paris 2024 Olympics along with silver medalist Yang Chang, who finished in 1:06.23, and bronze medalist Yu Jingyao, who touched in at 1:07.95.
Both Tang and Yang achieved the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 1:06.79 in the race, making them eligible for consideration for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This marks a significant milestone for China’s swimming community as they continue to push boundaries and break records on an international stage.