In a poignant moment at the National Summer Swimming Championships, Chinese swimmer Sun Yang won his heat in the men’s 400m freestyle with a time of 3:54.98, marking his first competitive race since serving a four-year drugs ban. Sun's performance placed him second overall in the heats, although his time was 13.2 seconds slower than the gold medal time at the recent Paris Olympics. During a tearful interview, Sun expressed gratitude to his family for their unwavering support and revealed his aspirations to compete in the LA 2028 Olympics [b6cb2e20].
Sun Yang's return to the pool has been highly anticipated, especially following his controversial past, which includes an eight-year ban due to anti-doping violations. He previously faced a three-month suspension in 2014 for testing positive for trimetazidine. His emotional interview highlighted the struggles he faced during his ban and his determination to reclaim his place in competitive swimming [b6cb2e20].
Meanwhile, the Olympic swimming competition has seen Australia making a strong start, securing two gold medals. In the men's 4x100 meters freestyle relay, the United States emerged victorious, while Germany's Lukas Maertens claimed gold in the men's 400 meters freestyle event. Ariarne Titmus of Australia triumphed in the women's 400 meters freestyle final, setting the stage for an exciting battle with Katie Ledecky. Australia also dominated the women's 400 freestyle relay, setting an Olympic record time of 3 minutes, 28.92 seconds [25dcb9fe].
In other Olympic swimming news, Katie Ledecky edged out Ariarne Titmus in the 400m freestyle heats, setting the stage for a thrilling battle for gold. Ledecky finished in 4 minutes 02.19 seconds, while Titmus touched the wall in 4:02.46. Erika Fairweather was the third quickest, followed by Summer McIntosh. Ledecky expressed excitement for the finals and mentioned her plans to swim the 800m and 1500m in Paris. Titmus denied that Ledecky's win gave her a psychological advantage [226d31d6].
Sarah Sjostrom, the Swedish swimmer, set a meet mark of 23.75 in the 50m freestyle at the 60th Settecolli International in Rome. This is her 9th sub-24 time of 2024, making her the fastest in the world. Sjostrom now holds the seven swiftest textile times in history and the best 5 ever all suits. She is heading to the Paris Olympics with the art of speedy dashes well-practiced. Only three other swimmers have gone sub-24 so far this year. Lukas Märtens topped the 200m freestyle, and there were several other winners in different events [226d31d6].
In Paris, the 2024 Olympic Games continued with more exciting events. Zheng Qinwen of China made history by winning China's first Olympic gold in singles tennis. In the women's 100m final, Sha'Carri Richardson was denied victory, while Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia took home the gold. Rhys McClenaghan won Ireland's first-ever Olympic gymnastics medal in the men's pommel horse competition. However, the highlight of the day was Katie Ledecky's ninth Olympic gold in the women's 800m freestyle final, matching Michael Phelps' record. Ledecky's victory solidifies her status as one of the greatest swimmers of all time. The United States also won gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, with China taking silver and Australia winning bronze [41ee611f].
Stephanie Au Hoi-shun, a five-time Olympian from Hong Kong, was praised by her peers for her swimming career at the Paris Olympics. Siobhan Haughey, a quadruple Olympic medallist, called Au a legend and admired her persistence and growth throughout her career. Au competed in freestyle, backstroke, medley relay, and freestyle relay events over the course of five Games. Haughey ruled out swimming in a fifth Games, stating that only Au could achieve such longevity. Au expressed her appreciation for Haughey's professionalism and emphasized the importance of following in her footsteps. Au's teammates described her as a pillar and a good friend, providing support and encouragement to younger generations. Au, who has been considering retirement since her third Games, expressed her desire for rest and to no longer wake up at 4 am for practice. She will miss representing Hong Kong and competing for her city when she finally stops swimming. Au holds city records in 50m and 100m backstroke [639b2187].
In the Olympic athletics competition, American Quincy Hall won the gold medal in the men's 400 meters final. Hall overtook Briton Matthew Hudson-Smith in the final meters of the race. Hudson-Smith was on track to win Britain's first gold in the event since Eric Liddell in the 1924 Paris Games but tied up at the end. Hall finished in a personal best time of 43.40 seconds, giving the US their first victory in the event since LaShawn Merritt in 2008. Hudson-Smith set a new European record with a time of 43.44 seconds, earning him the silver medal. Zambia's Muzala Samukonga won the bronze with a national record time of 43.74 seconds. The first five finishers all completed the race in under 44 seconds [93cdf0fa].