Qin sets simple target on path to the top

Chinese swimming star enjoys triumphant return to form at Spring National Championships

Chinese swimming star Qin Haiyang made a triumphant return to form at the Spring National Championships in Qingdao, Shandong province, clinching the men's 200m breaststroke title with a time of two minutes and 7.44 seconds.

The time would have placed him on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the bronze medal was won in 2:07.90 by Dutchman Caspar Corbeau. This victory marks a significant step on his journey to reclaim his peak form after a turbulent 2024.

Qin's performance in Qingdao was a pleasant surprise, even to himself. "I didn't expect this result," he admitted. "My goal was simply to swim under 2:09. Today's result is faster than my time at last year's National Championships (2:08.87). I focused on executing every detail and each 50-meter segment, rather than obsessing over the final time."