Qingdao Daily/Guanhai News, November 15th - Tonight, in the final of the men's 4x200m freestyle relay at the 15th National Games, Zhang Zhanshuo, swimming the anchor leg, completed a stunning comeback to lead the Shandong team to victory over the traditional powerhouse, Zhejiang team. They clinched the championship with a time of 7:05.36, earning Zhang his fourth gold medal of these games.

Zhejiang swimming has long dominated the domestic scene. However, at this year's National Games, with the rise of young talents from Qingdao such as Zhang Zhanshuo, Xu Fang, and Liu Peixin, the Shandong team has emerged as a serious challenger to Zhejiang's supremacy. In the earlier men's 200m freestyle final, apart from Hubei's Xu Haibo, swimmers from the two powerhouses of Shandong and Zhejiang claimed the remaining seven spots.

In this morning's heats for the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, Zhejiang fielded a full reserve lineup, advancing with a time of 7:23.07. In contrast, Shandong sent a hybrid team of starters and reserves led by Liu Peixin and Zhao Yipu, qualifying first for the final with a time of 7:21.66.

For tonight's final, Shandong's lineup featured Liu Peixin, Zhao Yipu, Li Yifeng, and Zhang Zhanshuo, with Liu, Li, and Zhang all hailing from Qingdao. Zhejiang's team, comprising Fei Liwei, Sun Yang, Pan Zhanle, and Wang Shun, appeared even more star-studded.

It is noteworthy that Zhang Zhanshuo's first major success on the world stage was also in a relay event. In February 2024, he and his teammates won two relay gold medals for China in the men's 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships.

The race began with Fei Liwei taking an early lead in the first leg. Liu Peixin initially dropped to fourth but surged in the latter 100 meters to finish his leg first, giving Shandong an early advantage. In the second leg, Sun Yang overtook his opponent at the halfway mark, but Zhao Yipu regained the lead in the second half and extended their advantage. Pan Zhanle then put Zhejiang back in front during the third leg. In the final leg, Zhang Zhanshuo, facing the renowned Wang Shun, managed to catch up within just half the distance. He then sprinted with all his might to touch the wall first, securing a hard-earned and highly valuable gold medal for Shandong. (By Xu Nuo, Qingdao Daily/Guanhai News)

Editor: Yuan Ruichen