Sharks are starting to circle
China primed to meet challenge from Japan
With three-time Olympic freestyle champion Sun Yang leading the way, China’s vaunted team of pool sharks is determined to take a bite out of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta.
Three days before the competition opens, the Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Center in a southern suburb of the Indonesian capital was the scene of frenzied action on Wednesday as Chinese swimmers tested the water in a final tune-up for the quadrennial event.
As the team’s undisputed leader in and out of the water, Sun vows to spearhead China’s dominance while warding off strong challenges from archrival Japan.
“I’ve fully prepared for the Asian Games after intensive training in Hong Kong, where I improved my aerobic endurance for the long-distance events,” said Sun, who will compete in all four individual freestyle events from 200m to 1500m in Jakarta.
At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Sun lost his opening 200 to Japanese underdog Kosuke Hagino but rebounded to win gold in the 400 and 1500, as well as the men’s 4x100 free relay, contributing greatly to China’s leading haul of 22 golds.
With the 800m free added to the Asiad program for the first time in Jakarta, Sun faces the prospect of swimming preliminary heats and four finals over the course of six days — an unprecedented endurance test at this level.
With renowned distance coach Denis Cotterell of Australia and long-time mentor Zhu Zhigen supporting him, Sun is confident he can pull it off.
“I will be busier than ever and it takes a heavy toll on my body,” said the 27-year-old, who swept all three individual disciplines from 200 to 1500 at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
“My ability in the distance events has improved to near my prime form. I just need to build on the momentum in real competition.”
Cotterell, who helped Sun set the current 1500m world record (14:31.02) at the 2012 London Olympics, said the recovery in Sun’s stroke efficiency and pace for long-distance races is encouraging.
“It’s been difficult for him in the past few years, but he’s progressing nicely in the distance events,” Cotterell said on Wednesday.
Joining Sun to bolster China’s medal hopes are men’s backstroke world champion Xu Jiayu, individual medley specialist Wang Shun and women’s freestyle sprinter Liu Xiang, as well as veteran backstroke world champion Fu Yuanhui.
Xu, another clear favorite in his discipline, said he expects to win all five events — the 50, 100 and 200 backstroke and two medley relays — to cement his status as a worldclass competitor.
“Although I’ve almost touched the world record, I still feel like I am a follower rather than a leader at international meets,” said Xu, who clocked 51.86 sec, just 0.01 off American Ryan Murphy’s world record in Rio, to win the 100m at last year’s national championships.
“I will try to break the record and win as many gold medals as possible in Jakarta to boost my confidence,” said the 22-year-old, who won the 100m gold at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest.
On the women’s side, Liu, the new Asian record holder in 50m free, and veteran Fu, although plagued by a left shoulder injury, are poised to lead the fight against challenges from Japanese swimmers.
Fresh off its successful campaign at the this year’s Pan Pacific Championships, Japan shapes up as the strongest challenge for China at the Asiad, having proven world-class prowess in events where China lacks strength, such as men’s individual medley, breaststroke and women’s butterfly.
At the 2014 Asian Games, Japan won 46 medals in swimming — just one shy of China’s 47 — including 12 gold.
Bagging both men’s IM events four years ago, Hagino will put up a fight against China’s Wang while also posing a threat in shorter freestyle races against Sun.
Freestyle sprinter Shinri Shioura won double silver in the 50m and 100m freestyle behind China’s Ning Zetao at the 2014 Asiad. With Ning absent in Jakarta, Shioura is among title contenders in both distances.
Yasuhiro Koseki, ranked No 4 in men’s 200m breaststroke, and teammate Ippei Watanabe, who won the race at the Pan Pacific meet, will make China’s Qin Haiyang have to work that much harder for his first Asian title.
The 100m breaststroke looks likely to be a tight battle between Koseki and China’s Yan Zibei, whose best times this season are 58.96 and 58.97 respectively.