At 33 years old, Chinese swimming legend Sun Yang proved age is just a number as he secured a silver medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle at the National Spring Swimming Championships on Wednesday.
Sun clocked an impressive time of 3 minutes 47.94 seconds, finishing just behind gold medalist Liu Peixin, who touched the wall at 3:46.80. Despite being third after the first 200 meters, Sun rallied in the second half of the race to claim silver, improving his performance by a full second compared to last year.
“This progress shows that I am better than the Sun Yang of last year, and I have achieved my goal,” Sun expressed after the race.
He reflected on the challenges of his winter training, highlighting his return to high-altitude training after a five-year break. “It was very challenging and painful,” he admitted. “I didn’t have time for adjustments or breaks. I used competitions as part of my training, and I’m very satisfied with my performance today.”
Battling injuries, Sun revealed he underwent knee injections before the competition to manage pain. “I had injections in five points on my knee just to get through the race,” he shared. “At this age, injuries are inevitable, but I have to persevere.”
Sun hopes his determination can inspire younger athletes. “As someone who has stayed in the sport for so long, I want to show young athletes that they can also persist until my age. Chinese swimming needs more athletes who can stay committed,” he emphasized.
In other events on Wednesday, Sun Jiajun won the men’s 50m breaststroke in 26.85 seconds, Yu Yiting triumphed in the women’s 50m butterfly with 25.73 seconds, Jiang Chenglin topped the men’s 100m backstroke, and Zhu Leiju claimed victory in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
