Sun set to rise as China's new swimming star
July 31, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN Sun Yang won the gold in the men's 800 meters freestyle at the world championships this week, he did something unusual for the normally reserved Chinese swim team: he celebrated with boyish delight.
After the medal ceremony on Wednesday, the 19-year-old climbed into the stands to high-five fans and give away the stuffed animal the medalists receive on the podium. He then draped himself with a Chinese flag and flashed a giant grin for the photographers.
China's swimmers have had a surprisingly strong meet thus far, winning four golds and 13 medals overall - putting them just behind the US on the medal table.
But while the team has a number of gold-medal contenders for the London Olympics - 100m women's backstroke winner Zhao Jing, 200m women's IM winner Ye Shiwen - it doesn't yet have a superstar, someone on par with Italy's Frederica Pellegrini or Michael Phelps, whom the Chinese have dubbed "Fei Yu," or Flying Fish.
The charismatic Sun may be on his way. He has been the dominant distance swimmer at the worlds, winning the 800 freestyle in a time of seven minutes, 38.57 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of Ryan Cochrane of Canada.
The time was also faster than Australian Grant Hackett's former world record of 7:38.65, which had stood for four years before being eclipsed by Sun's teammate Zhang Lin at the 2009 worlds in Rome in a now-banned bodysuit.
"Before the competition, I was already looking forward to getting the gold medal," Sun said after the race. "When I touched the final wall today, I was so excited but I still know there are a lot of competitions in the future."
Sun also won a silver in the 400 free and a bronze in the 4-x-200 relay, and he qualified first yesterday for today's 1,500 freestyle final with a preliminary time of 14:48.13.
Not only is Sun the favorite to win the 1,500, he could also break Hackett's long-standing world record in that event.
Under the tutelage of Hackett's former coach, Dennis Cotterell, Sun shocked the world at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year by winning the 1,500 in a time of 14:35.43, just under a second off Hackett's 14:34.56 from the Japan world championships in 2001.
He may need to break the record to step out from behind the shadow of his own teammate, Zhang. Zhang became the leader of the men's team after he surprisingly won a silver at the 2008 Olympics and a gold at the 2009 worlds.
"I think I am myself and Zhang Lin is himself. I don't need to compare myself with others," he said. "Yes, Zhang Lin won the gold medal before me, but I'm still young. I still have a lot of opportunities in the future."
But Terry Rhoads, managing director of Zou Marketing, a Shanghai-based sports consultancy focused on the China market, said Sun still has a long way to go before he supplants the likes of Yao Ming, Li Na or gold-medal-winning hurdler Liu Xiang in the Chinese consciousness.
"Sun needs to first win Olympic gold, set a world record or two, and generally dominate his sport for two Olympics to have a hope of slipping into the A-list," Rhoads said.
After the medal ceremony on Wednesday, the 19-year-old climbed into the stands to high-five fans and give away the stuffed animal the medalists receive on the podium. He then draped himself with a Chinese flag and flashed a giant grin for the photographers.
China's swimmers have had a surprisingly strong meet thus far, winning four golds and 13 medals overall - putting them just behind the US on the medal table.
But while the team has a number of gold-medal contenders for the London Olympics - 100m women's backstroke winner Zhao Jing, 200m women's IM winner Ye Shiwen - it doesn't yet have a superstar, someone on par with Italy's Frederica Pellegrini or Michael Phelps, whom the Chinese have dubbed "Fei Yu," or Flying Fish.
The charismatic Sun may be on his way. He has been the dominant distance swimmer at the worlds, winning the 800 freestyle in a time of seven minutes, 38.57 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of Ryan Cochrane of Canada.
The time was also faster than Australian Grant Hackett's former world record of 7:38.65, which had stood for four years before being eclipsed by Sun's teammate Zhang Lin at the 2009 worlds in Rome in a now-banned bodysuit.
"Before the competition, I was already looking forward to getting the gold medal," Sun said after the race. "When I touched the final wall today, I was so excited but I still know there are a lot of competitions in the future."
Sun also won a silver in the 400 free and a bronze in the 4-x-200 relay, and he qualified first yesterday for today's 1,500 freestyle final with a preliminary time of 14:48.13.
Not only is Sun the favorite to win the 1,500, he could also break Hackett's long-standing world record in that event.
Under the tutelage of Hackett's former coach, Dennis Cotterell, Sun shocked the world at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year by winning the 1,500 in a time of 14:35.43, just under a second off Hackett's 14:34.56 from the Japan world championships in 2001.
He may need to break the record to step out from behind the shadow of his own teammate, Zhang. Zhang became the leader of the men's team after he surprisingly won a silver at the 2008 Olympics and a gold at the 2009 worlds.
"I think I am myself and Zhang Lin is himself. I don't need to compare myself with others," he said. "Yes, Zhang Lin won the gold medal before me, but I'm still young. I still have a lot of opportunities in the future."
But Terry Rhoads, managing director of Zou Marketing, a Shanghai-based sports consultancy focused on the China market, said Sun still has a long way to go before he supplants the likes of Yao Ming, Li Na or gold-medal-winning hurdler Liu Xiang in the Chinese consciousness.
"Sun needs to first win Olympic gold, set a world record or two, and generally dominate his sport for two Olympics to have a hope of slipping into the A-list," Rhoads said.
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