Pan Zhanle says he will strive to achieve his dream at the Paris Olympics. [Photo provided to Xinhua Net]

At the underway 2024 National Swimming Championships, Wenzhou swimmers have achieved remarkable results, notably Pan Zhanle, Xu Jiayu, and Liu Yaxin, all of whom are seeking to secure spots for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.

On April 21, Pan, a world champion hailing from Wenzhou, claimed victory in the men's 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1 minute and 45.68 seconds, marking his third gold in the championship. Fellow Wenzhou-native Xu clinched the men's 100-meter backstroke title, while Liu secured second place in the women's 400-meter freestyle. Their achievements met the Olympic A standard, highly likely to qualify for this year's Paris Olympics.

The Olympic registration criteria are divided into A and B levels. A level refers to the higher difficulty standard, while B level refers to the relatively low difficulty standard. Each country can enter a maximum of two athletes per event if they both meet the A level. If no one achieves A level in a particular event, only one person can be sent to the event at the B level.

The 2024 National Swimming Championships will align with the Paris Olympics swimming schedule, lasting for nine days and producing a total of 35 gold medals. 

It is the final major qualifying event for Chinese swimmers before the Paris Olympics. Wenzhou swimmers Xu Jiayu, Pan Zhanle, Liu Yaxin, Zheng Huiyu, and Mao Yihan will give their last push for Olympic qualification.

Source：ezhejiang.gov.cn

Editor: Pan Ning