Swimming star Ning finding his stride after retirement

China's former swimming world champion Ning Zetao has kept a low profile since his sudden retirement in March.

However, it seems that the 26-year-old has not totally abandoned the sporting life, with the pool ace challenging his endurance on land over weekend in the BMW Hood to Coast China Relay, around Zhangjiakou, Hebei province.

"As a retired swimmer, I can actually follow all sorts of sports now," said Ning, who only managed to finish part of the grueling 185km course. "It's a very different experience running in the relay.