SHANGHAI: Like Olympic hurdles champion Liu Xiang, China's swimming sensation
Wu Peng proved that Chinese men can scale the heights of the sporting world with
a historic victory in the 200-metre butterfly at the World Short-course
Championships here yesterday.
The 19-year-old from Hangzhou of East China's Zhejiang Province clocked 1
minute 52.36 seconds, a championships record, beating Moss Burmester of New
Zealand and Nikolay Skvortsov of Russia into second and third place.
His gold was one of three won by the host team last night; and one of five
from the five-day tournament.
It was only the second time that Chinese men have triumphed in a swimming
tournament since Wang Yiwu's 200m breaststroke victory 11 years ago during the
1995 edition in Brazil.
China's women have fared much better in international swimming events.
Wu's victory was all the more impressive because strong will power helped him
overcome a toe bone fracture just before the race.
"We have definitely proved ourselves at the international stage," said a
delighted Wu.
"Not only myself, my teammate Zhang Lin can also do it," added Wu, pointing
to the swimmer who took a bronze in the men's 1,500m freestyle. Yury Prilukov of
Russia won the arduous event in a championship record time of 14:23.92, followed
by Park Tae-hwan of South Korea.
"I think Asian swimmers have a better chance in long-distance swims compared
with European and American athletes," said Wu, a bronze medal winner in the
event at the last tournament held two years ago in Indianapolis.
Wu, with Zhang and backstroke star Ouyang Kunpeng who
settled for fourth place in the 200m last night, are seen as China's medal hopes
for the men's team at the Beijing 2008 Games.