Struggling star fails to make grade

Former world champ Zhang won't be getting ticket to London Olympics

China's first male world champion swimmer will not be going to the London Olympics.

Zhang Lin, the 800-meter freestyle gold medalist at the 2009 World Championships, won't appear at the Games, Shang Xiutang, vice-president of the Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) said on Sunday.

"We feel regretful for his non-selection. He used to be a great swimmer on our team, but we never envisaged his form would slump like this," Shang told Beijing Times at the team's anti-doping conference on Sunday.

Zhang failed to earn an automatic berth for London at the national trials in April after finishing his favored 200m and 400m free events with results far off the Olympic A standards.

His only chance to compete at London was as a member of the relay team, but Shang said the out-of-shape Zhang could not be included on the final roster.

"We have a deep talent pool in the 4200m relay and we expect a good result in London. We have to give credit to our other young swimmers' efforts and make sure everyone on the team is in peak form."

Although he failed to make the Olympics, Zhang's career remains a benchmark for Chinese swimmers.

The 25-year-old was the first successful product of CSA's overseas training program and set examples for the younger generation - including current 1,500m world record holder Sun Yang, to follow.

Zhang went to Australia to train with famous Aussie distance swimmer Grant Hackett's mentor, Dennis Cotterell, at the end of 2007 and that soon paid dividends.

The Beijing native grabbed silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - the country's first Games medal in a men's event.

After winning China's first men's world championship title three years ago, Zhang was touted as the leader of the men's squad.

However, tough training and competition schedules wore him down. At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, Zhang failed to reach his golden heights.

During his form slump, 19-year-old Sun has become the new men's star of Chinese swimming after breaking the 10-year-old 1,500m free record at the Shanghai worlds last year.

Sun is now expected to surpass Zhang by delivering the nation's first men's swimming gold medal in the 400m and 1,500m events in London.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/26/2012 page22)