COVID decimates Chinese team at World Swimming Championships

Society & Culture

Chinaโ€™s Zheng Qinwen has been named the 2022 Newcomer of the Year by the Women's Tennis Association after rising over 100 places in the rankings this season.

Li Bingjie in action at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner.

China finished the 2022 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships in Melbourne last week with just two bronze medals, after COVID and injuries left members of the Chinese team unable to compete.

The most notable absentee was Lว Bฤซngjiรฉ ๆŽๅ†ฐๆด, who tested positive after displaying symptoms on arrival in Australia. Her illness meant that Li, who broke the 400m freestyle world record back in October at the Chinese National Championships, was unable to defend the bronze and gold medals she won at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, in the 400m and 800m freestyle respectively.

In addition to Li, almost a dozen more Chinese swimmers had to withdraw from competitions at the last minute with suspected cases of COVID, including Yรกng Jรนnxuฤn ๆจๆตš็‘„, Yรบ Yฤซtรญng ไฝ™ไพๅฉท,and Tรกng Qiรกntรญng ๅ”้’ฑๅฉท. The absences meant China also had to withdraw from some relay events, including the menโ€™s 4x50m and 4x100m freestyle.

Beyond COVID-related withdrawals, China also suffered a blow to its medal hopes as multi-Olympic medalist Zhฤng Yว”fฤ“i ๅผ ้›จ้œ, who won bronze in the womenโ€™s 50m butterfly on December 14, had to pull out of events later in the week due to an elbow injury.

Qรญn HวŽiyรกng ่ฆƒๆตทๆด‹ won Chinaโ€™s only other medal, in the menโ€™s 200m breaststroke. Qin finished third after narrowly outlasting Japanโ€™s Ippei Watanabe. It was the 23-year-oldโ€™s second medal in the Short Course World Championships, after a silver at the 2018 Hangzhou World Championships.

Zheng Qinwen wins Newcomer of the Year at the WTA Awards

Chinaโ€™s Zhรจng Qฤซnwรฉn ้ƒ‘้’ฆๆ–‡ was awarded the Newcomer of the Year award by the Womenโ€™s Tennis Association (WTA) at its end-of-year awards ceremony.ย 

It has been a remarkable year for the 20-year-old, rising over 100 places in the WTA rankings during the season, from 126th place in January to 25th by the end of November.ย 

Now in the top 30, Zhang claimed one WTA Challenger title in Valencia in June and reached her first WTA 500 final in September, the first Chinese teenager to ever do so.ย 

However, it was Zhengโ€™s runs in the Grand Slams that caught the attention of Chinese fans. She reached the fourth round at the French Open and the third rounds of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, all her runs notable for high-profile victories.ย ย 

The most memorable of these came against Simona Halep (who was 19th in WTA rankings at the time, and the previous winner of Grand Slam singles titles at the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon 2019), in the second round of the French Open.

In a statement, the WTA noted that Zheng became the second Chinese woman to win a WTA Player award, after Zhรจng Jiรฉ ้ƒ‘ๆด won Comeback of the Year in 2008.

Other sports stories in the news:

How Chinaโ€™s โ€˜soft powerโ€™ World Cup turned into a nightmare (The Athletic)ย 

Two star athletes born in Hungary have chosen to represent China. Netizens are furious (Sixth Tone)ย 

Hong Kong billionaire Calvin Lo eyes F1 team entry by 2026 โ€˜if all starsโ€™ align (SCMP)


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