Sun Yang wins men’s 800m freestyle in National Swimming Championships

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Sun Yang was off to a great start to the competition as he claimed his second gold in the second day of China's National Swimming Championships on Saturday in Shanxi Province.

Sun won the title of men’s 200m freestyle in the first day of competition.

The men's 800m freestyle is one of the new events that will be added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It's good news for Sun who has won three straight golds at this distance in the World Championships.

Sun Yang in action during men's 800m freestyle. /VCG Photo

Sun started slow and took a slender lead after 150m. The Zhejiang native surged ahead by the halfway mark and went on to touch the wall first in seven minutes, 50.47 seconds, followed by Ji Xinjie of Shandong and Qiu Zi’ao of Shanghai.

"I'm satisfied with my performance today as the altitude here is a bit high, but I felt more relaxed in competition. I followed coach Zhu's suggestion, which I was holding a good rhythm and technology when I was swimming. I will focus more on the training of 800m freestyle and each competition will be beneficial for me," said Sun Yang.

(CGTN)