HURRICANE OF TRIUMPH
If the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka belongs to Qin Haiyang, as he smashed the World Record in the 200m men’s breaststroke (on top of winning the triple crown of the breaststroke events), China’s presence remained formidable in this event despite his absence in Doha. In Qin’s stead, the spotlight fell upon World Junior Record holder Dong Zhihao, who delivered a remarkable performance, clocking in at 2:07.94. His impressive swim allowed him to outpace competitors like Caspar Corbeau from the Netherlands (2:08.24) and American Nic Fink (2:08.85).
Seated at sixth place as he hit the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 150-meter mark, Dong unleashed a phenomenal burst of speed in the final 50 meters in 32.18 to run down the opposition, leaving them on his wake.
He trailed behind Caspar Corbeau by 1.59 seconds as the race entered its final leg. Yet, with each firm stroke, he relentlessly narrowed the gap, eventually overtaking the Dutch swimmer in a thrilling finish. With this incredible feat, he potentially can be named “the best closer” in the men’s 200 breaststroke, rivaling the likes of Zac Stubblety-Cook. His triumphant finish, marked by a split time of 32.18 seconds, propelled him from sixth place at the 150-meter mark to the gold medal at the wall, clocking in at 2:07.94 and breathtakingly securing his first-ever World title.
“I really didn’t expect myself to win,” Dong said in an interview after the victory. “I hadn’t been performing well enough in the 200-meter breaststroke event. There was some bad luck. I even wore the wrong trunks. But I managed to do it,” he added after his victory.
After his triumph, he thanked his coach, Ji Zhixiang, and his support team for their invaluable guidance and tactical insights. Their unwavering belief in his abilities and strategic planning played a pivotal role in his success, underscoring the importance of teamwork and dedication in achieving greatness.
Furthermore, he added, “The pressure I felt mainly came from other people who kept telling me to win the gold medal. To be honest, I felt a bit jealous these past few days seeing other athletes in the Chinese team win medals. This time, I can finally show off my gold medal to them.”
As Dong Zhihao stands atop the podium, adorned with the gold medal, his victory inspires. His journey from “underdog” to champion epitomizes the spirit of perseverance and determination, reminding us that anything is possible in the pool of dreams with hard work and belief in oneself.
In Doha’s water, a tale unfolds,
Dong Zhihao, a champ, in waters so bold,
Gold-wrapped success, no words in the air,
Champion’s story, water’s language is fair!