World champion Yang Yu bags freestyle gold at National Games

World champion Yang Yu bags freestyle gold at National Games

Yang Yu from Zhejiang waves to the audience after the women's 200m freestyle final at the 11th Chinese National Games in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2009. Yang clocked 1 minute 56.74 seconds to win the title.

JINAN, East China, Oct. 20 -- China's world champion Yang Yu turned on the style to win the women's 200m freestyle title at the Chinese National Games here on Tuesday.

Yang, winner of the 2009 World Championships, powered home in one minute 56.74 seconds, holding off second-placed Song Wenyan who swam 1:57.36. Pang Jiayin, Yang's national team fellow, settled for bronze in 1:57.40.

Yang Yu from Zhejiang gestures after the women's 200m freestyle final at the 11th Chinese National Games in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2009. Yang clocked 1 minute 56.74 seconds to win the title.

Yang trailed closely Pang, who set the early pace, in almost three fourth of the race, but quickly pulled off at the last 50m.

The veteran freestyler had been edged to the third after the preliminary and semifinal.

At the 2009 Rome Worlds, Yang and Pang, together with another two teammates Zhu Qianwei and Liu Jing, timed seven minutes 42.08 seconds in the 4x200m freestyle relay to knock more than two seconds off Australia's world record of 7:44.31 set at the Beijing Olympics.

Yang Yu from Zhejiang competes during the women's 200m freestyle final at the 11th Chinese National Games in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2009. Yang clocked 1 minute 56.74 seconds to win the title.
(Xinhua)