Tokyo, Sept 2026 : Chinese swimming sensation Zhang Zhanshuo completed a remarkable Asian Games campaign on Friday, winning seven gold medals and matching the record for the most golds won by an athlete at a single edition of the continental multi-sport event.
The 19-year-old sealed his seventh title in the men's 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, touching the wall in an Asian Games record time of 3 minutes 41.28 seconds. Moments later, Zhang surfaced, raised both hands and slowly counted from one to seven, marking a memorable end to his debut at the Games.
Despite the magnitude of his achievement, the teenager remained composed.
“I feel much calmer than I had imagined,” Zhang said after his 400m freestyle victory. “Of course, I'm very happy to win these seven gold medals, and I will turn them into greater motivation going forward.”
Zhang became the first swimmer to win seven gold medals at a single edition of the Asian Games. His haul also equalled the overall Games record for the most gold medals won by an athlete at one edition, a mark set by DPRK shooter So Gil-san in 1982.
The performance also established a new benchmark for Chinese swimming. Zhang surpassed the six-gold haul achieved by teammate Zhang Yufei at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
His seven titles came from a demanding programme combining individual and relay events. He won the men's 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle, the men's 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays and the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Zhang entered eight events and finished with gold in seven of them. His campaign included an Asian record in the 200m freestyle, Games records in the 400m and 800m freestyle, and Asian records in both men's freestyle relay events.
Yet when asked what moment had excited him most during the competition, Zhang did not highlight the medal ceremonies or the unprecedented seven-gold haul. Instead, he pointed to the moment he finished his final race.
“When I touched the wall and came out of the water, I looked back at the big screen and saw my time flashing, or the ‘AR’ mark,” he recalled.
That moment was followed by his quiet count from one to seven.
“It was a perfect finish to the Games,” Zhang said.
The achievement, however, has not changed his long-term perspective. Zhang made it clear that the Asian Games was only another step in his development and not his ultimate destination.
“I need to settle down and face the gaps between myself and the world's best. The Asian Games is not my ultimate goal,” he said while discussing his ambitions for the Los Angeles Olympics.
His next major target is even more ambitious — the world record in the 400m freestyle. His Asian Games-record time of 3:41.28 left him just 1.25 seconds short of the world record.
“I think that will be one of my next goals, and I will give my all to chase the world record,” Zhang said.
The Chinese swimmer also identified areas of his technique that require improvement. He said his turning technique still needed to catch up with that of some of the world's leading swimmers and would therefore remain an important focus during his upcoming training.
“There are many things I need to improve,” Zhang said. “That's also one of the purposes of this competition, to make a new summary and find the gaps, both technically and in terms of ability.”
Rather than concentrating on a single favourite event, Zhang intends to continue developing across the middle- and long-distance freestyle disciplines.
“Everything is possible. I will stay humble and keep pushing forward,” he said.
At just 19, Zhang has already matched a record that had stood for more than four decades. His seven gold medals place him alongside one of the most remarkable single-edition performances in Asian Games history, while his own assessment suggests he believes there is considerable room for improvement.
Asked to rate his performance, Zhang gave himself 85 out of 100.
The score reflected his approach to the achievement: celebrate the success, identify the gaps and use the experience as motivation for the next challenge.
“There are still gaps between me and the world level in some events,” Zhang said. “I will turn these gold medals into greater motivation.”
