Zhang Lin (swimmer)

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhang.

Zhang Lin

Personal information
Full name	Zhang Lin
Nationality	China
Born	January 6, 1987 (1987-01-06) Beijing
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Stroke(s)	Freestyle
College team	Beijing University of Technology
Medal record Men's swimming Competitor for China Olympic Games Silver 2008 Beijing 400 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 800 m freestyle Bronze 2009 Rome 400 m freestyle Bronze 2011 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Silver 2006 Shanghai 1500 m freestyle Asian Games Silver 2006 Doha 200 m freestyle Silver 2006 Doha 400 m freestyle Silver 2006 Doha 1500 m freestyle Gold 2010 Guangzhou 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Guangzhou 400 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Guangzhou 1500 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Bronze 2006 Victoria 400 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Irvine 400 freestyle Bronze 2010 Irvine 1500 m freestyle

Zhang Lin (simplified Chinese: 张琳; traditional Chinese: 張琳; pinyin: Zhāng Lín; born January 6, 1987 in Beijing) is a Chinese swimmer specializing in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events. He is China's most successful male swimmer.

Zhang, who began swimming at six, is China's fastest freestyle swimmer. He was selected for the national team in 2002. At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, he was the only Chinese male swimmer to reach the individual finals, finishing in eighth place. In 2005, he broke China's 400 freestyle record at the National Games, and was crowned 200 and 1,500 freestyle champion.

Zhang Lin won a silver medal in the men's 400 meter freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing with a time of 3:42.44, only 0.58 seconds behind gold medalist South Korean Park Tae-Hwan, and making him at the time the third fastest 400 meter freestyler in history (and setting a Chinese Record in the process). Zhang's silver is the best Olympic swimming finish ever by a Chinese male swimmer.

At 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Zhang won a bronze medal in the men's 400 meter freestyle and a gold medal in the men's 800 meter freestyle (7:32.12); the gold medal finish was a world record and the first time ever by a Chinese male in a world swimming competition in the past 73 years.

Zhang is coached by Zhang Yadong and Chen Yinghong. He has also been coached by Australian Denis Cotterell since late 2007, who is the former coach of distance champion Grant Hackett. In the fall of 2011, he trained with Dave Salo at the Trojan Swim Club for a 52-day training camp.

Major achievements

• 2005 World Championships - 6th 1500m freestyle;
• 2005 National Games - 1st 200m/400m/1500m freestyle;
• 2007 World Championships - 6th 200m freestyle;
• 2008 Summer Olympics - 2nd (Silver Medalist) 400m freestyle;
• 2009 World Aquatics Championships - 3rd (Bronze Medalist) 400m freestyle; 3:41,35
• 2009 World Aquatics Championships - 1st (Gold Medalist) 800m freestyle; World Record 7:32,12

See also

• List of world records in swimming
• List of Chinese records in swimming

References

• http://2008teamchina.olympic.cn/index.php/personview/personsen/800
• http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/8/237178.shtml
• http://www.swimrankings.net/index.php?page=athleteDetail&athleteId=1542530

External links

• (Chinese) Zhang Lin _ Netease sports database - Comprehensive information on historical data, news, pictures, video, and personal data

Records
Preceded by Grant Hackett	Men's 800 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) 29 July 2009 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Kosuke Kitajima	Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year 2009	Succeeded by Kosuke Kitajima