Ning Zetao

Ning Zetao
  • Ning Zetao Salutes in Navy Uniform.png
Personal information
Full name Ning Zetao
宁泽涛
Nationality China China
Born March 6, 1993
Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight 173 lb (78 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes freestyle
Club 八一队
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ning.
Ning Zetao
Traditional Chinese 寧澤濤
Simplified Chinese 宁泽涛

Ning Zetao (Chinese: 宁泽涛, born March 6, 1993 in Zhengzhou, Henan) is a Chinese competitive swimmer, swimming short distance freestyle. At the 2014 Asian Games, he won gold medals in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay and 4 x 100-meter medley relay, setting the Asian record in the Men's 100-meter freestyle Final[1] and Men's 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay Final.[2][3]

Early life

Ning Zetao is the only child of Ning Feng (Father) and Liu Wenhong (Mother). Ning’s father, Ning Feng served four years in the air force reserve prior working for a state broadcasting company;[4] his mother, Liu Wenhong[5] served in the Chinese People's Armed Police Force; both his paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather also served in the Chinese military.[6] Ning started swimming at age 8 by chance. His parents took him to a swimming school to help him overcome his fear of water and to improve his physical health. Local coach Guo Hongyan noticed Ning’s quick grasp on learning different strokes and techniques. She persuaded Ning’s parents to have him trained under her. At age 11, Ning Zetao became a member of Henan provincial swimming team. At age 14, Ning was accepted to Chinese Navy Swimming Team; he started training under Ye Jin, a well-known coach who has remained to be his coach to present day. During that time, he trained for 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. Due to suffering from chronic bone calcification on his right knee, he switched from individual medley to short distance freestyle.[7]

Career

October 2009, 11th Chinese National Games, Shandong, China

Sixteen years old Ning competed in his first National games. He advanced to the 200-meter medley final and finished in 8th place.[8]

April 2011, Chinese National Swimming Championships, Wuhan, Hubei, China

This is his first time competing in a short distance free event. He advanced to the 100-meter free final and finished 4th with a time of 50:05. Lv Zhiwu from Team Zhejiang finished in first place with a time of 49.46.[9]

April 2013, Chinese National Swimming Championships, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

Ning defeated the two times defending champion Lv Zhiwu, winning his first national championship in the 100-meter free in his home city, setting the new national record with a time of 48.60 on April 5, 2013; he also won first place in the 50-meter free with a record time of 22.41 on April 7, 2013.[10] This event marks the beginning of his dominance in short distance freestyle in China.

September 2013, 12th Chinese National Games, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

He broke his own record time in the 100-meter free, creating the new Asian record at 48.27 on September 8; the very next day, he continued his record breaking performance, setting the new Asian record for 50-meter free at 21.91.[11]

October 2013, East Asian Games, Tianjin, China

Without any surprise, Ning placed first in both 100-meter free with a time of 48.41 and 50-meter free with a time of 22.20 on October 13, 14 respectively. He also earned a silver in the 4X100-meter free relay.[12] His record breaking streak earned him a spot in Chinese national swimming team.[13]

October 2013, Chinese National Swimming Championships, Huangshan, Anhui, China

October 26, Ning won a gold medal in 50-meter butterfly with a time of 24.13. Due to fever, he did not compete in other events.[14]

June 2014, 45th CISM World Military Swimming & Lifesaving Championships, Tenero, Switzerland

Competing for the Chinese Liberation Army, Ning earned a gold medal in the 100-meter free, setting a new CISM world record at 48.48. He won another gold in men’s 50-meter free.[15] He was not in his best physical state at the game due to a wrist injury occurred a few month prior the event.[16]

September 2014, 17th Asian Games, Incheon, South Korea

2014 Incheon Asian games is the first major game outside China he competed in. September 23, Ning earned his first gold in the 50-meter free in an Asian Games with a time of 21.95. September 25, he beat South Korea's Park Taehwan and Japan's Shioura Shinri setting the new Asian record time of 47.70 in the 100-meter free; he is the first Asian swimmer to break the 48 second barrier. September 24, in men's 4X100-meter free relay, teamed with Yu Hexin, Lin Yongqing, Sun Yang, Ning swam the fourth leg ensured China finished in first place and set new Asian record with a time of 3:13:47. September 26, in men's 4X100-meter medley relay, with Xu Jiayu, Li Xiang, Li Zhuhao, swimming the fourth leg, Ning overtook the strong rivalry, Japan's fourth leg Shioura Shinri in the last 50 meters and helped China win gold with the finishing time of 3:31:37 but failed to break the Asian record.[17] Incheon exposure makes him a more well-known name to the Chinese swimming fans; his Weibo followers increased rapidly since then.

October 2014, Chinese National Swimming Championships, Huangshan, Anhui, China

Continuing his dominance in freestyle sprint, Ning broke his fresh Incheon Asian record of 47.70 in the 100-meter free with a new time of 47.65 on October 17.[18] He also won a silver in the 50-meter butterfly with a finishing time of 23.65.[19] Due to a sudden stomach illness caused by food poison, he did not compete in the 50-meter free event.[20]

2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)

At 2014 FINA World Swimming Championship (25m)-Beijing, Yu Hexin, Suo Ran, Lu Ying, with Ning swam the fourth leg in the mixed 4X50-meter medley relay, finished in first place with a time of 1:40:10. In the 50-meter free final, he placed in third with a time of 21.35; Chad Le Clos from South Africa won first place with a time of 21.28.[21] At 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) - Doha, again with him swimming the final leg in the mixed 4x50-meter medley relay, China finished in the 7th place, but Ning recorded with a time of 20.87. In the men’s 4X100-meter free relay heat, he swam the second leg with a time of 46.13; team China placed in 10th in overall time. In the 50-meter free heat, he recorded a personal best time of 21.26; he finished in the 12th place in the semi-final with a time of 21.37.[22] Due to a wrist injury, he did not compete in the 100-meter free final.

April 2015, Chinese National Swimming Championships, Baoji, ShaanXi, China

This national swimming event serves as Chinese swimmers'qualifying selection for the 16th FINA World Championships held in Kazan, Russia. From April 12 to April 15, Ning competed in two events: 100-meter freestyle and 50-meter freestyle. In the 100-meter freestyle semi-final, he finished first with a time of 48.34. In the final, he record with a finishing time of 48.36 and a reaction time of 0.72 winning the first place. Yu Hexin finished 2nd with a time of 49.11.[23] Both swimmers meet the 16th FINA 100-meter freestyle Level A qualifying time of 49.39.[24] In the 50-meter freestyle semi-final, Ning recorded a time of 22.31 with reaction time of 0.62; in the final, he finished in first place with a time of 22.17 and a reaction time of 0.72. Again, Yu Hexin finished in the 2nd place with a time of 22.47. Ning has met 16th FINA’S Level A qualifying time of 22.25 for this event. In the interview with CCTV Sports, Ning confirmed that he has not fully recovered from his wrist injury and was hoping to get effective treatment and be well prepared for the upcoming FINA event; he also expressed his desire of training overseas; he has seen good results from prior oversea training experience.[25]

Personal bests (long course)

As of October 17, 2014.
Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
50 m butterfly 23.65 2014 Chinese National Swimming Championships October 15, 2014
50 m freestyle 21.91 2013 Chinese National Games September 11, 2013 NR
100 m freestyle 47.65 2014 Chinese National Swimming Championships October 17, 2014 AS

Key: AS = Asian Record, NR = National Record

Performance Enhancing Durgs

April 2011, eighteen-year-old Ning faced the biggest setback in his swimming career. He was tested positive for clenbuterol, which led to one year suspension. He filed an appeal to overturn the ban, but the appeal was not granted. The incident served a turning point in his career: he was determined not to allow the suspension becoming a career death penalty but a path to excellence. [26]

Awards

Ning Zetao was awarded Best Male Athlete of 2014 held by CCTV Sports Award for his breakthrough achievement in men’s short distance freestyle.[27]

Trivia

He is often called Baozi (traditional Chinese meat bun) by friends, teammates and now fans; the nickname was given to him due to his chubby cheeks when he joined the Navy swimming team and his love of eating meat buns. He is also given the nickname Lieutenant Ning by his fans and Weibo followers because his rank in the Navy is lieutenant.

References

  1. ↑ "Men's 100m Freestyle Results". Incheon 2014 Asian Games. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "China Sets Asian Record in 400 Free Relay to Close Night". Swimming World Magazine. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ning Zetao". Incheon 2014 Asian Games. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  4. ↑ “After Winning 100 m, Ning Zetao Wins 50 m Free”. Jinbao News, Sep 11, 2013. http://www.jinbw.com.cn/jinbw/xwzx/tyxw/201309119920.htm. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ PLA Daily: "Flying Fish, Life of Army Swimmer Ning Zetao" Oct 12, 2014. http://military.workercn.cn/279/201410/12/141012072936366.shtml. Retrieved Feb, 28 2015.
  6. ↑ China CCTV 7 Nov 23, 2014 Interview.
  7. ↑ “Ning Zetao”. LifeWeeks Magazine. Jan 7, 2015. http://news.hexun.com/2015-01-07/172121802.html. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  8. ↑ “Zhengzhou Fellow, Ning Zetao, From Flying Fish to Idol”. Zhengzhou Evening Newspaper Digital Edition. Sep 26, 2014. http://zzwb.zynews.com/html/2014-09/26/content_604108.htm. Retrieved Feb 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ “2011 04 04 China National Swimming Championship” clips from Ning Zetao Media Resources. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/RLu4wtMQfP0/. Retrieved Feb 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ “2013 Chinese National Swimming Championships Results”. 163 Sports, Apr 8, 2013. http://sports.sohu.com/20130408/n372015539_6.shtml. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  11. ↑ “Flying Fish: Ning, the Hope for China’s Sprinter”. China People Daily oversea edition. Sep 13, 2013. http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2013-09/13/content_1298136.htm. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ Swimming Competition Official Results from 6th East Asia Games official website. http://sports.eastday.com/gd/2013/1015/2414118071.html. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  13. ↑ “Zhengzhou Fellow, Ning Zetao, From Flying Fish to Idol”. Zhengzhou Evening Newspaper Digital Edition. Sep 26, 2014. http://zzwb.zynews.com/html/2014-09/26/content_604108.htm. Retrieved Feb 27, 2015.
  14. ↑ “Champions” ChinaDaily. Oct 28, 2013. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqgj/jryw/2013-10-28/content_10436265.html. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  15. ↑ “CISM World Military Swimming Result”. Xinhua News. June 15, 2014. http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2014-06/15/c_126619612.htm. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  16. ↑ Chinese CCTV 5 Sports Morning News. May 24, 2014. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KvSe92xFJZM/. Retrieved Mar 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ Incheon Asian Games Official Results. https://www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/SW/Result?RSC=SWM010101&lang=en. Retrieved on Feb 24, 2015.
  18. ↑ “Ning Breaks Asian Record Again in 100 m free”. Xinhua News. Oct 17, 2014. http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2014-10/17/c_127111730.htm. Retrieved on Feb 24, 2015.
  19. ↑ “Ning Wins Silver in 50-meter Butterfly”: EastDay Sports. Oct 16, 2014.http://sports.eastday.com/gd/2014/1016/2001879092.html. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.
  20. ↑ "20 Swimmers out of the Competition due to Illness Caused by Food Poison". YuQing News. Oct 19, 2014. http://www.yuqinge.com/mszx/1413697763199520.html. Retrieved Feb 28, 2015.
  21. ↑ 2014 FINA World Swimming Championship (25m)-Beijing Reporting from Chinese Swimming Association, October 26, 2014. http://www.swimming.org.cn/gnxw/2014-10-26/451542.html. Retrieved Feb 28, 2015
  22. ↑ 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) – DOHA Official Results from FINA.ORG. http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4907&Itemid=1793. Retrieved Feb 28, 2015.
  23. ↑ Swimming Stats Lookup: Chinese National Swimming Organization Official Website http://www.swimming.org.cn/gnxw/index.html; http://www.swimat.com:8080/SRS/MatchQuery; Retrieved Apr 13, 2015.
  24. ↑ 16th FINA Swimming Qualifying Time Standard: http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4366&Itemid=1616; Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  25. ↑ CCTV 5 Sports Channel April 15 Interview: http://tv.cntv.cn/video/VSET100150754667/6957a2a8a0f947cb81fc8fcb46b3ac33, Retrieved April 15, 2015
  26. ↑ “Career Setback -Ning Zetao” Xinhua News Agency Oct 19, 2014 Interview. http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2014-10/16/c_127104963.htm. Retrieved Feb 28, 2015.
  27. ↑ “Ning Zetao Wins Male Athlete of the Year” Dahe News, Feb 2, 2015. http://news.dahe.cn/2015/02-02/104246409.html. Retrieved Feb 24, 2015.

External links