Seven golds on debut: Zhang Zhanshuo makes Asian Games history

Moments after touching the wall in the men's 400m freestyle final on Friday, Zhang Zhanshuo surfaced, raised both hands and slowly counted from one to seven.

The 19-year-old Chinese swimmer had just completed his first Asian Games with seven gold medals. The Tokyo Aquatics Center was filled with cheers. Zhang, however, appeared remarkably calm.

Gold medallist China's Zhang Zhanshuo celebrates after competing in the final of the men's 400m freestyle swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on September 25, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

"I feel much calmer than I had imagined," Zhang said after winning the 400m freestyle in an Asian Games record of 3 minutes 41.28 seconds. "Of course, I'm very happy to win these seven gold medals, and I will turn them into greater motivation going forward."

The victory made Zhang the first swimmer to win seven gold medals at a single edition of the Asian Games. More significantly, his haul equaled the Games record for most gold medals won by an athlete at a single edition, a mark set by DPRK shooter So Gil-san in 1982.

For Chinese swimming, it was also a new benchmark, as Zhang surpassed the six-gold haul of teammate Zhang Yufei at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. His seven titles came from a demanding mix of individual and relay events: the men's 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle, the men's 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, and the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

He won gold in seven of the eight events he entered, while setting an Asian record in the 200m freestyle, Games records in the 400m and 800m, and Asian records in the two men's freestyle relays.

But the seven medals did not change the way Zhang viewed the competition. Asked what had excited him most during the Games, he did not point to the medal ceremonies or the seven-gold haul. Instead, he recalled the instant he touched the wall.

China's Zhang Zhanshuo (L) reacts after breaking the Games Record while competing in the final A of the men's 800m freestyle swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on September 24, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

"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 said.

Then came the quiet count from one to seven. "It was a perfect finish to the Games," Zhang said.

The calmness was not a sign that Zhang considered his work finished. Quite the opposite, when asked about his ambitions for the Los Angeles Olympics, Zhang stressed that the Asian Games was not his ultimate goal.

"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.

And his next target is the world record. Zhang's 3:41.28 was just 1.25 seconds outside the world record, and he said breaking that mark would be one of his next goals over the coming two years.

"I think that will be one of my next goals, and I will give my all to chase the world record," he said.

The young swimmer is also clear about what stands between him and that target.

Gold medallist China's Zhang Zhanshuo celebrates on the podium during the victory ceremony of the men's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on September 22, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

"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."

Zhang said his turning technique still lagged behind that of some of the world's top swimmers, making it an important focus for his next phase of training.

The same approach applies to his events. Rather than picking one as his favorite, Zhang said he wanted to continue developing across the middle and long distance free events.

"Everything is possible. I will stay humble and keep pushing forward," he said.

At 19, Zhang has already matched a record that had stood for more than four decades. He left the Tokyo Aquatics Center with seven gold medals, but also with a clear sense that there was more work to do.

Asked to rate his performance at the Games, Zhang gave himself 85 out of 100. For Zhang, the number seven therefore marks both an achievement and a starting point.

"There are still gaps between me and the world level in some events," he said. "I will turn these gold medals into greater motivation."