HANGZHOU, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's 16-year-old girl Wang Jianjiahe showed her strength on Thursday as she won the 800m freestyle gold medal at the FINA Swimming World Championships (25m).
Wang, led from the start to win the race in eight minutes 4.35 seconds, 3.68 seconds faster than the runner-up, Simona Quadarella of Italy. American swimmer Leah Smith came third in 8:08.75.
Though happy to win China's second gold medal here, Wang was not satisfied with her time.
"It is my first gold medal at my first short course World Championships. I was very excited when I stood on the top of the podium. It was different feeling from what I did during the World Cup stops. I was too nervous and swam too fast in the first part of the race that was under the world record pace. But I was too tired afterwards. " She said.
Wang has been famous in Hangzhou Worlds since Wednesday as she swam an extra 50m in the heat.
"I did one more lap (50 meters) yesterday in the morning heat because I thought the bell should ring at the turn of the last 100m, but in fact it should ring at the last lap. I was confused at that moment. I only realized that when I was at the turn of 1525m and I thought I'd better finish the extra lap. It was a lesson for me," said Wang.
Wang, who is 183cm in height, became well known at the Asian Games this year where she won 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle and 4X200m freestyle relay gold medals. She is expected to become China's Katie Ledecky.
Ledecky is an American swimming star who has won multiple freestyle gold medals at Olympic Games and World Championships. She won 200m, 400m, 800m free titles and 4X200m freestyle relay gold at 2016 Rio Games.
