BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese swimmer Zhu Yingwen claimed the women's 200-meter freestyle title by a narrow lead in China Open here on Saturday morning.
Zhu trailed German veteran Annika Lurz in the first three laps and surpassed the 29-year-old world silver medallist with a powerful sprint and sailed to the victory in 1:58:90.
It was also Zhu's personal best.
"I didn't expected (the result)...and ever since I stepped into the venue, I got very excited, " Zhu said.
Lurz finished second in 1:59.5, edging Polish opponent Otylia Jedrzejczak in the third place who touched wall in 2:00:79.
"I did well today compared with my bad form in the previous time," Lurz said. "I felt very sleepy before the race due to the time difference."
China Open, a pre-Olympic event, kicked off on Thursday without participants from swimming powerhouses like the United States and Australia.
