Qin was one of the stars of the recent World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka as he completed a hat-trick of breaststroke crowns, as well as helping China to 4x100m mixed relay gold.

He is close to repeating that feat in Chengdu having claimed men’s 100m breaststroke and mixed 4x100m medley relay golds on Wednesday (August 2) before storming to the men’s 200m breaststroke title today at the Dong’an Lake Sports Park Aquatics Center.

There was no stopping Qin as he touched the wall in 2min 8.09sec, breaking the Championship record of 2:08.37 that had been set by American Andrew Wilson in 2017.

Qin saw off the Japanese challenge of Yu Hanaguruma and Yamato Fukasawa who clocked 2:10.31 and 2:10.29 respectively for the other two podium spots in a Games originally due to take place in 2021 before being postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Li Bingjie, a three-time world short-course champion, also delivered gold for China in the pool after winning the women’s 1,500m freestyle final in 16:18.48.

She finished five seconds ahead of nearest rival Ichika Kajimoto of Japan who came home in 16:23.02.

The bronze medal went to Italy’s Noemi Cesarano in 16:23.16.

Li also joined Chinese team-mates Liu Yaxin, Jing Shangbeihua and Zhang Yufei to clinch the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay title in 7:58.77.

The United States clocked 8:02.28 for silver, while Japan rounded off the podium with 8:04.29 for bronze.

Italy also enjoyed swimming success, with Simone Stefani and Anita Gastaldi capturing the respective men’s 50m backstroke and women’s 200m medley titles.

Poland’s Adela Piskorska secured women’s 100m backstroke gold, while Japan’s Takumi Terada was crowned men’s 200m butterfly champion.

China won four of the six medals on offer in today’s artistic gymnastics competition.

Zhang Boheng topped scored with 86.733 points over the six apparatus to beat compatriot Shi Cong in the men’s individual all-around final.

Shi scored 86.398 points for silver, with Japan’s Kazuma Kaya notching 84.098 for bronze.

There was also a Chinese one-two in the women’s individual all-around final as Ou Yushan got the better of Lou Huan.

Ou emerged victorious with 54.498, overcoming Lou who totalled 53.765, while Japan’s Ayaka Sakaguchi earned 53.165 for bronze.

There was more Chinese dominance in diving, with Chen Jia and Yang Ruilin claiming women’s synchronised 3m springboard gold and Wang Weiying and Wang Binhan winning the mixed synchronised 10m platform crown.

China also won both table tennis titles today as Xu Fei and Xu Yingbin beat Kazuki Hamada and Yuma Tanigaki of Japan to win men’s doubles gold before Qiang Tianyi and Zhao Shang clinched victory over He Zhuojia and Wang Xiaotong in a closely-fought all-Chinese women’s doubles final.

Taekwondo competition came to an end with China and South Korea securing the respective women’s and men’s team titles.

Shao Yaqi claimed fencing gold for China with victory in the women’s individual sabre final, while the men’s individual foil crown was captured by Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Long.

South Africa, Chinese Taipei, China, Slovakia, Poland, Australia and Switzerland all claimed athletics gold medals at the Shuangliu Sports Center Stadium today.

Switzerland’s Angelica Moser came out on top in the women’s pole vault final with a season’s best of 4.62m and China's Wang Qi threw 73.63m for men’s hammer throw gold.

On the track, South Africa’s Tsebo Isadore Matsoso crossed the finish line in 20.36sec for men’s 200m gold.

Nikola Horowska beat fellow Pole Marlena Granaszewska by 0.20 seconds to seal the women’s 200m title in 23.00.

Chinese Taipei’s Peng Ming-yang won men’s 400m hurdles gold in a personal best time of 48.62.

Slovakia’s Viktoria Forster also clocked a personal best to triumph in the women’s 100m hurdles final in 12.72.

Australia’s Cara Feain-Ryan won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase gold medal in 9:46.02.

Competition is due to continue tomorrow with medals set to be awarded in artistic gymnastics, athletics, basketball, diving, fencing, swimming, table tennis and tennis.