At six, Zhang Zhanshuo was the youngest swimmer in a local competition and had barely begun learning the sport. At 19, he left the Asian Games 2026 with seven gold medals and a place in the record books. The Chinese swimmer became the first swimmer to win seven gold medals at a single Asian Games when he won the men's 400m freestyle at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on September 25. His seven golds also equalled the Asian Games record for the most individual gold medals won at a single edition, a mark that had stood for 44 years. He competed in eight events and won seven of them. His gold medals came in the men's 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle events, along with three relay titles. His 200m freestyle victory also produced an Asian record, while his 400m and 800m wins came in Games-record times. But Zhang's relationship with swimming began for a much simpler reason.
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