Wu Peng, Teenage Giant-killer in Busan Swimming Pool

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, October 05, 2002

Wu Peng, Teenage Giant-killer in Busan Swimming Pool

No one has ever expected that a 15-year-old boy from China could make a splash in Asian Games swimming pool by shocking record holders in Busan, but Wu Peng is the exception.

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No one has ever expected that a 15-year-old boy from China could make a splash in Asian Games swimming pool by shocking record holders in Busan, but Wu Peng is the exception.

In the men's 400m individual medley event Friday evening, the Chinese high school student Wu Peng stunned such pre-competition favourites as defending champion Takahiro Mori of Japan to take the gold with an Asian record time.

Wu, who led from the start to the finish pad and never looked back, clocked four minutes 15.38 seconds, beating the previous Asian mark 4:15.41 set by Mori at the Pan Pacific Championships inYokohama late August this year.

Mori came in second in 4:16.63, ahead of compatriot Shinya Taniguchi at 4:17.03 and Kim Bang-hyun of South Korea at 4:27.46.

"I always give my best shots in the competition," said Wu, a surprised winner in the 200m butterfly in last year's National Games.

Mori, 22, who created two Asian records in PanPacs, said: "Wu is so young and so fast. I couldn't believe he can beat me."

He is not the first one who said so.

Takashi Yamamoto, two-time defending champion in the butterfly,had a bitter upset given by Wu in the 200m butterfly and echoed Mori's comment about the teenage giant-killer.

With a powerful finish, Wu surged from second to the top at thetouching pad, scored in a game record in 1:56.63, beating the 24-year-old Japanese veteran by 0.56 seconds.

"I am focused on improving myself, not the records. I hope I can make a breakthrough for Chinese men swimmers in international events and Olympic Games by winning a medal.

"I have to say that I set a very high standard since I have stopped two Japanese big stars, Mori and Yamamoto. I will work even harder and keep the trend going," Wu added.

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