SHENZHEN, China - Olympic champion Li Bingjie shattered the Asian record in the women's 400m freestyle, while rising star Pan Zhanle dethroned veteran Sun Yang in a highly anticipated men's showdown at China's National Swimming Championships on Saturday.

Li clocked 3:59.99 to break the 4-minute barrier, eclipsing her own continental mark of 4:01.08 set in 2023. The 22-year-old, who had aimed to "regain peak form" before the race, achieved her goal.

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In the men's 400m freestyle, Pan posted a personal-best 3:45.34 to edge Olympic gold medalist Sun, who took bronze with 3:47.53.

"Racing against legends like Sun adds pressure, but my time still lags behind international elites," Pan told reporters post-race. "This is just a starting point."

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Sun, a three-time Olympic champion, embraced Pan in the mixed zone, stating: "This generational rivalry symbolizes Chinese swimming's progression. My performance is an improvement from spring championships - I'm happy with that".