Asian Games 2023: Swimming preview, full schedule, how to watch live action from Hangzhou 2022

Which swimmers are the ones to watch at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou? How to watch Asian Games swimming live? Discover more.

7 minBy ZK Goh
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(2023 Getty Images)

Swimming will be one of the most anticipated sports when action gets underway in the pool at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 taking place in 2023.

From 24 to 29 September, Asia’s best swimmers will be in action at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena as they compete in 41 medal events over six days.

World and Olympic medallists will take to the pool this week in a modified format compared to the World Championships and Olympic Games: no semi-finals are being held in any event.

The top eight swimmers from morning heats in every event except the four 800m and 1500m freestyle races will compete in evening finals. In those four events, swimmers with slower seed times will race “slow heats” in the morning while faster-seeded athletes compete in “fast heats” in the evening, with a combined ranking from all heats used to award medals.

Here's who to watch out for in the pool.

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Swimmers to watch at the 2023 Asian Games Hangzhou 2022

Hosts People’s Republic of China and swimming powerhouse Japan have traditionally dominated swimming events at the Asian Games. Between them, the two countries have finished as the top two performing nations at every Asian Games since 1982, winning over 300 gold medals in the process.

Singapore, Kazakhstan, and the Republic of Korea have all also featured on the top step of the swimming podium at the Asian Games since 2010, and will look to continue their success in the sport.

China’s team is led by the likes of Olympic champions Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, world record holder Qin Haiyang, world champion Xu Jiayu, and men’s 100m freestyle Asian record holder Pan Zhanle.

Pan in particular is expected to tussle with Hwang Sun-woo from the Republic of Korea in the 100 and 200 free.

Japan, meanwhile, can count on the 2018 Asian Games MVP and cancer survivor Ikee Rikako, Watanabe Ippei, Seto Daiya, and Irie Ryosuke.

While Singapore are without their double gold medallist from 2018 Joseph Schooling, the team has set a target of two gold medals again this year. The team’s head coach Gary Tan referred to his team selection as the “post-Joseph era”, with Jonathan Tan – Asia’s second-fastest swimmer in the 50m free this year – leading the team.

Swimming at Asian Games 2023: Full schedule and race start times

All times China Standard Time (UTC +8 hours) and subject to change.

No semi-finals are being contested. All morning sessions will consist of heats and all evening sessions of finals only.

Sunday 24 September

  • 10:00 – Women’s 200m butterfly heats
  • 10:10 – Men’s 200m individual medley heats
  • 10:26 – Women’s 1500m freestyle slow heat
  • 10:45 – Men’s 100m freestyle heats
  • 11:06 – Women’s 50m breaststroke heats
  • 11:14 – Men’s 100m backstroke heats
  • 11:26 – Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats
  • 19:30 – Women’s 200m butterfly final
  • 19:37 – Men’s 200m individual medley final
  • 19:42 – Women’s 1500m freestyle fast heat
  • 20:31 – Men’s 100m freestyle final
  • 20:35 – Women’s 50m breaststroke final
  • 20:53 – Men’s 100m backstroke final
  • 21:27 – Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final

Monday 25 September

  • 10:00 – Men’s 50m backstroke heats
  • 10:12 – Women’s 50m backstroke heats
  • 10:20 – Men’s 50m freestyle heats
  • 10:32 – Women’s 200m freestyle heats
  • 10:44 – Men’s 100m breaststroke heats
  • 10:59 – Women’s 200m individual medley heats
  • 11:11 – Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats
  • 19:30 – Men’s 50m backstroke final
  • 19:35 – Women’s 50m backstroke final
  • 19:38 – Men’s 50m freestyle final
  • 19:41 – Women’s 200m freestyle final
  • 20:16 – Men’s 100m breaststroke final
  • 20:35 – Women’s 200m individual medley final
  • 21:10 – Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final

Tuesday 26 September

  • 10:00 – Women’s 100m freestyle heats
  • 10:14 – Men’s 400m individual medley heats
  • 10:32 – Women’s 200m backstroke heats
  • 10:44 – Men’s 1500m freestyle slow heat
  • 11:03 – Women’s 400m freestyle heats
  • 11:21 – Men’s 4x100m medley relay heats
  • 19:30 – Women’s 100m freestyle final
  • 19:36 – Men’s 400m individual medley final
  • 19:43 – Women’s 200m backstroke final
  • 19:48 – Men’s 1500m freestyle fast heat
  • 20:37 – Women’s 400m freestyle final
  • 21:14 – Men’s 4x100m medley relay final

Wednesday 27 September

  • 10:00 – Women’s 100m butterfly heats
  • 10:14 – Men’s 100m butterfly heats
  • 10:32 – Women’s 100m backstroke heats
  • 10:44 – Men’s 200m freestyle heats
  • 11:04 – Women’s 100m breaststroke heats
  • 11:16 – Women’s 400m individual medley heats
  • 11:28 – Mixed 4x100 medley relay heats
  • 19:30 – Women’s 100m butterfly final
  • 19:36 – Men’s 100m butterfly final
  • 19:40 – Women’s 100m backstroke final
  • 19:44 – Men’s 200m freestyle final
  • 20:19 – Women’s 100m breaststroke final
  • 20:53 – Women’s 400m individual medley final
  • 21:15 – Mixed 4x100m medley relay final

Thursday 28 September

  • 10:00 – Women’s 50m freestyle heats
  • 10:12 – Men’s 50m butterfly heats
  • 10:24 – Women’s 200m breaststroke heats
  • 10:36 – Men’s 200m breaststroke heats
  • 10:52 – Men’s 800m freestyle slow heats
  • 11:14 – Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats
  • 11:26 – Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats
  • 19:30 – Women’s 50m freestyle final
  • 19:35 – Men’s 50m butterfly final
  • 19:38 – Women’s 200m breaststroke final
  • 19:43 – Men’s 200m breaststroke final
  • 20:18 – Men’s 800m freestyle fast heat
  • 20:59 – Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay final
  • 21:21 – Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final

Friday 29 September

  • 10:00 – Women’s 50m butterfly heats
  • 10:12 – Men’s 50m breaststroke heats
  • 10:22 – Women’s 800m freestyle slow heats
  • 10:44 – Men’s 200m backstroke heats
  • 11:00 – Men’s 400m freestyle heats
  • 11:24 – Men’s 200m butterfly heats
  • 11:40 – Women’s 4x100m medley relay heats
  • 19:30 – Women’s 50m butterfly final
  • 19:35 – Men’s 50m breaststroke final
  • 19:38 – Women’s 800m freestyle fast heat
  • 19:49 – Men’s 200m backstroke final
  • 20:24 – Men’s 400m freestyle final
  • 21:01 – Men’s 200m butterfly final
  • 21:21 – Women’s 4x100m medley relay final

How to watch swimming at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 in 2023

To watch the 2022 Asian Games held in 2023, you can tune into the various TV broadcasters and on-demand streaming provided by the broadcasters. The list includes:

  • CCTV in China
  • TBS in Japan
  • Sony LIV (Sony Sports Network) in India
  • MediaCorp Channel 5 and mewatch.sg in Singapore
  • MNCTV, RCTI, iNews TV, and Vision+ in Indonesia
  • KBS, MBC, SBS, and TV Chosun in the Republic of Korea
  • OneSports in Philippines
  • RTM and Astro in Malaysia
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