The world rankings were given a solid nudge by the top tier of those racing at Chinese national championships in Shaoxing, southeast China, where standards were high broad and deep.

Li Xuanxu, Hunan, on 4:34.92, and Ye Shiwen, Zhejiang, on 4:35.17, rose to 5th and 6th in the world so far this year at the helm of the women's 400m medley, both a stroke away from their best efforts in 2011. And in third came 14-year-old Zhou Min, on 4:44.49 last year and today on 4:37.83. 

Zhou is being guided by American coach Chris Martin Shanghai, where a whole squad is working with Nelmsing, the holistic programme devised by Milt Nelms, the water whisperer, in association with his partner Shane Gould and veteran US coach Bill Boomer. You can read much more on that in the latest edition of the SwimNews Magazine, while the next edition of the publication will consider the launch and mission of the Swedish Center For Aquatic Research in Lund this year.

China's men are on the move too: Zhang Fenglin, Shandong, clocked 1:57.39 in the 200m backstroke for 5th in the world so far in a race with Xu Jiayu, Zhejiang, second in 1:58.27; the 200m butterfly for men had Chen Yin, Hebei, on 1:56.14, fifth in the world this year, ahead of Olympic medallist Wu Peng, Zhejiang, on 1:57.16; and in the 200m breaststroke, the top two clocked times just outside the best 10 in the world this year, Li Xiang, Tianjin, on 2:11.67, Chen Cheng, Shanghai, on 2:11.76.

Results at a glance:

Women's 50m butterfly:

• 1. Lu Ying, Shanghai, 26.42 seconds
• 2. Jiao Liuyang, Guangzhou Army, 26.75
• 3. Zhu Wenrui, Tianjin, 26.89
• 4. Li Shuyi, Liaoning, 26.91
• 5. Sun Mengyue, Chinese Navy, 26.94
• 6. Liu Zige, Shanghai, 26.99

Men's 200m butterfly:

• 1. Chen Yin, Hebei, 1:56.14
• 2. Wu Peng, Zhejiang, 1:57.16
• 3. Shi Feng, Shanghai, 1:57.87
• 4. Chen Weiwu, Shandong, 1:57.96
• 5. Yang Zhixian, Hunan, 1:58.83

Men's 200m breaststroke:

• 1. Li Xiang, Tianjin, 2:11.67
• 2. Chen Cheng, Shanghai, 2:11.76
• 3. Lai Zhongjian, Chinese Navy, 2:12.45
• 4. Xie Zhi, Yunnan, 2:12.84
• 5. Xue Ruipeng, Shanxi, 2:13.77

Men's 200m backstroke:

• 1. Zhang Fenglin, Shandong, 1:57.39
• 2. Xu Jiayu, Zhejiang, 1:58.27
• 3. Cheng Feiyi, Liaoning, 1:58.36
• 4. Wang Kecheng, Hunan, 2:00.48
• 5. Lin Yongqing, Liaoning, 2:00.56

Women's 400m individual medley:

• 1. Li Xuanxu, Hunan, 4:34.92
• 2. Ye Shiwen, Zhejiang, 4:35.17
• 3. Zhou Min, Shanghai, 4:37.83
• 4. Zheng Rongrong, Zheliang, 4:40.22
• 5. Chen Xinyi, Shanghai, 4:41.01

Women's 4x100m freestyle relay

• 1. Shanghai, 3:41.93
• 2. Beijing, 3:44.42
• 3. Shandong, 3:46.01
• 4. Jiangsu, 3:47.02
• 5. Hebei, 3:47.19