QINGDAO, China, May 12 -- Olympic champion Sun Yang ranked first in the men's 200-meter freestyle preliminary at the Swimming National Championships, which kicked off Monday in east China's Qingdao.

Sun, runner-up in the event at the London Olympic Games, established the lead after the first 50m and touched the wall in 52.54 seconds after the first 100m. Sun finished the race in 1:47.69, 3.22 seconds behind his fastest time in this event.

Shang Keyuan, Sun's teammate of Zhejiang, placed second in the preliminary with 1:48.73, and Li Yusen of Henan finished the race in 1:48.78 for the third place.

Attracting more than 700 swimmers from 28 teams all across the country, the Swimming National Championships features 38 events in six days.

China's General Administration of Sports will take into account of the Games in selecting swimmers for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.