Sun Yang of China celebrates after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds. Photo : Xinhua

 
China's Sun Yang clinched his third Olympic gold medal on Monday by winning the men's 200m freestyle at the Rio Olympics.

The 24-year-old finished in 1 minute 44.65 seconds, 0.55sec ahead of South Africa's Chad le Clos with the USA's Conor Dwyer 0.58sec further back.

It was China's first swimming gold medal of the Rio Games. Sun won silver in the same event at the London 2012 Games.

World record holder Paul Biedermann of Germany was sixth in the final, 1.19sec behind Sun.

Sun Yang of China celebrates after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds. Photo: Xinhua

 

Sun Yang of China celebrates after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds. Photo : Xinhua

 

Sun Yang of China celebrates after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds. Photo : Xinhua

 

Sun Yang of China celebrates after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds. Photo : Xinhua