SHENZHEN – Chinese swimming prodigy Yu Zidi stunned fans by breaking the Asian record at China’s National Games on Tuesday. At just 13, she swam the women’s 200m individual medley in 2:07.41, winning gold. Her time beat Ye Shiwen’s 2012 London Olympic mark of 2:07.57.
Yu’s record-setting performance drew loud cheers from spectators and ranks as the ninth fastest time in history. She is now the second fastest woman globally this year, behind only Canada’s Summer McIntosh. The schoolgirl also shaved nearly two seconds off her personal best set in Singapore in July.
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Yu first gained international attention at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore, becoming the youngest swimmer ever to medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay. She also placed fourth in her three individual events, showing early signs of a future Olympic contender.
Despite her rising fame, Yu remains grounded. She told CCTV she is “very happy” but focuses on training hard and doing her best, rather than the social media attention her victory generated. A related Weibo hashtag had 11 million views by Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, veteran swimmer Sun Yang, 33, showed he still has competitive fire. After finishing sixth in the men’s 400m freestyle, he advanced to Wednesday’s 200m final. Sun said he wants to push limits and represent his generation, proving age is no barrier in elite swimming.