Yu Zidi Continues Rapid Rise as 13-Year-Old Eyes Olympic Success
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
China’s Yu Zidi is continuing her remarkable rise in international swimming after making history as the youngest-ever medallist at the World Aquatics Championships.
The 13-year-old swimmer first attracted worldwide attention at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where she competed in the heats of China’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay. Although she did not swim in the final, China won bronze, making Yu a world championships medallist at just 12 years old.
She also finished fourth in the 200m and 400m individual medley and the 200m butterfly.
Later that year, Yu produced another outstanding performance at China’s National Games. Shortly after turning 13, she recorded 2:07.41 in the women’s 200m individual medley, which was then an Asian record.
Strong Start at Asian Games
Yu has continued that form at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, winning gold in all three individual events she entered.
She claimed victory in the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley before completing her campaign with another gold medal in the 400m individual medley on Wednesday.
Each of her three victories came in a new Asian Games record time.
Before travelling to Japan, Yu told Chinese media that she was looking forward to making her Asian Games debut and highlighted the importance of maintaining her training standards.
“Train well, don’t slack off,” she said, according to Xinhua. “Demonstrate the level of your training and work hard to break past yourself.”
Balancing School and Elite Training
Yu was born in Baoding, a city around 150 kilometres south of Beijing. She was introduced to swimming after being noticed by a coach at a water park when she was six.
Since then, she has balanced school with an increasingly demanding training schedule.
She previously acknowledged that combining classes and intensive training could be exhausting, saying there were times when she was so tired that she could fall asleep while eating.
Despite the demands, Yu has said she never seriously considered giving up swimming and had long dreamed of becoming a national champion.
She has also spoken openly about the pressure of competing at such a young age. Ahead of China’s National Games last year, she said the expectations surrounding the 400m individual medley had become overwhelming.
Yu eventually discussed her feelings with her coach, who encouraged her to continue and have confidence in herself. She later won four medals at the National Games.
Looking Ahead to Los Angeles 2028
Yu’s rapid progress has also brought attention to the demands of elite competition for young athletes.
World Aquatics generally sets a minimum age of 14 for international championships, although younger swimmers can receive exceptions when they meet the required performance standards.
With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics approaching, Yu could be 15 when she makes her Olympic debut.
Her performances have already suggested significant potential. At China’s national championships in June, she won the 400m individual medley in 4:30.79, a time that would have placed her second in the event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Yu has repeatedly stressed that long-term success requires more than natural ability.
“Although talent determines where you start, going further and standing taller is dependent on perseverance and effort,” she said.
With several years still ahead before Los Angeles 2028, the young swimmer says she remains focused on continuing her development and pursuing her Olympic ambitions.
