12-year-old Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi qualifies for 200IM final in World Aquatics Championships debut
Despite her tender age, Yu has clocked some of the fastest times in the world in 2025.
Twelve-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi in action during the women's 200m Individual Medley Semi-Final of the FINA World Aquatics Championships on Jul 27, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: Fresh out of the pool and facing what will be one of the first media scrums of a potentially long and storied career, 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi was all smiles.
That grin was about to get broader after being told that she had qualified for the women's 200m individual medley (IM) final on Monday (Jul 28).
"Did I qualify?" she asked reporters in Mandarin. "I'm happy and I will keep trying my best in the future. I hope I can make a breakthrough at this competition and show what I'm truly capable of."
The 12-year-old finished seventh fastest in the semi-finals on Sunday (Jul 27) night, with Canadian swimming sensation Summer Mcintosh topping the field.
"It's better than I expected," she said of her World Championships experience so far.
The next youngest competitor to have made the 200IM final is Japan's Mio Narita, who is about six years older than Yu.
High hopes are pinned on the diminutive Yu, who has clocked incredible timings back home this year.
At the China National Championships in May, she registered a time of 2:10.63 in the 200IM. According to World Aquatics, this is the fastest time in history recorded by a 12-year-old in the event.
On Sunday, she went even faster, with a 2:10.22 in her semi-final.
Yu also clocked 2:06.83 en route to winning the 200m butterfly at the China National Championships in May, a time which would have put her fourth in last year’s Paris Olympics.
She won the 400IM at that meet with a time of 4:35.53, which would have also put her fourth at the 2024 Games.
Yu, who at the age of six was introduced to swimming at an amusement park by her father, will compete in three events at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore - the 200IM, the 200m butterfly, and the 400m individual medley.
"There will definitely be pressure, but I'll just do my best," she said.
Asked how she felt after her first two races - the morning's heats and the evening's semi-finals - in Singapore, Yu's answer was simple:
"Pretty tired."
Earlier in the evening, the Australian swim team got their campaign off to a strong start with golds in the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay.
The men's quartet of Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chambers set a World Championships record, with Italy taking second and the United States third.
Canada's McIntosh stormed to gold in the 400m freestyle, as China's Li Bingjie took silver and legendary American Katie Ledecky picked up the bronze.
