13-year-old Yu Zidi breaks Asian Games record for first major gold
Chinese 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi won her first major gold medal, setting an Asian Games record in the 200m butterfly in Tokyo. She is already being tipped as a potential star at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
A 13-year-old Chinese schoolgirl stole the spotlight on the opening day of the Asian Games, winning the 200m butterfly with a time that broke the competition's record. Yu Zidi finished in two minutes 05.08 seconds, shaving almost half a second off the previous record set three years earlier by fellow Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei.
The victory marked Yu's first major gold medal, as she finished more than three seconds ahead of teammate Chang Mohan. Despite the standout performance, Yu described her swim modestly as "only so-so," noting that her butterfly technique still needs work.
"I hope I can swim even faster. I improved my time by 0.9 seconds here, and I believe I will perform better next time," she said after receiving her medal.
A rising talent
Yu is widely regarded as one of swimming's most promising young talents and is being tipped for success at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She is set to compete in two more individual events during the Asian Games in Tokyo.
This is not Yu's first taste of international recognition. Last year, at just 12 years old, she became the youngest swimmer ever to win a medal at the World Championships, helping China's 4x200m freestyle relay team claim bronze.
