Yu Zidi: The 12-year-old taking the swimming world by storm

At simply 12 years outdated, China’s Yu Zidi is already one of many quickest swimmers on this planet.

Her instances are so fast in actual fact, that she’s already in rivalry to win medals on the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore within the coming days.

World Aquatics has a minimum age requirement of 14 for the world championships, however Yu’s instances are so quick that she qualifies regardless.

The teen, not but an adolescent, will race within the 200m and 400m meter particular person medleys, in addition to the 200m butterfly. The precocious pre-teen may be chosen for China’s relay groups.

It will mark the primary time in her extremely quick profession that Yu will come up in opposition to the perfect on this planet – lots of whom may have paid consideration to the staggering instances she has set in her nation to this point.

At the nationwide championships again in May, the Chinese prodigy swam the 200m particular person relay in 2:10.63. Not solely did it win her a silver medal, however it was additionally the fastest time ever recorded by a 12-year-old, man or lady, in that self-discipline

She then swam the 200m butterfly, arguably her finest stroke, in 2:06.83. That time would have put her fourth in final 12 months’s Olympics, however it was additionally the fifth-fastest time on this planet this 12 months.

During the 2024 world championships, the time would have been sufficient to win her a gold medal.

While her private bests are breathtaking, it’s much more spectacular when you think about her age.

It’s an unimaginable rise for a woman who, in response to the Associated Press (AP), solely began swimming when she was six.

“The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park,” she instructed China’s official Xinhua News Agency, per the Associated Press.

“I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids. One day, a coach approached me and asked if I wanted to swim faster.”

It’s true that swimmers, notably girls, can compete on a world degree when they’re nonetheless very younger. You solely have to take a look at Canadian star Summer McIntosh for instance.

At the Tokyo Games in 2021, aged simply 14, McIntosh made her Olympic debut, ending fourth within the 200-meter freestyle.

She bagged gold within the 200m butterfly and 400m medley on the world championships in 2022, in addition to two golds on the Commonwealth Games within the 200m and 400m medleys.

Now 18, the Canadian is among the best swimmers on this planet, recently posting the second-fastest 200m butterfly in historical past.

American Katie Ledecky is one other swimmer who began early, making her Olympic debut in London when she was simply 15.

Now, she’s the most decorated female US Olympian of all time, with 14 medals to her title, together with 9 golds.

Both will function inspiration for Yu, who will look to proceed her trajectory over the approaching years.

The LA Olympics in 2028 are the plain goal. Yu shall be 15 by then and would absolutely be among the many medal contenders if issues preserve progressing as they’re.

There are dangers, naturally, that Yu may burn out as she is launched to harder competitors and years of coaching, however for now, the 12-year-old is conserving her ft on the bottom.

“Since I am not competitive in the sprint events, I have to choose the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly as my favorites,” she stated.

“My age is currently an advantage and I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.”