&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Asian Games 2026: Meet Yu Zidi - China's 13-year-old gold medallist swimmer")
China's 13-year-old Yu Zidi scripted history at the ongoing 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a gold medal in swimming on Sunday (Sep 20). Yu won her medal in the 200m butterfly, clocking an Asian Games record time of 2:05.08. With the Los Angeles Olympics about two years away, Yu's first major gold couldn't have come at a better time. Last year, she became the youngest medal winner in swimming World Championships history with a bronze in a relay race at the age of just 12. The schoolgirl turns 14 next month and will compete in two more events at the ongoing Asian Games.
Yu reacts to winning gold at Asian Games
Yu reacted to her swimming medal win at the Asian Games by saying "it was only so-so," albeit with a smile. With her win, her hopes of participating in the Olympics have definitely gained momentum. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Canada's Summer McIntosh had also made her debut at 14 and finished fourth in the 400m freestyle.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's multiple Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey says Yu is exciting for the swimming world. "I think the general consensus is we have more and more great young swimmers swimming well," said Haughey, 28, on Monday (Sep 21), as reported by AFP.
"When Summer first started she was also very young and swimming fast, so I think that's kind of the trend these days.
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"Hopefully, swimming well that young translates to as you get older and well into your 20s and beyond, so it's exciting for the swimming world," she added.
What's next at the Asian Games?
Swimming is one of the sports taking place in Tokyo, while the rest of the events are being played in Aichi-Nagoya. As for Yu, she will next compete in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, hoping to increase her medal tally.
