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Mike Chan

The sky is the limit for Chinese swimming starlet Yu Zidi after the teenage girl stormed to her maiden Asian Games gold medal on her regional multi-sport games debut on Sunday.
Yu powered to the women’s 200 metres butterfly crown, leading from start to finish at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre before touching the wall first in a Games-record time of two minutes and 5.08 seconds, taking over the honour from compatriot Zhang Yufei, who set the time in Hangzhou three years ago.
Yu, 13, was already three seconds faster than the next swimmer, Chiho Mizuguchi of Japan, in the morning heats; even compatriot Chang Mohan, who claimed a silver medal in the evening, was more than three seconds behind in 2:08.44 in the race for gold.
It was the first of three individual events Yu is scheduled to compete in.
“It was only so-so,” a smiling Yu said after receiving her medal.
“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.”

Saying that her “technique is still slightly lacking”, Yu added that “I need to lower my head earlier, reach farther forward and improve the movement of my legs”.
It has been a swift rise for Yu, who was born in Baoding on October 16, 2012. What was meant to be a fun father-and-daughter trip to the water park one day in 2018, to escape the summer heat, turned out to be the opening of a new door.
“It was really hot that summer, so I went to the water park with my dad,” recalled Yu, who was only six years old when she visited the park.
“The summer vacation was very long, and I often went to the swimming pools, and that was when a coach noticed me.”
It was Yu’s “exceptional feel” for water that caught the eye of a swimming coach, and it was suggested that she join a swimming team. While other children her age were still afraid of water, Yu could already float on the surface of the water on her own, and her movements were also particularly smooth.
Under the guidance of enlightenment coach Li Chao, Yu showed remarkable improvement after receiving formal training.
She was among the national top 10 in the women’s 400m individual medley (IM) when she was 10 years and five months old. She also reached the level of a national first-class athlete – after only four years of systematic training – when she was 12, and was then selected for the second-tier training squad of the Hebei provincial swimming team.
On the team, Yu is often guided by teammate and Olympic medallist Li Bingjie, who also clinched gold with ease on Sunday, defending her 1,500m freestyle title in a time of 15:53.52. The Hebei pair are close, with Yu idolising the 24-year-old and often calling her “sister”.

“Olympic champions like Ye Shiwen and Zhang Yufei are role models for all young swimmers,” Yu was quoted as telling state media Xinhua News. “But for me, my idol Li was much closer to me; I trained with her every day, after all.
“I had heard about her for long, [and] since joining the same elite camp, I always trained with 200 per cent effort. I feel especially honoured to be able to train with her; it’s also a rare learning opportunity.
“Sometimes when I didn’t quite understand the training content, she would patiently explain it to me and share her own experience with me. This helped me a lot and encouraged me greatly.”
A host of national results, at both junior and senior levels, in 2024 showed a glimpse of her talent, but those successes did not come without hitting a hump or two along the road.
Yu recalled almost giving up swimming before April’s national championship in 2024.
“The dual pressure of training and studying left me exhausted,” she said. “Fortunately, with the support of my coach, teammates, friends, and parents, I realised that swimming had become an indispensable part of my life, and I simply couldn’t live without it.
“I often encourage myself, telling myself that as long as I train hard, I’ll get good results.”
She was right, and the next 12 months were a transformative year.
At the national championships in May last year, Yu, then 12, set the fastest time in the age group – by male or female – in the 200m IM. In the subsequent World Championships in Singapore, she helped China reach the 4x200m women’s freestyle relay final.
Despite not swimming in the final, in which China finished third, Yu still won a historic bronze and became the youngest-ever medallist at the Worlds.
After also finishing just outside the podium in three other events – 200m butterfly, and the 200m and 400m IM – in Singapore, Yu added three National Games gold medals in November on her debut, including clocking a time of 2:07.41 to smash a 13-year-old Asian record in women’s 200m IM along the way.
The previous record belonged to Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen, who achieved it on July 31 at the 2012 London Olympic Games – Yu was not born until 78 days later.
Yu’s regional record, however, has since been chalked off by compatriot Yu Yiting in June, the Zhejiang native further chopping 0.59 seconds off the time.
The current women’s 200m butterfly Asian record of 2:01.81 belongs to retired Chinese swimmer Liu Zige, who achieved that feat in Jinan back in 2009.
While Yu had chopped 0.63 seconds off her personal best record in the event, the few seconds difference with the regional-best time might prove a gap too far at this moment.

Turning 14 only next month, Yu now holds the baton in the race to catch up with Liu, and if she is able to take down the 2:01.81 Asian mark from 17 years ago, the world record – set by Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh in July, which is only 0.16 seconds faster – could be next.
Do not forget: when swimming events kick off at the SoFi Stadium in California on July 16, 2028, Yu will still be three months away from her 16th birthday.


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China’s Yu Zidi one her way to winning the women’s 200m butterfly Asian Games final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Yu Zidi (left) celebrates her win with runner-up and compatriot Chang Mohan. Photo: Reuters

China’s Li Bingjie, who defended her 1,500m freestyle title on Sunday, is a “sister” to Yu Zidi. Photo: AFP

China’s Liu Zige, who won the 200m butterfly at the 2008 Olympics, still holds the Asian record. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team celebrate after claiming silver at the Asian Games. Photo: Robert Ng

It was only Hong Kong’s second silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Asian Games. Photo: Robert Ng

Gold medallist Yu Zidi celebrates on the podium after her dominant victory. Photo: AFP

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Ceci Lee (right) is hoping to claim gold in the omnium. Photo: Eugene Lee

Alexandra Eala claimed her first tour title at the Washington Open. Photo: AFP

Yu Zidi is already being touted as a future Olympic swimming champion. Photo: AFP

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Oscar Coggins secured bronze at the National Games last year. Photo: Eugene Lee

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After bursting onto international scene last year, Hebei native clinches first regional title on debut appearance, with promise of more ahead


After bursting onto international scene last year, Hebei native clinches first regional title on debut appearance, with promise of more ahead.


Swimming

Yu Zidi

Asian Games 200m butterfly gold just the start for Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, 13

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After bursting onto international scene last year, Hebei native clinches first regional title on debut appearance, with promise of more ahead

After bursting onto international scene last year, Hebei native clinches first regional title on debut appearance, with promise of more ahead