Rivals laud 'phenomenally talented' 12-year-old Chinese sensation
China's Yu finished fourth in the women's 200m medley in Singapore in her first world championships final, as Canadian star Summer McIntosh took gold.
Yu finished the race in 2min 09.21sec, missing out on bronze by 0.06sec.
American Alex Walsh, who took silver, said Yu was "phenomenally talented at such a young age".
"I think it will be interesting to see how she takes this meet and translates it into the future swims she has because she's definitely got a really bright future," said Walsh.
Yu was fastest off the blocks and she was in third place before fading towards the end of the race.
She will also compete in Singapore in the 400m medley and 200m butterfly.
Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who beat Yu to the bronze, said the Chinese swimmer can be a force at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"She might have more pressure by the end of the meet because she's been swimming really well so far," said Harvey.
"I used to be a junior and I used to think that it's just gaining experience for the future, and I think going into LA we're probably going to see her a lot more."
Yu discovered swimming as a six year old in order to cool off in China's boiling-hot summers.
Michael Bohl, China's storied Australian swimming coach, has predicted big things.
"I've never seen a 12-year-old that could swim like this," he told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in May.
The minimum age at the world championships is 14 but younger swimmers can compete if -- like Yu -- they meet the qualifying standard.
Meanwhile, McIntosh bagged her second gold at the swimming world championships as a "fragile" Gretchen Walsh defied illness.
The 18-year-old Canadian McIntosh romped home in the 400m freestyle on Sunday's opening night in Singapore and gave another demonstration of her huge talent a day later in the 200m individual medley.
She came home in 2min 06.69sec, with Alex Walsh of the United States second (2:08.58) and Canada's Harvey third (2:09.15).
"Going into the race tonight my goal was to put my head on the wall first, so to get that done is good," said the teenage phenomenon.
"I'm not super-happy with the time, but honestly, at a world championship, my goal is just to go as fast as I can."
McIntosh will also race in the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 800m freestyle in Singapore.
She is on track to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win five individual titles at a single world championships.
"Still happy with the gold and hoping to keep up my streak next time," she said.
Eyes on LA 2028
China's Qin Haiyang set his sights on glory at Los Angeles 2028 after reeling in Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi to reclaim his 100m breaststroke crown.
Qin recovered from a slow start to win in 58.23sec, beating Italy's Martinenghi (58.58) and Kyrgyzstan's Denis Petrashov (58.88).
Qin swept all three breaststroke races at the 2023 world championships in Japan, breaking the 200m world record.
But he crashed and burned at last year's Paris Olympics, finishing seventh after leading the 100m breaststroke final at the turn.
"I have a lot of anticipation for LA 2028," said Qin, after the 26-year-old delivered China's first swimming gold medal of the championships.
Li Bingjie won silver for China in the women's 400m freestyle on Sunday.
France's Maxime Grousset came through at the death to win the 50m butterfly gold by a fingertip from Switzerland's Noe Ponti.
The fast and furious race will appear at the Olympics for the first time at Los Angeles.
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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
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Khaleej Times
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Too much too young?: Swimming's dilemma over 12-year-old schoolgirl
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Khaleej Times
5 days ago
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McIntosh and Marchand dazzle for gold at world championships
Summer McIntosh came within a whisker of breaking a long-standing world record and Leon Marchand failed to improve on a new mark he set just a night earlier, but both young guns won gold medals at the world championships in Singapore on Thursday. Romania's David Popovici also flirted with a record on day five at the World Aquatics Championships Arena, the 20-year-old claiming a thrilling 100 metres freestyle gold to go with his 200 crown on day three. The 200 butterfly world record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in 2009 is the last surviving mark from the supersuit era in women's swimming -- and McIntosh all but took it down. She stormed to her third individual gold medal of the meet in 2:01.99, the second-fastest swim of all time and a yawning three seconds better than American silver medallist Regan Smith. Having made the last turn under world record pace the Canadian 18-year-old flagged slightly coming home and shouted an expletive when she spied the clock. "I know that I messed up the last 15 metres of my race," she said. "Overall, happy with the time and a PB, but I didn't reach my goal tonight." China's 12-year-old marvel Yu Zidi finished just off the podium again having also placed fourth in the 200 IM. McIntosh might console herself in the knowledge that her bid for five individual titles remains intact, with the 400 IM and a hugely anticipated showdown with American great Katie Ledecky in the 800 freestyle still to come. Only Michael Phelps has won five individual golds at a world championships. Marchand, dubbed the "French Phelps", celebrated a world record on Wednesday when he blitzed the long-standing 200 IM mark of Ryan Lochte with an incredible swim of 1:52.69 in the semifinals. With victory seemingly assured in the final the only suspense was whether Marchand might reset his world record from the previous night but he ended up nearly a second short, with a time of 1:53.68. It was still the second fastest swim ever and led to a dominant win by 0.62 seconds ahead of American Shaine Casas and Hungarian Hubert Kos. Marchand said the record may have taken a bit out of him but he was hardly complaining. "I felt so excited yesterday that I couldn't sleep," he said. "So I think I lost a lot of energy yesterday night, but it was my goal to break the record, so I was really happy with it." Popovici then emerged the winner of a sensational men's 100 freestyle final, clocking 46.51 to give Pan Zhanle's world record (46.40) a big scare. American runner-up Jack Alexy also broke the 47-second barrier (46.92), while Paris Games silver medallist Kyle Chalmers took the bronze for Australia. At 20, 200 Olympic champion Popovici has already completed the 100-200 sweep twice at world championships, having done the double at Budapest three years ago. The relaxed Romanian said he had reached a higher plain; no longer worried about winning or losing. "I just feel very relieved that this huge pressure of being afraid of winning or losing is off me," he said. "I don't mean it in an arrogant way, I mean it in a self-maturing way." The United States celebrated a fourth gold in the meet as Katharine Berkoff won the 50 backstroke in 27.08 seconds, edging compatriot Smith. In the finale of Thursday's programme, Australia's women clinched a second relay gold as Mollie O'Callaghan held off Ledecky in a thrilling final leg to guide her 4x200 freestyle relay team over the finish line. Australia also won the men's and women's 4x100 freestyle golds on Sunday. O'Callaghan, whose 11th gold tied her with Ian Thorpe as the most successful Australian at the world championships, will now look to add the 100 freestyle title to her 200 crown on Friday. Medals will also be decided in the men's 200 breaststroke, 200 backstroke and 4x200 freestyle relay, as well as the women's 200 breaststroke.
