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Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Times
Chinese prodigy, 12, fractions of a second off medal at World Championships
The 12-year-old Yu Zidi produced one of the most remarkable swimming performances in history by finishing just 0.06sec from a medal at the World Championships. In a sport famed for legends who emerge in their teens, Yu is especially young but the Chinese announced her arrival as a prodigious talent by coming fourth in the 200m individual medley final in Singapore on Monday. Yu is the first pre-teen to race at the World Championships and the youngest of 55 women who have swum inside 2min 10sec for the 200m medley. The average age for members of that club is 21. A 12-year-old has not competed at the highest level for almost 100 years — Denmark's Inge Sorensen won bronze in the 200m breaststroke at the Berlin Games of 1936. Sorensen remains the youngest-ever Olympic medal winner. Undeterred by the narrow miss, Yu, who shaved more than a second off her personal best to finish in 2:9.21, was already thinking about her other events this week, the 200m butterfly on Wednesday and the 400m medley on Sunday. 'I will try to get on the podium. But I feel like that's probably impossible. Still, I want to give it a shot. I was one step short today, so I will keep working hard,' Yu said. Yu certainly made an impression on her fellow competitors. 'She's obviously phenomenally talented at such a young age, and it'll be interesting to see how she takes this meet and translates it into the future swims,' said Alex Walsh, 23, the silver-medal winner from the United States. There have been many outstanding teenage swimmers but generally they do not make their mark before the age of 15. Shane Gould in 1972 and Katie Ledecky and Ruta Meilutyte in 2012 were all Olympic champions at 15, while Michael Phelps was 15 when he first raced at the Olympics. Gold in Yu's race went to Summer McIntosh, the Canadian 18-year-old superstar, who was a triple Olympic champion at 17. In the modern era Yu's versatility and speed are unprecedented for a 12-year-old and she is officially too young to hold a world junior record, which she could claim only after turning 14. Born in Baoding, Hebei Province, Yu started training at six. 'After four years of systematic training, she reached the level of a national first-category athlete and was accepted into the Taihua Jinye Swimming Club training centre in Hengshui, where the Hebei Province second team trains,' Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, reported. Yu was soon placed in practice lanes next to the likes of Olympic and world relay champion Li Bingjie and two other national team members. 'She is an Olympic champion, I swim in lane zero, she in lane one — that makes me nervous,' Yu said. By 11, she had clocked times that would have won her several British junior titles in age groups three and even six years older (butterfly) than her. In some events, she would be challenging for places at the Games in Britain's Olympic trials. Yu's precocious talent earned her the nickname 'Xiaohaijie' — 'the little big girl'. 'I found it quite strange at first, but I really like the nickname,' Yu said. 'At the same time, it also puts pressure on me. I'm afraid of doing poorly and disappointing people.' Her regime already includes high-altitude training in Yunnan and she covers 10km in the pool every day for at least six days of the week. Her routine and workload have raised eyebrows in many leading nations but Yu has credited her school for striking the right balance. 'Because everything is available here — training, meals, accommodation, lessons — I can fully concentrate on training during the day and go to school in the evening without distractions,' she said. Yu has conceded that the pressure to succeed can be overwhelming but said that it was her 'duty' to find a way through. As trials for the World Championships loomed large in April, she recalled how daunting the goal of winning a medal at the Chinese Championships felt. 'I almost wanted to give up,' Yu said. 'I was full of emotions and no longer wanted to train. Coaches, team doctor, parents, my first coach — everyone talked to me. I thought back to my beginnings and realised how important swimming is to me. I can't give up.' Still there are concerns about the pressures put on a 12-year-old. One leadership figure who has worked closely with champions, world-class sports scientists, physiologists and psychologists, said: 'When you have a talented young athlete who stands out at the age of 12, it's about ensuring you do the right thing for the long term, not the long-term development in the sport. 'That means taking things at a sensible pace, introducing the right type of training, the right type of competition at the right moment for them. 'There are plenty of athletes around the world who were identified at 12 years old, who could have been better at 13, 14, 15 and then taken through on a steady pace so that they're in the best physical shape between 20 to 26 years old. They're still in love with the sport, healthy and being able to do what they want and need to do at the right time of their life.'
The Australian
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Who is Yu Zidi? China 12 year old swimmer set for World Championships 2025
Yu Zidi discovered swimming as a small child in order to cool off and now aged just 12 the Chinese sensation will showcase her prodigious talents at the world championships from Sunday. The schoolgirl with the cartoon dog themed swimming cap stunned the sport in May with a series of eye-popping times at China's national championships. Yu, who turns 13 in October, clocked a blistering 2min 10.63sec in the women's 200m individual medley, the fastest time in history at that age. MEGA PREVIEW: RACES TO WATCH AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS She then romped to victory in the 400m medley in 4:35.53, which would have been enough for fourth place at the Paris Olympics last summer. Yu also triumphed in the 200m butterfly in another scarcely believable swim that would again have only narrowly missed out on a medal in Paris. Her performances easily qualified her for the world championships in Singapore. Yu, who trains in the northern province of Hebei and juggles swimming with her school work, took up the sport as a means of escaping China's searing heat. 'The summer that year was too hot, so I went to the water park with my dad,' she told the state news agency Xinhua. 'I often went to cool off at swimming pools … (and) a coach discovered me.' Swimming, homework and coping with the pressure of being China's latest big sporting hope makes for a hectic schedule for the youngster. 'I am very busy every day and I don't have much time, but it's also very fulfilling,' Yu said, according to Xinhua. Yu first came to national attention last year and drew comparisons at home to Ye Shiwen, who at 16 in London became the youngest Chinese swimmer to win a medal at the Olympics. As well as her speed and stamina, Yu's Hebei coach Li Chao has praised her 'good sense' and said her focus 'far exceeds her peers'. Michael Bohl, China's storied Australian swimming coach, went much further. 'I've never seen a 12-year-old that could swim like this,' he told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in May. TEAM DOPING SHADOW Perhaps with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, China have named their youngest squad for a swimming world championships, according to expert website SwimSwam. Along with Yu, the headline acts in the squad are men's 100m freestyle world record holder and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, and Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei. Qin cleaned up in the breaststroke at the worlds in 2023, only to fail to win a medal in individual events at the Paris Games last summer. He did though win gold and silver in medley relays. 'Butterfly Queen' Zhang has won 10 Olympic medals, among them 200m fly gold at Tokyo in 2021. China entered the Paris Olympics under a doping cloud following revelations that 23 of its swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Games. In April 2024, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD said they had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021. Chinese anti-doping authorities determined the 23 had ingested trace amounts of the drug unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that explanation and did not sanction the swimmers, which led US anti-doping authorities to accuse WADA of a cover-up. WADA denies this. Nine of the swimmers who failed doping tests are competing in Singapore, including Qin and Zhang. ROOKIE WATCH: AUSSIES BUOYED BY WORLD CHAMPS NEWCOMERS Lani Pallister on Saturday urged her young Australian teammates to 'soak in the moment' at swimming's world championships in Singapore with one eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Australians won seven swimming golds at the Paris Olympics but several big names have since retired or are skipping this year's world championships, which begin Sunday. That has opened the door for 10 debutants and Pallister, who made her Olympic bow in Paris, urged them to make the most of the experience. 'I think it's important for those on the team this year to really soak in the moment and do their best,' said the 23-year-old. 'I don't really think it's about the medal table, I think in three years' time is the bigger picture.' Australia's most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon, has hung up her goggles as have other stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Brianna Throssell and Jenna Strauch. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus — who lost her 400m freestyle world record to Canadian Summer McIntosh last month -— is on an extended break. Eleven of Australia's squad in Singapore are aged 20 or under. Veteran Cameron McEvoy, who is appearing at his seventh world championship, said the Australians were a team in transition. 'Things come and go, things change, you have to build up from time to time, you can't be constantly at the top and only at the top,' said the 31-year-old, the 50m freestyle Olympic champion. 'We have the most rookies on our team that I've seen across my whole time, which is exciting too.' At just 16, Sienna Toohey came from nowhere to qualify for the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Australia also have high hopes for fellow newcomers Hannah Fredericks (200m backstroke) and Ben Goedemans (800m freestyle), while Ella Ramsay, 21, will contest four events. 'A lot of them are very young, they've got a lot of years ahead of them,' said McEvoy. 'Starting that three years out from the Olympics instead of, say, 2027, one year out, goes a long way too.' Read related topics: China Ties More Sports Alexandria Perkins has claimed an unexpected world championships medal for Australia after finishing third in the women's 100m butterfly final. Olympics The USA might have sensed an opportunity when Emma McKeon and the Campbell sisters left, but the new generation have reminded the world how Australia sets the standard.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Wonderkid Yu Zidi, 12, leads China's youngest Worlds squad — but doping scandal lingers
BEIJING, July 26 — Yu Zidi discovered swimming as a small child in order to cool off and now aged just 12 the Chinese sensation will showcase her prodigious talents at the world championships from Sunday. The schoolgirl with the cartoon dog themed swimming cap stunned the sport in May with a series of eye-popping times at China's national championships. Yu, who turns 13 in October, clocked a blistering 2min 10.63sec in the women's 200m individual medley, the fastest time in history at that age. She then romped to victory in the 400m medley in 4:35.53, which would have been enough for fourth place at the Paris Olympics last summer. Yu also triumphed in the 200m butterfly in another scarcely believable swim that would again have only narrowly missed out on a medal in Paris. Her performances easily qualified her for the world championships in Singapore. Yu, who trains in the northern province of Hebei and juggles swimming with her school work, took up the sport as a means of escaping China's searing heat. 'The summer that year was too hot, so I went to the water park with my dad,' she told the state news agency Xinhua. 'I often went to cool off at swimming pools... (and) a coach discovered me.' Swimming, homework and coping with the pressure of being China's latest big sporting hope makes for a hectic schedule for the youngster. 'I am very busy every day and I don't have much time, but it's also very fulfilling,' Yu said, according to Xinhua. Yu first came to national attention last year and drew comparisons at home to Ye Shiwen, who at 16 in London became the youngest Chinese swimmer to win a medal at the Olympics. As well as her speed and stamina, Yu's Hebei coach Li Chao has praised her 'good sense' and said her focus 'far exceeds her peers'. Michael Bohl, China's storied Australian swimming coach, went much further. 'I've never seen a 12-year-old that could swim like this,' he told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in May. Team doping shadow Perhaps with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, China have named their youngest squad for a swimming world championships, according to expert website SwimSwam. Along with Yu, the headline acts in the squad are men's 100m freestyle world record holder and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, and Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei. Qin cleaned up in the breaststroke at the worlds in 2023, only to fail to win a medal in individual events at the Paris Games last summer. He did though win gold and silver in medley relays. 'Butterfly Queen' Zhang has won 10 Olympic medals, among them 200m fly gold at Tokyo in 2021. China entered the Paris Olympics under a doping cloud following revelations that 23 of its swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Games. In April 2024, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD said they had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021. Chinese anti-doping authorities determined the 23 had ingested trace amounts of the drug unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that explanation and did not sanction the swimmers, which led US anti-doping authorities to accuse WADA of a cover-up. WADA denies this. Nine of the swimmers who failed doping tests are competing in Singapore, including Qin and Zhang. — AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
China prodigy takes on swimming world aged 12
Yu Zidi discovered swimming as a small child in order to cool off and now aged just 12 the Chinese sensation will showcase her prodigious talents at the world championships from Sunday. The school girl with the cartoon dog themed swimming cap stunned the sport in May with a series of eye-popping times at China's national championships. Yu, who turns 13 in October, clocked a blistering 2min 10.63sec in the women's 200m individual medley, the fastest time in history at that age. She then romped to victory in the 400m medley in 4:35.53, which would have been enough for fourth place at the Paris Olympics last summer. Yu also triumphed in the 200m butterfly in another scarcely believable swim that would again have only narrowly missed out on a medal in Paris. Her performances easily qualified her for the world championships in Singapore. Yu, who trains in the northern province of Hebei and juggles swimming with her school work, took up the sport as a means of escaping China's searing heat. "The summer that year was too hot, so I went to the water park with my dad," she told the state news agency Xinhua. "I often went to cool off at swimming pools... (and) a coach discovered me." Swimming, homework and coping with the pressure of being China's latest big sporting hope makes for a hectic schedule for the youngster. "I am very busy every day and I don't have much time, but it's also very fulfilling," Yu said, according to Xinhua. Yu first came to national attention last year and drew comparisons at home to Ye Shiwen, who at 16 in London became the youngest Chinese swimmer to win a medal at the Olympics. As well as her speed and stamina, Yu's Hebei coach Li Chao has praised her "good sense" and said her focus "far exceeds her peers". Michael Bohl, China's storied Australian swimming coach, went much further. "I've never seen a 12-year-old that could swim like this," he told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in May. - Team doping shadow - Perhaps with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, China have named their youngest squad for a swimming world championships, according to expert website SwimSwam. Along with Yu, the headline acts in the squad are men's 100m freestyle world record holder and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, and Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei. Qin cleaned up in the breaststroke at the worlds in 2023, only to fail to win a medal in individual events at the Paris Games last summer. He did though win gold and silver in medley relays. "Butterfly Queen" Zhang has won 10 Olympic medals, among them 200m fly gold at Tokyo in 2021. China entered the Paris Olympics under a doping cloud following revelations that 23 of its swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Games. In April 2024, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD said they had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021. Chinese anti-doping authorities determined the 23 had ingested trace amounts of the drug unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that explanation and did not sanction the swimmers, which led US anti-doping authorities to accuse WADA of a cover-up. WADA denies this. Nine of the swimmers who failed doping tests are competing in Singapore, including Qin and Zhang. mya/je/pst
