12-Year-Old Yu Zidi Becomes Youngest Medallist at World Aquatics Championships
Chinese schoolgirl Yu Zidi has made history by becoming the youngest swimmer ever to win a medal at the World Aquatics Championships. The 12-year-old, who helped China secure bronze in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, swam during the heats earlier this week and therefore qualified for a medal, despite missing Thursday’s final.
China finished third behind the United States and gold medal winners Australia in Singapore, marking a proud moment for the nation and a remarkable achievement for the young swimmer. Yu, who will turn 13 in October, is the youngest medallist at a major international competition since Denmark’s Inge Sorensen claimed bronze in the 200m breaststroke at the 1936 Olympics, just shy of her 12th birthday.
“It feels quite emotional, it’s a nice feeling,” Yu said, reflecting on her historic accomplishment. Her success comes after narrowly missing out on individual medals earlier in the week, finishing fourth in both the 200m butterfly final on Thursday and Monday’s individual medley final, where she missed out by just 0.06 seconds.
Yu has been turning heads in swimming circles for months. In May, she set a world record for a 12-year-old in the 200m individual medley, clocking an impressive 2:10.63. Her performances have prompted World Aquatics to label her a “sensation” on social media, sparking a global conversation about young athletes competing at the highest level.
Her participation has, however, divided opinion. Competitors at the World Championships typically must be at least 14 years old, but Yu was granted entry after achieving times that met the association’s ‘A’ standard. While there is no doubt about her talent, some experts have raised concerns about the physical and mental toll of elite competition on such a young athlete.
Speaking on My Newspaper Radio 5 Live, four-time world champion Karen Pickering highlighted the potential risks. “To see a youngster go in the events she is doing is astonishing, but it does raise the question of how long she has been training hard,” Pickering said. “What kind of training is she doing? What is that doing to her physically? We’ve seen it with gymnasts pushed too young and the long-term impact it can have.”
Olympic bronze medallist Steve Parry, however, praised Yu’s achievements and drew comparisons with other prodigies like Sharron Davies, who represented Great Britain at the 1976 Olympics at just 13. “It’s a young girl who is 12 years of age and it’s right we ask questions, but young athletes like Yu or Katie Ledecky should be celebrated,” Parry said. “We have to make sure their mental health is looked after and they aren’t being pushed too much physically, but her talent is undeniable.”
Yu Zidi’s journey is likely just beginning. With her performances already making waves globally, the world will be watching to see how far this swimming prodigy can go. For China, she represents not only a sporting triumph but also a glimpse into the future of elite swimming, where age is no barrier to exceptional talent.
