On Sunday, the swimming world got its first glimpse of 12-year-old Chinese swimming prodigy Yu Zidi as she debuted at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Yu did not disappoint during the opening day of the eight-day event. She completed the 200-meter individual medley in 2 minutes, 11.90 seconds, securing a spot in the semifinals with the 15th fastest qualifying time out of 16.
While her performance was slightly slower than her season-best of 2:10.63, Yu’s entry remains remarkable given her young age. She is set to compete in three events during the championships, including the 400 IM and 200 butterfly. Among these, the 200 IM is considered her least strong.
Her recent times in both the butterfly and the 200 IM at the Chinese national championships rank among the world’s best this season. In fact, her personal bests in these events would have placed her fourth at last year’s Paris Olympics.
Although World Aquatics, the international governing body for swimming, generally requires competitors to be at least 14 years old, exceptions are made for younger swimmers who meet rigorous qualifying standards.
Yu, dressed in a black swim cap and gray suit, remained quiet after her race, letting her remarkable performance speak for itself.
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