Precocious talent, child prodigy, star swimmer and unparalleled athlete. They were some of the qualities he received a few months ago Chinese Yu Zidi After winning a bronze medal at the age of 12 in the 4 x 200 freestyle relay at the World Championships in Singapore, he equaled the mature speed record of Denmark’s Inge Sorensen, who at the same age stood on the podium at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Yu Zidi did not jump into the pool that day, but he was part of the team in previous rounds. The Asian swimmer not only won a medal, but… He was on the verge of winning two more in the individual eventsBecause she finished fourth in the 200-meter medley and 200-meter butterfly. A series of achievements that shook the world of swimming, opened the door to debate about the current competition system and exposed such young athletes.
But the Chinese feeling did not stop there. under One month after turning 13 years oldThe swimmer signed it first Asian record At the National Swimming Games in Shenzhen, he achieved a resounding victory in the 200 meter individual medley (IM).
The young swimmer once again amazed everyone. The athlete stopped the clock at 2:07.41He surpassed the Asian mark of his compatriot Ye Shiwen, the Olympic gold medalist in the 2012 London Olympics, with a time of 2:07.57 at the age of 16 years. A precocious swimmer beats another precocious competitor who is still far from reaching her ceiling.
Yu finished the race almost a second faster than 20-year-old Yu Yiting, runner-up at the 2022 Asian Games. But the child prodigy’s achievement should be kept in mind: Only eight swimmers have gone faster in this competition, and the world record is currently held by Canadian Summer McIntosh, with a time of 2:05.70.
He set a new Asian record and became… The ninth fastest car in history“Wrote in a post on social networks the World Aquatics Federation, the federation responsible for regulating swimming standards at the international level and which some are skeptical about allowing the participation of these young athletes.
Open discussion about your participation
World Aquatics also did not expect a case like Yu Zidi’s and is considering tightening regulations to protect the minor. at the moment, The minimum age for competition is set at 14 yearsUnless they reach the so-called “A” brands, which is the exception through which the Chinese have crept in. “I didn’t think a 12-year-old girl would have the ability to swim like that,” Brent Nowicki, the federation’s executive director, said at the world championships in Singapore. Until the changes are resolved, the swimmer continues to amaze the world, now with an Asian record.
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