13-year-old Yu Zidi completes Asian Games swimming hat-trick in record time

China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi completed a hat-trick of Asian Games gold medals on Wednesday, storming to victory in the women’s 400m individual medley in a Games-record 4min 28.56sec at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. CNA

It sealed a clean sweep of her three individual events in Tokyo, following wins in the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley — all three in Games-record times. CNA

Yu took the lead from the opening stroke and was never seriously challenged, touching 3.95sec clear of China’s Ke Wenxi, with Japan’s Mio Narita taking bronze. Her time shattered the previous Games record of 4:33.66, set by compatriot Ye Shiwen in 2014, by almost five seconds — and was the fourth-fastest time in the world this year, behind only the three quickest marks of world record-holder Summer McIntosh. Sportstar

Yu has been the talk of swimming since becoming the youngest medallist in World Championships history last year, aged 12, after helping China’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to bronze in Singapore. Al Jazeera She has embellished that reputation this year, notably with victory over American Olympic champion Regan Smith in March, and is now shaping up as a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. CNA

Team-mate Zhang Yufei, a multiple Olympic champion, said nothing Yu does surprises her any more: “Everyone is thinking, ‘Wow, what will her next result be?’ … Expectations have become bigger than surprise.” Straits Times

Sources

• Channel News Asia (Reuters): China’s Yu, 13, wins third gold with latest Asian Games record
• Sportstar: Yu Zidi, 13, sweeps Asian Games swimming golds with stunning 400m IM win
• Al Jazeera: Who is Yu Zidi, China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation?
• The Straits Times: 13-year-old Yu Zidi aims third Asian Games swimming gold