China’s 12-year-old Yu Zidi becomes youngest World Aquatics Championships medallist
Prodigy Yu Zidi, 12, earns relay bronze in Singapore, sparking debate over age limits in elite swimming.
China’s Yu Zidi rewrote the record books on Friday, claiming a bronze medal in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and—at just 12 years and 10 months—becoming the youngest medallist in the event’s 50-year history.
The student from Zhejiang province swam in the morning heats, helping China qualify third fastest. Under World Aquatics rules, all swimmers who compete in qualifying rounds receive the same medal as the final quartet, which went on to finish behind Australia and the United States.
Close calls in individual races
Yu had already turned heads earlier in the week, placing fourth in both the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley. In May she set a 12-year-old age-group world best of 2:10.63 in the medley, prompting the sport’s governing body to hail her as a "sensation".
Age-limit debate
World Aquatics normally requires competitors to be at least 14, but exceptions are granted when swimmers achieve the "A" qualifying standard. The decision has divided opinion among former champions.
Four-time world title holder Karen Pickering told ZAMONA Radio 5 Live she was "astonished" by Yu’s composure yet worried about the physical toll of elite training on a pre-teen. "We have seen what early specialisation can do to gymnasts," she said.
Olympic bronze medallist Steve Parry took a different view, comparing the prodigy to Sharron Davies, who raced at the 1976 Olympics aged 13. "Young talents like Yu and Katie Ledecky should be celebrated, provided their mental health is protected," he noted.
Yu’s historic bronze spotlights both the thrilling potential of young athletes and the ethical questions surrounding how early they should enter the highest levels of competition.
This topic was reported by BBC Sport.
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