12-Year-Old Yu Zidi Sets Chinese 200m Age Record at Nationals

Twelve-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi has been hailed as a sensation after setting the fastest-ever time for her age group in the 200-meter individual medley, clocking 2:10.63 at China's national championships and finishing second behind 2024 Olympic finalist Yu Yiting. Her time would have been sufficient to reach the semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, underscoring her rising prominence in the sport and positioning her for potential inclusion in China's squad for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. Yu further improved her performance in the 200m butterfly semifinals with a time of 2:08.52, ranking just outside China's all-time top 10 performers and significantly surpassing U.S. National Age Group Records for 11-12-year-olds. Despite the spotlight on Yu's achievements, Chinese swimming remains under scrutiny due to past doping controversies, with 23 athletes returning positive tests before the Paris Olympics and heightened testing protocols implemented by the International Testing Agency. Chinese officials maintain that doping violations were unintentional and reaffirm their commitment to zero tolerance for doping. Yu, who turns 13 in October, has expressed a strong focus on training and competition, reflecting her rapid development and growing recognition in swimming circles worldwide.