Yu Zidi of China, a 12-year-old swimming sensation, created history by becoming the youngest-ever medallist at the World Aquatics Championships.
She became the youngest ever medalist at the competition after being part of China’s bronze medal winning team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay in Singapore.
Yu had narrowly missed out on an individual medal in the women’s 200m butterfly earlier after finishing fourth. She also finished fourth and just outside a medal position in the women’s 200m medley on Monday, touching the wall 0.06 seconds behind bronze winner Mary-Sophie Harvey of Canada.
Who is Yu Zidi?
Born on October 6, 2012, in Baoding, Hebei Province, Yu Zidi is a 12‑year‑old Chinese swimming prodigy whose once-in-a-generation speed has redefined what’s possible in elite aquatic competition.
She took up swimming for purely fun reasons—”to beat the summer heat”—when her dad brought her to a water park at age 6. A casual coach spotted her, and soon she progressed into a structured training programme, ultimately joining the Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club in Hengshui City, where she now trains alongside elite swimmers such as Li Bingjie.
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The Rise of Yu Zidi
At the May 2025 Chinese National Championships in Shenzhen, Yu stunned the swimming world. She recorded 2:10.63 in the 200 m individual medley, the fastest ever by any 12‑year‑old (male or female) — well under the World Aquatics “A” standard of 2:12.83 2. She followed up with 2:06.83 in the 200 m butterfly and 4:35.53 in the 400 m individual medley — times that would have ranked fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
These performances qualified her for all three events at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, despite World Aquatics’ general 14‑year‑old age rule (which may be waived if the athlete meets the A‑cut standard) — making Yu one of the very few athletes ever to earn such times so young.
Yu made her global debut at the World Championships in Singapore 2025 and became the youngest swimmer ever to compete at the stage.
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Yu Zidi at World Aquatics Championships 2025
200 m Individual Medley
She advanced to the final, becoming the youngest-ever swimmer to reach one- at just 12 years, 285 days, beating the previous record by nearly nine months. In that final, she clocked 2:09.21, finishing 4th and missing bronze by only 0.06 seconds.
200 m Butterfly
Two days later, she took the pool again for the final of the 200 m butterfly, finishing 4th in 2:06.43, just 0.31 seconds from a medal- once again setting a new personal best and cementing her place among the world’s elite.
4×200 m Freestyle Relay
Yu swam the lead-off leg in the relay heats, helping China qualify third fastest. Though she was replaced in the evening final, where China took bronze behind Australia and the U.S., she officially earned a World Championships medal- making her the youngest medallist in the history of the meet.
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Yu Zidi Milestones
Still several months shy of her 13th birthday, Yu is the youngest individual finalist and the youngest ever medallist at the World Aquatics Championships. She broke a 39-year-old record, previously held by Canada’s Allison Higson (bronze medalist at 13 years, 158 days in 1986).
Her relay bronze places her among the most precocious medalists since Denmark’s Inge Sorensen, who claimed Olympic bronze in 1936 at age 12- the last time anyone so young earned an international swimming medal.
