The new swimming star at the Worlds is called Yu Zidi and she is only … 12 years old

Therefore,

New swimming star worlds called:

– / AFP

The Chinese Yu Zidi after finishing the semi-final of the 200 meter freestyle female at the national swimming championships 2025 in Shenzhen. Nevertheless, on May 19, 2025.

SPORT – At the Swimming Worlds. For example, the eyes should have turned to Summer McIntosh, one of the immense stars of the Paris Olympics with its 3 gold medals at only 17 years old, and once again the immense favorite of all the races where it aligns. Nevertheless, But in recent days. Consequently, the Canadian swimmer seems somewhat overshadowed by the great attraction of these world championships: new swimming star worlds called Yu Zidi, a 12 -year -old Chinese prodigy, who turns out to be in the eyes of the world.

The college student. Similarly, nicknamed in China “The little girl of steel”did not miss his entry, qualifying on Sunday for the final of the 200 m four swimming with the seventh time of the semi-finals in 2’10 ”22, improving by 41 hundredths his record established in the spring and pulverizing his time of the morning series (2’11” 90). Consequently, She will find Summer McIntosh, immense favorite of the event.

Yu Zidi had already amazed the swimming world in May, during the China Championships, with impressive time. Consequently, She had first improved the world record for the first time in her age -old category over 200 m four swimming. Nevertheless, She had then flew over the 400 meter four swimming in 4’35 ”53. In addition, A time that new swimming star worlds called would have allowed her to finish … Fourth at the Paris Olympics. On 200 meters butterfly. also, she had imposed herself with a performance that would have placed her at the foot of the Olympic podium.

These results opened the doors of the Singapore Worlds to this young girl who started swimming a little by chance. “That summer. it was really super hot, so I went to the water park with my father”she told the official news agency China Nouvelle. “I was often going to refresh myself (…) and a coach spotted me”she explained. Today. it juggles between the courses, the training and the expectations implied by its status as a rising star of Chinese sport.

New swimming star worlds called

“Never seen”

“My days are very full, I don’t have much time. But it is also very enriching ”she said. Revealed at the national new swimming star worlds called level last year. Yu Zidi is already compared to his compatriot Ye Shiwen, who became the youngest Chinese swimmer at the Olympic medalist at 16 at the London Olympics in 2012. Her coach Li Chao praised his “Excellent sense of race”and its concentration which “Getting a lot of ways” that. of athletes her age.

Swimming is a sport where the extreme precocity of its athletes is frequent. especially because there is no minimum age to participate in the race events. Thus. the Canadian Summer McIntosh had herself participated in the Tokyo Olympics from 2021 at only 14 years old, bordering on a first bronze medal. If we go back a little more. the Japanese Kyōko Iwasaki had even become Olympic champion of the 200 m breaststroke at only 14 years and six days.

The experienced Australian coach of the Chinese team Michael Bohl is nevertheless convinced: new swimming star worlds called “I have never seen. a 12 year old girl swim in this way”he said on CCTV state television. “If she continues on this momentum, she will become a pillar of Chinese swimming”, he continued.

Chinese swimming suspected of doping

The new nugget brings a little new blood to Chinese swimming largely suspected of doping. The swimmers of the Middle Empire had arrived at the Paris Olympic Games last year in a climate of suspicion. after media reported that 23 team members, including Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei, had been checked positive for a prohibited substance, the Trimetazidine (TMZ), during a national competition in late 2020 and early 2021.

After investigation. the Chinese anti -doping authorities concluded that the substance had been involuntarily ingested, due to contaminated foods in the hotel where the athletes stayed. The World Anti -Doping Agency (AMA) has considered credible explanation new swimming star worlds called and did not sanction swimmers.

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