Asian Games MVPs: Meet teenage sensation Yu Zidi & sprint king Puripol Boonson
Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson were named MVPs of the 2026 Asian Games after record-breaking performances. Both athletes received $25,000 for their achievements in their respective sports.
Why it matters
The recognition of these young athletes highlights the rising dominance of teenage and young adult competitors in international multi-sport events.
The Asian Games have found two new superstars.China's 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi and Thailand's 20-year-old sprinting powerhouse Puripol Boonson were named the Female and Male Most Valuable Players of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Sunday.The pair were rewarded for spectacular campaigns in which they combined multiple gold medals with a string of Asian Games and Asian records, emerging as two of the brightest young stars of the continental showpiece.Yu and Boonson will each receive USD 25,000 from the OCA for their performances.Yu Zidi: Teen sensation makes historyYu was one of the breakout stars of Aichi-Nagoya, winning three individual gold medals at just 13 years of age and becoming the youngest MVP in Asian Games history.Her golden run began in the women's 200m butterfly, where she clocked 2:05.08 on September 20 to set a new Games Record.A day later, she produced an…
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