Two gold at 13 for China’s Yu Zidi, but youngest Asian Games record remains unclear
Thirteen-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi has won two gold medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, drawing comparisons to Canadian champion Summer McIntosh. Her rapid rise in international swimming has set the stage for a potential rivalry leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Why it matters
Yu's performance marks a significant shift in competitive swimming, highlighting the emergence of a new generation of teenage athletes.
At just 13, Yu Zidi is already swimming towards a rivalry that could define the next era of women's swimming.The Chinese teenager claimed her second gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, winning the women's 200m individual medley in 2:06.10 — a time that took her to within 0.40 seconds of the world record held by Canadian Olympic champion Summer McIntosh.The result has only intensified the anticipation around a potential Yu-McIntosh showdown. The two could meet as early as next year's World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, before the spotlight turns to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where Yu would still be only 15.McIntosh, who won three individual gold medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024, owns the world records in all three events Yu is targeting: 2:01.65 in the 200m butterfly, 2:05.70 in the 200m individual medley and 4:23.65 in the 400m individual medley.Yu closes in on McIntosh’s…
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