Chinese 12-year-old ‘sensation' Yu Zidi on course for swimming's World Championships
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A 12-year-old Chinese swimmer has been hailed a 'sensation' and is on course for the world championships after clocking the fastest time in history in her event at that age.
Yu Zidi's blistering 2 mins 10.63sec in the women's 200m individual medley at China's national championships was well inside the standard required to qualify for Singapore in July-August.
China's swimming association told AFP they will wait until the week-long national competition in Shenzhen finishes on Saturday before finalising their squad for the world championships in Singapore.
Yu Zidi competes swimming at China's National Swimming Championships. Picture: AFP
Yu's scintillating swim on Sunday gave her second place behind Paris Olympian Yu Yiting in Shenzhen.
The global governing body, World Aquatics, tweeted: '12-year-old sensation alert!' Had the schoolgirl competed at last year's Paris Olympics, her time would have been good enough to reach the semi-finals.
Yu, who turns 13 in October, trains in the northern province of Hebei and has been earmarked as a 'new star' by Chinese state media after first making national headlines last year.
'In 2024 I participated in some competitions, achieved some results, and many swimming fans recognised me,' she told Chinese media earlier this year.
'After experiencing major competitions, I understood even better the importance of doing well in every training session to achieve good results and have a strong heart.' She added: 'The most difficult time is probably when you are closest to your goal. You must keep going.'
Originally published as 12-year-old 'sensation' on course for world stage after blitzing China's national swimming championships
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