12-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi becomes youngest to win medal at worlds
Yu swam in the heats of the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay but missed Thursday's final as China claimed bronze behind Australia and the United States in Singapore.
Yu, who was competing in the women's 200 butterfly final on Thursday — finishing fourth — received a medal as a member of the Chinese relay team.
"It feels quite emotional, it's a nice feeling," she said.
Yu has turned heads with her performances in Singapore.
She qualified for Monday's 200 individual medley final and finished fourth, missing out on a medal by just 0.06 seconds in what is not considered her strongest event.
She followed that up with another fourth-place finish in the 200 butterfly final and will also compete in the 400 individual medley.
Yu, who turns 13 in October, discovered swimming at age six as a way to cool off during China's roasting summers.
She has drawn historical comparisons to Denmark's Inge Sorensen, who at 12 was the youngest-ever winner of an Olympic swimming medal with bronze at the Berlin Games in 1936.
But not everyone thinks Yu should be competing in Singapore.
Some in the sport have raised questions about the mental and physical impact of high-level training and competing at an age when she is still developing as a person.
Under current World Aquatics rules, the minimum age is 14 but younger swimmers can compete at the championships if — like Yu — they are fast enough.
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