‘It was only so‑so’: China’s Yu Zidi, 13, vows faster swims after Asian Games gold

In Tokyo, a 13-year-old Chinese swimmer named Yu Zidi won gold in the women's 200m butterfly at the Asian Games. She beat her own record by almost half a second, putting her time at 2 minutes, 5.08 seconds. This was faster than the previous record of 2 minutes, 5.57 seconds, set by another Chinese swimmer three years ago. Yu, who will turn 14 next month, took the gold medal with a time that was 3.36 seconds faster than her teammate Chang Mohan, who placed second.

Yu's time improvement was 0.9 seconds, and she expressed her hope to swim even faster in future competitions. This was Yu's first major gold medal, and she had previously been a world championships medallist at the age of 12. She mentioned that her technique still needs some improvement, specifically in terms of head position, forward reach, and leg movement.

Despite the high expectations and pressure placed on her, Yu remains optimistic about her future and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The swimmer's coach has advised her to persevere and believe in herself.