China's Yu, 13, wins third Asian Games gold but has 'some regrets'

In Tokyo, 13-year-old Chinese swimming prodigy Yu Zidi achieved a remarkable feat by securing her third gold medal at the Asian Games. The young athlete achieved this feat by winning the 400m individual medley, setting a new Asian Games record of 4 minutes and 28.56 seconds. Yu's success in the Asian Games included victories in the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, both of which were also set in Asian Games-record times.

Despite her impressive performance, Yu expressed that she still has room for improvement before the 2028 Los Angeles Games. She acknowledged that while she gained a lot from the Asian Games, there were also some regrets. Yu emphasized that she will review her performance to identify areas where she can improve and hopes to do better in future competitions.

Yu's time in the 400m individual medley surpassed the previous Asian Games record set by China's Ye Shiwen in 2014 by nearly 4.5 seconds. The world record holder Summer McIntosh held the top three positions for world fastest times. Yu downplayed the ease of her success, stating that it was quite challenging. She finished 3.95 seconds ahead of silver medallist Ke Wenxi, also from China, with Japan's Mio Narita taking the third spot.

Yu and Ke Beidou shared a warm camaraderie ahead of the Games, encouraging each other throughout the event. Yu remained focused on her future goals, stating that she will continue to work hard and break through her limits to achieve success at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In another impressive day for China in the pool, the team won six out of seven gold medals offered, following a similar pattern on the opening day of swimming events.

Yu Yiting upset her teammate Zhang Yufei to win the women's 100m butterfly final in a time of 56.41 seconds. Zhang, a multiple Olympic gold medallist and world champion, had been the women's MVP at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Her performance faltered slightly in the final stretch, finishing 0.03 seconds behind Yu.