TOKYO, 24 September, 2026 (Nosheen): China’s 13-year-old swimming prodigy Yu Zidi has emerged as one of the standout performers at the Asian Games after winning all three individual events she contested in Tokyo, setting Asian Games records in each race. Yu claimed gold in the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, with her times ranking among the fastest in the world this year. Her performance in the 200m individual medley was just 0.4 seconds outside the world record held by Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who is expected to be one of her major rivals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Despite her remarkable results, Yu has played down talk of Olympic ambitions, saying she intends to continue working hard and learn from the Asian Games experience. Her teammate Ke Wenxi praised Yu’s dedication in training, saying her success was the result of sustained hard work. Yu, who turns 14 next month, has also spoken about the challenges of balancing schoolwork with intensive swimming training. With the Los Angeles Olympics approaching, her performances in Tokyo have drawn attention to her potential as a future international swimming star.