Young prodigy Yu Zidi, a 12-year-old from China, earns the title of the youngest medalist in the annals of the World Aquatics Championships.
12-Year-Old Yu Zidi Makes History at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships
Yu Zidi, a 12-year-old swimmer from China, made history at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore by becoming the youngest ever medalist.
In the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay, Yu Zidi's participation played a significant role in China's bronze medal win. Swimming in the preliminary race, she helped her team qualify for the final and ultimately secure third place with a time of 7:42.99.
However, Yu Zidi narrowly missed out on an individual medal in both the women's 200m butterfly and medley events. She finished fourth in both races, with 0.31 seconds separating her from Australia's Elizabeth Dekkers in the butterfly event and a mere 0.06 seconds separating her from Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey in the medley event.
Despite her young age, Yu Zidi's performance at the championships has not led to any controversy or debate about the eligibility rules. According to the guidelines, athletes must be citizens eligible to represent their country, complete and submit selection acceptance forms, be available for team commitments, comply with anti-doping and other World Aquatics rules, follow team codes of conduct, travel, and media protocols, and meet any sport-specific age or technical requirements.
Brent Nowicki, the executive director of World Aquatics, has acknowledged that the governing body will have to review its guidelines in the future due to Yu Zidi's participation. However, there is no information suggesting that her performance has prompted any debate or challenges to these eligibility rules.
Yu Zidi will have one more opportunity to win an individual medal at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in the women's 400m medley, which will take place on Sunday. The United States earned the silver medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 7:40.01, while Australia's team of Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins, Brittany Castelluzzo, and Mollie O'Callaghan won the gold medal with a time of 7:39.35.
The eligibility requirements for the World Aquatics Championships are stringent, ensuring fairness and adherence to rules. These requirements include being a citizen eligible to represent their country, meeting various criteria, and complying with anti-doping regulations, among others. Despite Yu Zidi's young age, she has met these requirements and has added a historic moment to the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.
Sport played a crucial role in China's bronze medal win in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay, with 12-year-old Yu Zidi being a significant contributor.
Disregarding the controversy and debate, Yu Zidi, despite her young age, made history at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships by becoming the youngest ever medalist in sports.
