Overview

• Yu Zidi will be the youngest competitor at the 2025 World Swimming Championships in Singapore when she makes her international debut later this month.
• Her times of 2:10.63 in the 200m individual medley, 2:06.83 in the 200m butterfly and 4:35.53 in the 400m individual medley rank among the fastest in 2025 and would have contended for medals at last year’s Paris Olympics.
• World Aquatics rules generally set a 14-year minimum age but allow waivers for athletes who meet elite performance standards, a path Yu cleared in three events.
• Yu, who began swimming at age six after being spotted at a water park, trains at the Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club in Hengshui City, south of Beijing.
• Her season-best times at age 12 outpace those of peers like Summer McIntosh at the same age and position her within reach of the podium in multiple events.