Yu Zidi is not the first young swimmer to catch the spotlight on an international level, but the difference is how she is doing it. She’s only 12 years old and is already swimming with the best opponents at the world championships in Singapore.
She is truly a prodigy because she was clocked in three of the events this year and is among the best in the world. So let’s get to know the young prodigy and how she’s taking over the swimming world.
Who Is Yu Zidi, and Where Is She From?
Yu Zidi was born on October 6, 2012 (12 years old in 2025). She was raised in Baoding, Hebei Province, China. Her journey began when she was spotted by a coach while swimming in a water park at the age of 6.
12-year-old Yu Zidi of China takes stunning times to the world swimming championships https://t.co/ZpVjgiH29K
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) July 17, 2025
She was already famous back home because of a Chinese performance at the Chinese National Swimming Championships, where she achieved huge global rankings in the 200m butterfly and in the 200m and 400m individual medley events. Her clocked time in these events would have placed her at least near the medal contention at 2024 Paris Olympics, making her a rising star in the swimming world.
She started swimming at an amusement park when she was six. “The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park,” she explained to China’s Xinhua News Agency. “I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids.”Little did she know that this was going to be the turning point in her life.
What Events Does Yu Zidi Compete In and What Are Her Best Times?
Her top strokes are butterfly, individual medley (IM), and her standout events include 200m Individual Medley – 2:10.63, 200m Butterfly – 2:06.83, 400m IM – 4:35.53. Yu trains at the Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club in Hengshui City, south of Beijing, in Hebei Province.
Her time of 2:10.63 in the 200 IM at the Chinese championships in May was the fastest ever by a 12-year-old swimmer irrespective of gender according to World Aquatics, the global governing body of the sport.
Her time of 2:06.83 in the 200 butterfly in the same event would have placed her fourth in last year’s Paris Olympics. It was the fifth-fastest time in the world this year and would have been enough for gold at the 2024 World Championships.
Yu is swimming 15 seconds faster in the 400 IM than McIntosh did when she was 12.
How Did Yu Zidi Qualify for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships?
Yu Zidi qualified during the Chinese National Championships held in May 2025 in Shenzhen. Her qualifying times had crossed the FINA “A” standard, which made her eligible for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore (July 2025).
It’s very rare for someone her age to make a senior world team. Her performance at the Chinese national championship was incredible in the 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly. Specifically, her 200m IM time of 2:10.63 was a world best for a 12-year-old swimmer and would have been close to an Olympic medal in Paris.
Where Does Yu Zidi Train and Who Inspires Her?
Yu Zidi trains at Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club, Hengshui City. Her teammates are Olympian Li Bingjie, and she considers her to be a role model and “elder sister.”
She’s already forming her niche and wears a cartoon dog swim cap, but other than that, she is highly focused on training. Speaking to China’s Xinhua news agency, Yu said: “My age is currently an advantage. I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.” She added: “I want to experience the world-class competition.”
Since she is 12, academics are still very important in her life. So she manages to balance her school, exams, and 4 to 6 hours of swimming training every day. She truly is a prodigy because even after balancing so many things, she’s already heading towards a world championship.
Can Yu Zidi Make History at the 2025 World Championships?
Yu Zidi is already doing incredible for her age. She could become the youngest swimmer to ever medal at a senior global meet, chasing a record from the 1936 Olympics.
Her global rankings are at #5 in 400m IM (world 2025) and #7 in 200m fly. So the potential events she will swim at are 200 IM, 200 fly, and 400 IM at Singapore 2025.
Are you ready to see what she unleashes on an international scale? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Who Is Yu Zidi? All About the 12-Year-Old Chinese Swimming Prodigy Making Global Waves appeared first on EssentiallySports.
