Do you keep memories of your studious first year in college, coupled with perfs in the anonymity of the departmental championships? Well imagine that at the same age (yes yes, at 12 years old!), The Chinese Yu Zidi became the youngest world medalist in the history of swimming on Thursday.
Already extremely efficient in the individual Singapore World Cups events, like its 4th place on the 200 m four swimming on Monday and a failed bronze medal for only 6 hundredths of a second, it was entitled to the podium thanks to the relay.
“Not normal at 12 to have this pressure”
Certainly, Yu Zidi did not participate in the grand finale, after which the Chinese team of this 4×200 m female freestyle relay snatched bronze, behind Australia and the United States. But since she had been the first relayer during the series played earlier on Thursday, she logically had the right to her medal. “It’s very moving, it’s a pleasant feeling,” said the young swimmer, more or less aware of having marked history at an astounding age.
The one who will celebrate her 13th anniversary in October is clearly the phenomenon of these 2025 world championships, since she also finished 4th in the 200m butterfly final on Thursday, while waiting to participate in the 400 m four swimming on Sunday. But the presence of Yu Zidi in Singapore does not only trigger enthusiasm in the world of swimming.
Our file on swimming Worlds
His French opponent Lilou Freencourt, beaten by the young girl Wednesday in the semi-final of the 200 m butterfly, slipped like this: “It is not normal at 12 years to have this pressure. Beyond the physical aspect, this mental aspect can be hard to manage ”. When we know that the regulations normally require athletes to be at least 14 years old to participate in Worlds, exceptions made as here due to extremely high minimums made upstream of the competition, the question remains legitimate.