13‑year‑old Chinese swimmer breaks Asian Games record to win 200m butterfly gold

China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi lit up the Asian Games pool again on Monday as she claimed the 200 meters individual medley gold medal with a blistering time that will put Canadian dynamo Summer McIntosh on notice.

Yu touched in 2 minutes, 6.10 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatic Center to smash runner-up Yu Yiting’s Asian record (2:06.82) and fall only four-tenths of a second short of 20-year-old McIntosh’s world record (2:05.70).

“Very excited, very happy. It’s an achievement that shows the hard work of our team,” said Yu, who won the 200m butterfly on Sunday. “I’m happier with the second gold medal than the first.”

“She’s a strong opponent who motivates me to improve and work harder,” she added of 21-year-old Chinese teammate Yu.

Already Asia’s fastest in the women’s medley at 13, Yu’s stunning trajectory raises questions of how much stronger she will be at the Los Angeles Olympics.

It could mean a battle royale in LA against McIntosh, who won the 200 and 400 individual medley double at the Paris Games.

At 12, Yu became the youngest world championship medallist with a bronze in China’s 4x200 freestyle relay team in Singapore.

Her global success at such a young age raised concerns from child protection experts but Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey said Yu looks ready for the Olympics.

“I think she’s doing well under pressure at big meets,” she said. “I think if she wants to do it, she definitely can.”

Former world champion Haughey successfully defended her Asian Games gold medal in the 200m freestyle on Monday with a dominant win over Chinese duo Li Jiaping and Liu Yaxin.

Haughey said young swimmers like Yu were exciting for the sport but at 28, she was glad to hold her own.

“On one hand it makes me feel I’m twice their age, but I’m still here, so that says something,” she said.

“I think being an older swimmer means I have a lot more experience, and I try to use that experience to my advantage, for instance like how to handle pressure or what to expect at a big meet.”