'Just a normal kid': Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi's extraordinary progress at 13

There are moments when it is easy to forget that Yu Zidi is only 13.

In the water, the Chinese swimmer races with a composure and intensity that belie her age.

At the 2026 Asian Games, Yu swept three individual titles in four days, adding to a remarkable record already built before her 14th birthday.

China's Yu Zidi competes in the final of the women's 200m individual medley swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on September 21, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

She won the women's 200m butterfly in 2:05.08 before clocking an Asian record of 2:06.10 in the 200m individual medley, becoming the second-fastest swimmer of all time, just 0.40 seconds behind the world record held by Canada's Olympic champion Summer McIntosh.

The 200m individual medley meant something more.

At the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, Yu's first major international meet with China's national team, she finished fourth in the event, missing the podium by just 0.06 seconds. A year later, those six hundredths still bother her.

This time, she left with an Asian record.

"It was the final 50 meters. I just told myself not to hold anything back," Yu said. "Give it everything. Don't think about anything. Just close my eyes and push through."

Yu also won the 400m individual medley in an Asian Games record of 4:28.56, moving to fifth on the world all-time list and finishing just 0.13 seconds outside the Asian record set by China's two-time Olympic champion Ye Shiwen in 2012.

Gold medallist China's Yu Zidi celebrates on the podium during the victory ceremony of the women's 200m butterfly swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on September 20, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey from Hong Kong, China has also taken notice.

"It's so amazing to see young swimmers swim that fast, and she's only 13," Haughey said. "I think she's doing well under pressure at big meets."

While many regard Yu as an exceptional talent, she has a simple response.

"I don't see myself as a genius," she said. "What I've achieved has come from putting in the work, day after day."

She admits to getting nervous before races. Her coaches say the difference is that those nerves rarely affect her once she is in the pool. When the race starts, she stays focused, an ability they regard as a talent in itself.

That focus carries into training.

After practice, Yu often talks with teammates about what worked and what could be improved. She also keeps a training diary, recording her thoughts after practices and races.

"She always writes down what she has learned from training and racing," said Olympic and world champion Li Bingjie, who has trained alongside Yu for the past two years. "I think that helps her pick up what the coaches are asking for very quickly."

Her ability to concentrate showed early.

When Yu joined Hebei Taihua Club at 10, club manager Kang Jing once found her absorbed in a handicraft, patiently following a pattern and completing the picture stitch by stitch.

"It takes a lot of patience and concentration," Kang told Xinhua. "What struck me was how focused she could be at such a young age."

Yu's journey in swimming began almost by chance.

Neither of her parents could swim, but they took her to water parks every summer. When Yu was six, they signed her up for lessons simply for she could enjoy the water more.

After 10 beginner lessons, a coach spotted her potential and suggested more serious training.

Seven years later, she is producing world-class times.

But when she climbs out of the pool, the 13-year-old comes back.

When Yu first joined the national team last year ahead of the World Championships in Singapore, she was the one asking Olympic champions Wang Shun, Zhang Yufei and others for autographs and photos.

Now the roles are beginning to reverse. Younger swimmers approach her for the same things, and Yu happily obliges.

Away from competition, she likes painting clay dolls, collecting celebrity photo cards and joking around with teammates.

She has just started ninth grade at middle school. Despite a demanding training and competition schedule, Yu keeps up with her schoolwork while traveling. Her teachers describe her as "a quick learner who rarely needs something explained twice".

Her goal in swimming is becoming clearer. "I want to become an Olympic champion. The Los Angeles Olympics is two years away. Who knows what will happen?" Yu smiled.

But another milestone comes first.

Born on October 16, 2012, Yu will turn 14 in less than a month. Asked how she would sum up her year at 13, she did not mention medals or records.

"I know how hard this year has been, but I've come through it. I just hope I can keep improving."

And beyond the times and the attention, how would Yu describe herself?