Making waves: Chinese phenom primed for LA Olympics

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) — China’s 13-year-old swimming prodigy Yu Zidi has stamped her mark on the Asian Games, and she could cause a sensation at the Los Angeles Olympics in two years.

The schoolgirl won all three individual races she swam this week in Tokyo with Asian Games records — a series of performances that belied her tender age.

Out of the pool, she proved herself a typical teenager, joking around with teammates and freezing when asked about herself in interviews.

She will be 15 when the LA Olympics come round in 2028 and is likely to be a major medal threat with the world watching.

“She hasn’t become that fast for no reason,” said teammate Ke Wenxi, who Yu beat in the 400m individual medley final to complete her golden hat-trick.

“I’ve seen how hard she works in training. During this national team training camp, I saw her working really hard every day.”

Yu also won the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley races this week in Tokyo.

Her times were among the fastest in the world this year, and her 200m medley swim was just 0.4 seconds off the world record.

That mark is held by Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who is likely to be Yu’s biggest rival at the LA Games.

Yu would not be drawn on her ambitions for the Olympics, saying only that she intended to “keep working hard.”

It hinted at a mature attitude and a desire not to be shaken off in her pursuit of success.

“I gained a lot from these Asian Games, but there were also some regrets,” she said.

“I’ll go back and keep reviewing what I didn’t do well, and I hope I can do better next time.”

As might be expected of someone who does not turn 14 until next month, Yu was less comfortable out of the pool than in it.

She complained that “interviews are way harder than the race,” openly admitting that she struggles in front of large numbers of reporters.

“How do I answer this question? Can you teach me? You just want me to say what I feel?” she said after one question.

When asked if competing this week had been easy, Yu stared in wide-eyed amazement for several seconds before replying: “Definitely not.”

She has seemed most at ease in the company of her teammates, especially 15-year-old Ke.

Yu and Ke, who shared a room in Tokyo, made heart signs and chatted happily together as they celebrated their one-two finish in the 400m medley.

“There are three beds in our room — two are pushed together to make a big bed, and there is another smaller one,” Ke said.