At the Chinese National Championships, 12-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi showcased her incredible talent by clocking 2:10.63 in the women’s 200m individual medley, securing the second place behind 2024 Olympic finalist Yu Yiting. This remarkable time not only set a new world record for the 12-year-old age group but also would have qualified her for the semifinals had she competed in last year’s Paris Olympics preliminary round.

World Aquatics praised this '12-year-old prodigy' on their official X account. Yu Zidi will turn 13 this October, and her outstanding performance has put her in contention for a spot on the China's national team for the World Championships in Singapore this July.

Chinese swimmers have drawn attention since before the Paris Olympics, with 11 members of the Olympic team testing positive for banned substances prior to the event. As a result, the International Testing Agency has conducted an increased number of drug tests. British swimmer Adam Peaty questioned the fairness of the victory after losing to the Chinese team, stating that if the win isn't just, then winning has no meaning.