China swim sensation Yu Zidi, 13, says 'I'm no prodigy'
Yu Zidi won three Games-record races and said she is "no prodigy" after being named the women’s MVP.
- The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya closed on Sunday, October 4, 2026, with 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai sprinter Boonson Puripol named the Asian Games MVPs following record-breaking performances.
- Yu won all three of her individual events—the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, and 400m IM—in Games-record times, demonstrating the rare talent that earned her the women's MVP honor.
- Named the men's MVP, Boonson Puripol completed a 100m-200m sprint double and said he will use his $25,000 prize money for self-development ahead of the Los Angeles Games.
- Other standout performers included China's Zhang Zhanshuo, who secured seven gold medals—the most by any swimmer in Asian Games history—and Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, who set a new world record in the 200m breaststroke.
- Athletes like Yu and Zhang are positioned to make significant impacts at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, as the Aichi-Nagoya fortnight highlighted rising talent emerging across the Asian region.
13 Articles
13 Articles
China swimmers Yu, Zhang among Asian Games stars who could light up LA Games
The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a fortnight of competition featuring some record-breaking performances. Among the best performers were the two athletes named Asian Games MVPs: 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai track and field sprinter Boonson Puripol. Yu, who won all three of her individual events with ease, said “I’m no prodigy” after being named the women’s MVP on Sunday. The schoolgirl,…
If Oh Sang-uk (fencing) was the ‘star of stars’ for the Korean delegation, the brightest stars of the entire competition were Puripol Boonson (Thailand, athletics) and Yu Zidi (China, swimming). The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games named Boonson, a two-time gold medalist in athletics sprints, and Yu Zidi, a three-time gold medalist in swimming individual events, the Men's and Women's Most Valuable Players (MVP) of the c…
China swim sensation Yu Zidi, 13, says 'I'm no prodigy'
The schoolgirl, who looks poised to take the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics by storm, won the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m IM in Games-record times to underline her rare talent. She is already the youngest swimming world championships medallist in history after winning a relay bronze last year aged 12. But for all that, she said: "I don't think I am what people describe as a prodigy." Following her latest achievement, the Aichi-Nag…
Yu Zidi to Ohashi: Asian Games stars who can light up LA Olympics
AFP picks out five athletes who starred and look primed to make an impact at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Yu Zidi, swimming (China) The 13-year-old Chinese prodigy won all three of her individual events with ease, and all in Games-record times. She triumphed in the women's 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m IM and her times were among the fastest in the world this year. Yu will be 15 when the LA Olympics come round and is likely…
(Nagoya=Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myung-eon = '13-year-old swimming prodigy' Yu Zidi (China) and 'Thailand's Bolt' as the brightest stars of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games...
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