12-Yr-Old Yu Zidi Cranks Out 2:08.52 200 Fly With Chinese Nationals Final Yet To Come

2025 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2025 Chinese National Swimming Championships continued tonight from Shenzhen and we were treated to another significant swim at the hands of 12-year-old Yu Zidi.

After firing off a monster performance of 2:10.63 in the women’s 200m IM last night to qualify for the World Championships, Yu followed up with a mark of 2:08.52 to take the second seed out of the women’s 200m fly semi-finals.

Taking the top spot in the semi was Yu Liyan who touched in 2:08.43 so Yu Zidi‘s outing was just .09 off that mark to be in the running for a World Championships roster slot in the event.

Yu split 28.59/33.16 (1:01.75)/33.25/33.52 (1:06.77) to check in with a time that rendered her just outside the list of China’s top 10 performers of all time. Her 2:08.52 performance overtook her previous personal best of 2:09.86 notched as an 11-year-old at last August’s Chinese Summer National Championships.

For perspective, the reigning U.S. National Age Group Record for 11-12-year-old girls rests at the 2:15.02 Cassidy Bayer established in 2012. Additionally, the 11-12-year-old boys’ benchmark sits at 2:11.07 from Dean Jones in 2018. Yu surpassed both of these by a significant margin to now rank 14th in the world on the season.

Yu Zidi‘s Performances Thus Far at Chinese Nationals

  • 54.78 100m freestyle, relay leadoff
  • 2:10.63 200m IM
  • 1:59.32 200m free
  • 2:08.52 200m fly

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Emily Se-Bom Lee
19 days ago

1:56.58 for wang

Rafael
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
19 days ago

1:55:22 on prelims

Troyy
19 days ago

Not so great quality video of Zidi’s 200 fly

https://x.com/swimcoverage/status/1925159601969954886

Rafael
Reply to  Troyy
19 days ago

She seems tall but still a teen, much less muscle than any other

carlo
Reply to  Rafael
19 days ago

She’s not particularly tall unless she had a massive growth spurt since last year.

Rafael
Reply to  carlo
19 days ago

Around 1,60 maybe? Tall for a 12 year old (but there are 13 14 years old over 1,80 so…)

ScovaNotiaSwimmer
Reply to  carlo
19 days ago

I have a daughter who is 13 and plays volleyball so I see a lot of tall girls around that age and 168cm is definitely well above average for that age although not extreme for sure

Rafael
Reply to  ScovaNotiaSwimmer
19 days ago

I am near 1,80 there are 12 13 year old teen on my kid school as tall some even taller than me

ScovaNotiaSwimmer
Reply to  Rafael
19 days ago

Yeah, but those kids are outliers. There are also *many* – actually most, 12 year olds that are well under 168cm.

ScovaNotiaSwimmer
Reply to  ScovaNotiaSwimmer
19 days ago

This is really all moot, because it doesn’t really matter if she is 168cm at 12, it’s more important if she is done growing and will stay 168cm or if this is just a pit stop to a much taller final height. And only time will tell!

Emily Se-Bom Lee
19 days ago

47.77 for pan

lilac
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
19 days ago

thats good news for the usa swimswan needs to he doing a live recap for this meet

emmie
Reply to  lilac
19 days ago

I also assume he’s tapering for November like many of the Chinese swimmers

Troyy
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
19 days ago

Apparently he has covid

zyprock
19 days ago

Yu 2:06 in the final.

lilac
Reply to  zyprock
19 days ago

your joking

lilac
Reply to  lilac
19 days ago

what was the milleseconds for it

BrianD
Reply to  zyprock
19 days ago

2:06.83

Troyy
Reply to  zyprock
19 days ago

She’s scary

lilac
Reply to  zyprock
19 days ago

would have gotten 4th in paris

Aquajosh
Reply to  lilac
19 days ago

She is faster at 12 than Mary T was at 14. That NAG (2:07.01) has stood for 46 years. I mean, it stands to reason that a nation of over a billion with a talent identification system would produce some generational talents, but her development is so far ahead of any IMmer or flyer (male or female) or freestyler for her age. If she continues at this rate, McIntosh may very well be the one swimming for silvers by Los Angeles. Unreal.

Rafael
Reply to  zyprock
19 days ago

People were wondering if she could be faster than meagher

Tencor
19 days ago

2:06.83…… pardon me as I pick up my jaw from the floor

HKGSwimFan
20 days ago
Dan
Reply to  HKGSwimFan
20 days ago

Says that she is born 2012, World Aquatic would list her as 13 (even if she has not turned 13 yet).

jeff
Reply to  Dan
19 days ago

huh? Summer McIntosh is listed as age 18 even though she’s turning 19 this year. I don’t see why Yu would be listed as 13 if she is not 13 yet in western age

Snarky
20 days ago

I wanna see a birth certificate! 🤪

Stand Down Margaret
Reply to  Snarky
19 days ago

That won’t be helpful.

John26
20 days ago

I guarantee you Summer McIntosh now knows Yu Zidi’s name

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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