2025 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- May 17-24, 2025
- Shenzhen, China
- LCM (50 meters)
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Results
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
1:56.58 for wang
1:55:22 on prelims
Not so great quality video of Zidi’s 200 fly
https://x.com/swimcoverage/status/1925159601969954886
She seems tall but still a teen, much less muscle than any other
She’s not particularly tall unless she had a massive growth spurt since last year.
Around 1,60 maybe? Tall for a 12 year old (but there are 13 14 years old over 1,80 so…)
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
I am near 1,80 there are 12 13 year old teen on my kid school as tall some even taller than me
Yeah, but those kids are outliers. There are also *many* – actually most, 12 year olds that are well under 168cm.
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!
It is not unreasonable for a country of 1 BILLION people to produce a major outlier.
She’s clearly much further along in her physical development than many other 12-year olds so it is very possible that she won’t grow much more or at all, so she may just be ahead of the development curve than many other very talented 12-year olds.
Yes, India is also producing outliers in track and field, swimming, basketball, etc.
Tongue firmly planted in cheek.
There has not been a swimmer (purportedly 12) to ever have these performances or anything close. Why would that be??? Is she somehow, genetically and physically an outlier to that great extent?
There were 12 year old WR holders in swimming
47.77 for pan
thats good news for the usa swimswan needs to he doing a live recap for this meet
I also assume he’s tapering for November like many of the Chinese swimmers
Apparently he has covid
Yu 2:06 in the final.
your joking
what was the milleseconds for it
2:06.83
She’s scary
would have gotten 4th in paris
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.
People were wondering if she could be faster than meagher
2:06.83…… pardon me as I pick up my jaw from the floor
No i see his point yall just mad negative fr
If she’s trying to qualify for world champs, it doesn’t matter if she’s 11 or 16. Why immediately do you think CHEAT?