12-Yr-Old Yu Zidi Crushes 2:10.63 In Women’s 200 IM At Chinese Nationals (Video)

2025 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Video courtesy of @SwimCoverage

Yesterday, we reported that 12-year-old Yu Zidi set a new lifetime best of 2:12.52 in the women’s 200m IM semi-final at the 2025 Chinese National Championships.

Well, buckle up because the youngster just destroyed that already other worldly swim with a new personal best of 2:10.63.

Yesterday, Yu split 27.80/34.11/39.43/31.18 to nab the 3rd seed and establish herself as the fastest 12-year-old female (or male, for that matter) in history.

For perspective, Yu’s previous swim obliterated the current U.S. National Age Group Records for girls and boys.

Teagan O’Dell owns the girls’ NAG at 2:18.69 while Richard Poplawski owns the boys in 2:13.59.

Flash forward to tonight and Yu split 27.47/32.98/39.44/30.74 to earn silver behind winner Yu Yiting who grabbed gold in 2:08.67.

Yu easily cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 2:12.83 needed to qualify for the World Championships. She now ranks 14th in the world on the season.

2024-2025 LCM Women 200 IM

2Alex
WALSH
USA2:08.4506/07
3Abbie
WOOD
GBR2:08.5504/19
4Yu
Yiting
CHN2:08.6705/18
5Kaylee
MCKEOWN
AUS2:08.5804/21
6Phoebe
BACON
USA2:09.2206/07
7Mary-Sophie
Harvey
CAN2:09.4405/11
8MIO
NARITA
JPN2:09.6803/20
9Anastasia
GORBENKO
ISR2:09.8505/21
10Katie
Shanahan
GBR2:09.8804/19
11Caroline
BRICKER
USA2:10.1206/07
12Ella
RAMSEY
AUS2:10.1504/21
13Regan
SMITH
USA2:10.2505/03
14Rebecca
Meder
RSA2:10.3904/10
15Shiho
Matsumoto
JPN2:10.4802/16
View Top 26»

This caliber of performance is par for the course for Yu, building on her breakout times established at the 2024 Chinese Nationals and Summer Championships.

You can review Yu’s head-turning performances from last year here and here.

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Emily
19 days ago

2:08.52, 200m fly semi today. Can she be even faster in tomorrow’s final and even get another WC event entry?

ZThomas
20 days ago

Richard Poplawski catching the least expected strays in history.

Rafael
20 days ago

1:59:32 on 200 free today

Dee
20 days ago

She also hit a 54.7 leading off her provinces 4×100 relay, unbelievable

Thomas The Tank Engine
Reply to  Dee
20 days ago

I hope she maintains her trajectory and gets faster while being older. It would be awesome to witness another generational talent so soon after McIntosh.

Stand Down Margaret
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
20 days ago

Never going to happen.

Emily
21 days ago

She may still have 400 IM and even 200 fly in front of her.

Troyy
Reply to  Emily
21 days ago

She’s entered in 400 IM, 200 FR, 800 FR, 100 BK, 100 BR, 200 FL in no particular order

Bhupi
Reply to  Troyy
20 days ago

and 1500FR, 100 FL, 400FS, 100 FR – She looks like she is going to win all 20 individual events there are in LA 2028.

Rafael
Reply to  Bhupi
20 days ago

Who needs to get out of pool??? Not her

Emily
Reply to  Troyy
20 days ago

Yes. I mean these two events are her greatest chances to get another WC ticket.

GOATKeown
21 days ago

Not that it really matters but you’ve got Yiting ranked 3rd in the world with a 2:08.67 but McKeown ranked 4th with a faster 2:08.58

snailSpace
Reply to  GOATKeown
20 days ago

Yu Zidi’s time was so fast it broke maths.

Last edited 20 days ago by snailSpace
Bhupi
Reply to  snailSpace
19 days ago

I couldn’t stop myself from committing laughing

Facts
21 days ago

If we’re going pound for pound shes gotta have a case for most impressive swimmer in the world

jeff
21 days ago

this would be #3 in the 15-16 NAG rankings and almost 2 seconds faster than the 13-14 record lol

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