2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
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Upon qualifying for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, China’s Yu Zidi became the youngest swimmer to compete in Singapore. At 12 years of age, she is the only 12‑year‑old in the field.
But her achievements didn’t stop there. She reached the final of the 200 IM and missed the bronze medal by just 0.06 seconds, becoming the youngest swimmer in history to compete in a World Championship final.
Prior to her, no 12‑year‑old had ever finished in the top eight at a World Championships final. The previous record holder was Canadian Allison Higson, who, at 13 years of age, reached the finals of both the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 1986 Worlds — and became the youngest-ever medallist with a bronze in the 100 breast at that 13 years and 158 days.
Youngest swimmers to reach the finals at World Aquatics Championships (all women)
| Year | Swimmer | Event | Rank | Time | Age |
| 2025 | Yu Zidi (CHN) | 200 IM | 4 | 2:09.21 | 12 years, 285 days |
| 1986 | Allison Higson (CAN) | 200 breaststroke | 3 | 3:07.8 | 13 years, 158 days |
| 1986 | Allison Higson (CAN) | 100 breaststroke | 4 | 1:09.3 | 13 years, 161 days |
| 1973 | Linda Faber (NED) | 4×100 freestyle | 6 | 2:31.34 | 13 years, 191 days |
| 1975 | Gabriella Verraszto (HUN) | 100 backstroke | 7 | 1:09.84 | 13 years, 271 days |
| 1975 | Linda Hanel (AUS) | 100 butterfly | 8 | 4:02.16 | 13 years, 280 days |
| 1973 | Jose Damen (NED) | 400 IM | 8 | 1:07.30 | 13 years, 298 days |
| 1975 | Shannon Smith (CAN) | 400 freestyle | 8 | 1:04.33 | 13 years, 300 days |
| 1973 | Jose Damen (NED) | 200 butterfly | 4 | 3:40.48 | 13 years, 300 days |
| 1975 | Nancy Garapick (CAN) | 4×100 medley | 4 | 8:15.38 | 13 years, 301 days |
| 1975 | Shannon Smith (CAN) | 800 freestyle | 7 | 5:15.66 | 13 years, 301 days |
| 1975 | Shannon Smith (CAN) | 4×100 freestyle | 3 | 4:29.18 | 13 years, 301 days |
| 1975 | Nancy Garapick (CAN) | 100 backstroke | 3 | 2:21.96 | 13 years, 302 days |
| 1975 | Nancy Garapick (CAN) | 200 backstroke | 2 | 4:23.77 | 13 years, 304 days |
| 1978 | Roberta Felotti (ITA) | 800 freestyle | 8 | 9:02.39 | 13 years, 310 days |
| 2009 | Li Zhesi (CHN) | 4×100 freestyle | 6 | 3:53.37 | 13 years, 353 days |
| 2009 | Li Zhesi (CHN) | 4×100 medley | 1 | 1:04.73 | 13 years, 359 days |
Including Yu, a total of 12 female swimmers under age 14 have ever reached the finals at the World Aquatics Championships, with the most recent before her being Li Zhesi, a relay finalist in 2009. But no other female under 14 had made an individual final since Higson 39 years ago, which underscores the rarity of Yu’s feat.
In the 21st century, the youngest individual finalist was Benedetta Pilato, who at 14 years and 191 days won silver in the 50 breaststroke at the 2019 Worlds
Among male swimmers, the youngest finalist in history was Valentin Parinov of the Soviet Union, who placed 8th in the 1500 freestyle in 1973 at 14 years and 84 days.
Three days later, Yu swam in the heats of the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay. Since China finished third in the final, Yu earned a bronze medal and became the youngest swimmer ever to medal at the World Championships.
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Yu is nearly eight months younger than Higson was when the 13-year-old Canadian claimed bronze in the women’s 200 breaststroke at the 1986 World Championships. Interestingly, after Yu, the three youngest World Championships medalists in history are all Canadian.
As we can see, the 10 youngest swimmers to win medals at the Worlds Championships are all female. The youngest male medalist is Australian Ian Thorpe, who, just three months after turning 15, won two gold medals at the 1998 World Championships in Perth — becoming the youngest-ever male world champion.
If we include the Olympic Games, only one other swimmer ever reached an individual final and won a medal at age 12: Danish legend Inge Sorensen, who won bronze in the women’s 200 breaststroke at the 1936 Berlin Olympics at 12 years and 24 days, still the youngest individual Olympic medalist across all sports.
