Yu Zidi made headlines at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, where, at just 12 years old, she finished 4th in the women’s 200 butterfly, 200 IM and 400 IM — and became the youngest swimmer in the history of the competition to win a medal, with a bronze in the 4×200 freestyle relay.
Now, at the Chinese National Games, having turned 13 in October, she continues making waves. With a time of 2:07.41 in the 200 IM, she broke the Asian Record set by Ye Shiwen at the 2012 Olympic Games — a time achieved before Yu was even born. With that mark, she would have earned the silver medal at the 2025 Worlds and currently ranks #2 in the world, behind only world record holder Summer McIntosh.
Given her achievements, she will become the youngest swimmer in the world since 2000 to finish the year ranked among the world’s top 10 – an incredible feat given her age on the last day of 2025 will be just 13 years and 76 days old.
And what’s truly impressive is that she won’t just finish the year “only” among the world’s top 10 fastest. Very likely, she will be #2 in the world in the 200 IM, and she currently ranks 4th in the 400 IM and 7th in the 200 butterfly.
The table below shows the youngest female swimmers to reach world-ranking positions #1 through #20 since 2000, as well as #21–#50 and #51–#100.
Youngest female swimmers to reach world-ranking positions #1 through #100 since 2000
| Rank | Year | Event | Swimmer | Time | Age |
| 1 | 2010 | 200 IM | Ye Shiwen (CHN) | 2:09.37 | 14 years, 305 days |
| 2 | 2025 | 200 IM | Yu Zidi (CHN) | 2:07.41 | 13 years, 76 days |
| 3 | 2019 | 50 breast | Benedetta Pilato (ITA) | 29.98 | 14 years, 347 days |
| 4 | 2025 | 400 IM | Yu Zidi (CHN) | 4:33.76 | 13 years, 76 days |
| 5 | 2012 | 1500 free | Becca Mann (USA) | 16:11.98 | 15 years, 35 days |
| 6 | 2007 | 400 IM | Li Xuanxu (CHN) | 4:37.56 | 13 years, 329 days |
| 7 | 2025 | 200 fly | Yu Zidi (CHN) | 2:06.43 | 13 years, 76 days |
| 8 | 2011 | 100 breast | Kanako Watanabe (JPN) | 1:07.10 | 15 years, 46 days |
| 9 | 2001 | 50 fly | Dana Vollmer (USA) | 27.03 | 14 years, 48 days |
| 10 | 2020 | 200 back | Wang Jiayin (CHN) | 2:09.22 | 13 years, 363 days |
| 11 | 2003 | 400 IM | Zhang Tianyi (CHN) | 4:44.59 | 13 years, 251 days |
| 12 | 2015 | 400 free | Li Bingjie (CHN) | 4:06.08 | 13 years, 303 days |
| 13 | 2002 | 400 IM | Zhang Tianyi (CHN) | 4:45.17 | 12 years, 251 days |
| 14 | 2007 | 200 IM | Li Xuanxu (CHN) | 2:13.98 | 13 years, 329 days |
| 15 | 2018 | 50 fly | Wang Yichun (CHN) | 26.03 | 13 years, 271 days |
| 16 | 2002 | 200 fly | Zhang Tianyi (CHN) | 2:11.24 | 12 years, 251 days |
| 17 | 2013 | 200 breast | Runa Imai (JPN) | 2:25.13 | 13 years, 138 days |
| 18 | 2015 | 200 free | Yanhan Ai (CHN) | 1:57.21 | 13 years, 327 days |
| 19 | 2012 | 50 Backstroke | Song Yu Tong (CHN) | 28.36 | 13 years, 55 days |
| 20 | 2008 | 400 free | Li Xuanxu (CHN) | 4:07.96 | 14 years, 330 days |
| 21-50 (37) | 2024 | 400 IM | Yu Zidi (CHN) | 4:40.87 | 12 years, 76 days |
| 51-100 (60) | 2024 | 400 Freestyle | 4:10.73 | 12 years, 76 days | |
The youngest swimmer to top the world rankings in this period is Ye Shiwen, who led the world at age 14 in the 200 IM in 2010, the year she won the event at the Asian Games.
All swimmers ranked among the youngest to reach positions #1 to #20 are Chinese, with the exception of Japan’s Runa Imai, the youngest swimmer to reach the #17 spot. Another standout who appeared at age 12 is Zhang Tianyi, who finished 2002 ranked 16th in the world in the 200 butterfly. She later competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the 400 IM, but did not win medals at major international meets.
On the men’s side, Michael Phelps is the youngest swimmer to hold a world #1 ranking since 2000 — in the 200 butterfly in 2001, at 16 years old. That year, he won his first world title and became the youngest man ever to break a world record in a men’s event.
Two other swimmers who stand out are China’s Wu Peng, who appears in several positions and cracked the top 20 at age 14 in 2001, and Hungary’s Daniel Gyurta, who also reached the top 20 at age 14 in 2003. Gyurta goes even further: he is the youngest swimmer since 2000 to finish a season inside the top 100, achieving the feat at age 13 in 2002.
Youngest male swimmers to reach world-ranking positions #1 through #100 since 2000
| Rank | Year | Event | Swimmer | Time | Age |
| 1 | 2001 | 200 fly | Michael Phelps (USA) | 1:54.58 | 16 years, 184 days |
| 2 | 2006 | 400 free | Park Tae Hwan(KOR) | 3:45.72 | 17 years, 95 days |
| 3 | 2006 | 1500 free | Park Tae Hwan (KOR) | 14:55.03 | 17 years, 95 days |
| 4 | 2002 | 400 IM | Wu Peng (CHN) | 4:15.38 | 15 years, 229 days |
| 5 | 2023 | 200 fly | Thomas Heilman (USA) | 1:53.82 | 16 years, 327 days |
| 6 | 2022 | 800 free | Lorenzo Galossi (ITA) | 07:43.37 | 16 years, 220 days |
| 7 | 2000 | 200 fly | Michael Phelps (USA) | 1:56.50 | 15 years, 184 days |
| 8 | 2003 | 200 fly | Wu Peng (CHN) | 1:56.96 | 16 years, 229 days |
| 9 | 2016 | 50 back | Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) | 24.94 | 16 years, 175 days |
| 10 | 2010 | 400 IM | Huang Chaosheng (CHN) | 4:13.38 | 16 years, 277 days |
| 11 | 2025 | 400 IM | Raito Numata (JPN) | 4:11.37 | 17 years, 56 days |
| 12 | 2005 | 400 free | Park Tae Hwan (KOR) | 3:48.71 | 16 years, 95 days |
| 13 | 2009 | 400 IM | Huang Chaosheng (CHN) | 4:12.53 | 15 years, 277 days |
| 14 | 2022 | 400 free | Lorenzo Galossi (ITA) | 03:45.93 | 16 years, 220 days |
| 15 | 2000 | 800 free | Fran Crippen (USA) | 8:02.54 | 16 years, 258 days |
| 16 | 2001 | 1500 free | Wu Peng (CHN) | 15:18.65 | 14 years, 229 days |
| 17 | 2003 | 200 breast | Daniel Gyurta (HUN) | 2:13.63 | 14 years, 241 days |
| 18 | 2014 | 100 fly | Li Zhuhao (CHN) | 51.91 | 15 years, 356 days |
| 19 | 2001 | 200 back | Michael Phelps (USA) | 2:00.57 | 16 years, 184 days |
| 20 | 2008 | 200 free | Danila Izotov (RUS) | 1:46.65 | 17 years, 90 days |
| 21-50 (22) | 2001 | 200 fly | Wu Peng (CHN) | 1:58.89 | 14 years, 229 days |
| 51-100 (56) | 2002 | 200 breast | Daniel Gyurta (HUN) | 2:16.58 | 13 years, 241 days |
Phelps with the 200 back
Li Zhesi (CHN) 24.90 in the 50fr aged 13yrs, 9days – Made the SFs in Beijing 2008 and ranked 14th in the world according to FINA, so she would surpass Li Xuanxu if accurate
Many Chinese swimmers have since disappeared
I was shocked at the lack of Thorpe before I read the criteria properly
Kuzey Tuncielli to Texas!
Deleted
The chinese Girls Pilato, becca and Danna volmer
Noticed that too. I think the article was supposed to say #10 – 20 not #1 – 20 for that bit.
Wonder why China above other nations is able to dominate (at least on the women’s side) so many young and fast swimmers?
Ye Shiwen grew fast before 2012 and in swimming that can be fast improvement, but she wasn’t able to sustain times after 2012
Yu Zidi is big for her age, so maybe got height/growth young
Ok but you are talking about individuals, unless you mean, on average Chinese females are genetically able to mature faster in such a way conducive to fast swimming?
I’m curious why China as a nation is able to produce such terrifically fast swimmers at such young ages. What sort of systems do they have in place at club level where talent can be identified and honed in on from such a young age?
If I had to make a guess I would assume it’s because of the club structure. In countries most countries your swimming group is limited by your age. For example Summer was swimming college level times at 12 however continued to train in a club team. Same thing with phelps and other athletes like M.A. I’d bet in china if you swim a world class time at 12 they’d put you in a group with people of similar skill and speed.
***I don’t actually know just my assumption*
I’m curious, wouldn’t Amanda Beard be on the list at some point? She would have had to be top 100 when she won olympic gold at 14.
Beard was the world record holder until Leisel Jones broke it in 2005, so she certainly finished the year 2004 as the top performer in the 200 breast. But this list only shows the youngest swimmer who achieved a specific rank, and Ye Shiwen was still 14 at the end of 2010, whereas Beard had already turned 15 at the end of 2004. Funnily enough, Beard was actually 6 days younger than Ye Shiwen was when they both swam their world leading times.
Dude.. she was 22 in 2004.
Yeah I thought I was being hardcore gaslit here
The article is 2000 onward. And she won silver at 14 in the 100/200 in 1996. The gold was in the relay.