China’s Yu, 13, wins third Asian Games gold but has ‘some regrets’
China’s Yu Zidi competes in the final of the women’s 400m individual medley swimming event during the 2026 Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on Sep 23, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Yuichi Yamazaki)
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TOKYO: China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi completed a hat-trick of Asian Games golds on Wednesday (Sep 23) – but will go home with “some regrets”.
The schoolgirl powered home to win the 400m individual medley in an Asian Games-record 4min 28.56sec, making it three golds from three events in Tokyo.
She also won the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, also in Asian Games-record times.
Yu is shaping up to be a major medal threat at the 2028 Los Angeles Games but she said she still has room to improve before then.
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“I gained a lot from these Asian Games but there were also some regrets,” she said after the race.
“I’ll go back and keep reviewing what I didn’t do well, and I hope I can do better next time.”
Yu’s time beat the previous 400m IM Asian Games record set by China’s Ye Shiwen in 2014 by almost 4.5 seconds.
It was the fourth-fastest time in the world this year, with world record-holder Summer McIntosh owning the top three.
Yu has dominated this week in Tokyo but she stood in wide-eyed amazement when a reporter suggested she had made it look easy.
“Definitely not,” she replied.
“It didn’t feel easy at all. It was quite challenging.”
Yu finished 3.95sec clear of silver medallist Ke Wenxi, also of China, with Japan’s Mio Narita third.
Ke is only 15 and she and Yu made heart signs and chatted happily together as they celebrated their one-two finish.
“We’re good friends, this time we shared the same room,” said Yu.
“We kept encouraging each other all day.”
But Yu would not be drawn on her chances of success at the LA Olympics, when she will be 15.
“Keep working hard,” she said of her goals.
“Break through my limits and recent times and keep working hard.”
CHINA DOMINATE
Yu was the headline act on another impressive night in the pool for the China team.
They won six of seven golds on offer, just as they had on swimming’s opening night.
Yu Yiting upset her team-mate Zhang Yufei to win the women’s 100m butterfly final in a time of 56.41sec.
Zhang is a multiple Olympic gold medallist and world champion who was the women’s MVP at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
She took control of the race before fading badly and being pipped to the finish, 0.03sec behind Yu.
“That’s sport,” said Yu.
“When everyone is not at its best or when everyone is at their best, what often decides the outcome is the final 15 metres.”
China’s Peng Xuwei completed a backstroke double after winning the 100m in a time of 59.30sec.
Peng, who won the 200m backstroke by almost three seconds, said she was hoping to be even better at the LA Olympics.
“I feel like this was a test before the final exam,” said the 23-year-old.
Zhang Zhanshuo won the men’s 200m freestyle, Tan Qianting topped the podium in the women’s 100m breaststroke and China took gold in the 4x100m medley relay.
Japan’s Shoon Mitsunaga prevented the clean sweep, winning the men’s 100m butterfly.
Source: AFP/ec
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