China's 12-year-old Yu Zidi reaches women's 200m IM final at World Championships
SINGAPORE, July 27 (Xinhua) -- China's 12-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi made a stunning splash at the World Aquatics Championships, advancing to the women's 200-meter individual medley final here on Sunday.
Making her international debut, Yu clocked an impressive two minutes 10.22 seconds to place fifth in her heat and qualify seventh overall for Monday night's final.
Earlier in the day, she reached the semifinals as the 15th-fastest swimmer overall - already an extraordinary feat as the youngest competitor in the entire field.
"I'm really happy. I made the final in my first world championships," Yu said after the race.
"That's pretty exciting. I'll keep working hard in the future. I hope this competition helps me break through and really show my true level."
Yu also spoke about enjoying the atmosphere at the meet, calling it "great."
"I don't really know how to describe it - it just felt really good," she said. "Even better than I imagined. That feeling of swimming shoulder to shoulder with everyone - it felt great."
Reaching the final was never part of her original expectations.
"No, I just hoped to give it my all," she said.
Despite her age, Yu has shown remarkable composure amid rising media attention and mounting expectations from fans.
"Of course there's some pressure," she admitted. "But I just try to do my best." ■