Yu Zidi has the chance of historical success at the Swimming World Championships in Singapore.
The only twelve -year -old Chinesin moved over 200 m on Sunday as the seventh of the semi -finals in 2: 10.22 minutes into the finals on Monday (2:19 p.m. CEST).
Should the student make it onto the podium on her first of a total of three routes, she would be the youngest medalist in a large international swimming competition since 1936. At that time, twelve -year -old Danish Inge Sörensen won bronze over 200 m breast at the Olympic Games in Berlin.
Yu, who turned into October 13, was surprised after her race. “I’m in there? Oh, I’m happy about it and will continue to work hard,” she said.
In Singapore, the young Chinesin also starts over 200 m butterfly and 400 m layers, and on this route she would have taken fourth place at the Chinese championships last year at the Olympics in Paris.
On Monday, however, the Canadian superstar Summer Mcintosh will be the clear favorite and the fastest of the semi -finals in 2: 07.39.
In fact, swimmers at the World Cup must be at least 14 years old. Due to her outstanding times, Yu received a special permit. As a six -year -old, she discovered her enthusiasm for swimming when she escaped the summer heat.
“My father took me to a water park,” said Yu of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, “I enjoyed the cool water and spent a lot of time in various pools for children. One day a trainer came and asked me if I wanted to swim faster.”