So far, Yu Zidi has taken two fourth places and been close to individual medals in the World Championship. Just twelve years old.
On Sunday, her best event, 400 meters medley, will be decided, where Yu is fifth in the world this year.
She can become the youngest individual medalist in World Championship history, but in the context of the Olympic Games, there is actually a younger one in swimming.
Dane Inge Sørensen had just turned twelve when she took bronze in the 200 meter breaststroke in 1936. 89 years ago.
But there are examples of athletes who have fared poorly due to investments at a young age.
Stormy career
The most well-known example is perhaps tennis star Jennifer Capriati, who turned pro just before her 14th birthday in 1990 and took Olympic gold in 1992 at just 16 years old. Already the year after, she took a long break and it was stormy around her when she was caught for both shoplifting and marijuana possession.
She came back, became world number one, but finished due to injuries in 2004 and had problems with mental illness and abuse throughout her career.
Many gymnasts who are drilled hard lose their appetite early.
Just early specialization and that you train too much and too monotonously at a young age is not good for long-term prospects, says Lutula, national team coach and head coach at the national elite center in Stockholm.
Actually, the age limit for World Championship participation in swimming is set at 14 years old, but Yu Zidi has been given a dispensation to participate since she not only cleared the qualifying limits but performed world times.
"Trains very much more"
Many believe, however, that a twelve-year-old should be allowed to just be a child, play with peers and engage in sports with joy and without pressure.
Would Sweden have selected a twelve-year-old?
Our approach is that we select based on level. Then we have never had that problem with a twelve-year-old and will probably not have it. The 12-14 year olds who come from China and other major swimming countries like Australia train very much more than what Swedish swimmers do at that age, says Lutula, who has been named Europe's best coach by the American swimming site Swimswam.
Sarah Sjöström was 14 years old when she took European Championship gold in the 100 meter butterfly in 2008 and a year later won World Championship gold and set her first world records.
Antonio Lutula means that it is difficult to set any general limit for when a swimmer is mature enough to swim in the World Championship.
It's individual. First and foremost, you have to look at the level, if it holds, it's about being prepared mentally and emotionally. The spotlight is on, there is a lot of media and a lot of pressure in the World Championship. So that you are mentally prepared is much more important than if you have turned 13 or not, he says.
"All too early"
The sports director of the German swimming association, Christian Hansmann, questions that the Chinese is participating in Singapore.
Putting a twelve-year-old girl in front of 5,000 spectators in the World Championship, with high pressure from media and coaches, is all too early, he says to AFP.
The International Swimming Federation has announced during the World Championship that they will review the issue of age limits.
Born: October 16, 2012 in Baoding.
+ Began swimming at the age of 6 when she was discovered at a water park by a coach.
+ Moved to nearby Hengshui at the age of 9 and started training in the Hebei Taihua Jinye swimming club and joined the provincial team.
+ Has competed nationally in China since 2023.
+ Joined the national team after the World Championship selections in May and has Olympic gold medalist Li Bingjie, who is her idol, as her mentor. Li Bingjie, 23, is a freestyle swimmer and has taken two World Championship silvers in Singapore so far.
Source: South China Morning Post.
