Yu Zidi secured her third individual gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday, powering to victory in the 400m individual medley in an Asian Games-record 4:28.56. At 13, she became the youngest athlete to win three individual titles at a single edition of the continental games.
A 3.95-second masterclass
The final was settled from the first stroke. Yu seized the lead immediately and never let the field back in, touching 3.95 seconds clear of compatriot Ke Wenxi. Japan’s Mio Narita finished third.
The performance slashed roughly 4.5 seconds from the previous games record set by China’s Ye Shiwen in 2014. It also ranked as the fourth-fastest time in the world this year, with only world record-holder Summer McIntosh owning the three quicker marks.
All-time speed in the 200m medley
Two days earlier, Yu had already produced the meet’s defining swim. Her 2:06.10 in the 200m individual medley carved 0.72 seconds from the Asian Games record and moved her to second on the all-time rankings, just 0.40 seconds behind McIntosh’s world record of 2:05.70.
Yu reclaimed the Asian and Chinese records from defending champion Yu Yiting, who finished 1.89 seconds back in silver. The run began with a 2:05.08 in the 200m butterfly that broke multiple-time Olympic champion Zhang Yufei’s games record.
A path toward Los Angeles
The Aichi-Nagoya sweep extends a rapid trajectory. At 12, Yu became the youngest medallist at a World Aquatics Championships with a relay bronze, before beating seven-time American Olympic medallist Regan Smith over 200m butterfly in March.
Asked about the attention surrounding her, Yu offered a teenager’s reply. “Every time I just want to float off somewhere else,” she told reporters. Hong Kong Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey said the evidence shows Yu is “definitely capable of going to the LA Olympics.”
