She's 13 and Just 0.4s From a World Record

A 13-year-old from Baoding, China just swam the second fastest 200m individual medley in history, only 0.4 seconds off Summer McIntosh's world record. Her name is Yu Zidi, and her story gets stranger the deeper you go. In this video, we break down how a swimmer from a small regional club in Hebei became the youngest finalist and medalist in World Championships history at just 12, beat Olympic medalist Regan Smith in a head-to-head final, and then produced a historic 2:06.10 at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. We also look at the pressure facing a teenage prodigy, the possible showdown with Summer McIntosh at the 2027 World Championships in Budapest, and whether a world record could arrive before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Do you think Yu Zidi breaks the world record before LA 2028? Tell me in the comments. If you enjoy stories about athletes the world hasn't noticed yet, subscribe so you don't miss the next one.