• 12-year-old Yu Zidi qualifies for the women's 200m individual medley final.
• Clocked a time of 2:10.22 in the semi-finals, the fastest recorded by a 12-year-old.
• Competes in three events, including the 200m butterfly and 400m IM.
• Plans to challenge Olympic champion Summer McIntosh in the finals.
• Showed no signs of stage fright during her world championships debut.

The spotlight is on 12-year-old Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, who recently qualified for the women's 200m individual medley (IM) final during her debut at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Despite being the youngest competitor in her event, Yu demonstrated poise by finishing with a time of 2:10.22 in the semi-finals, surpassing her own personal best of 2:10.63, which is also the fastest recorded time by a 12-year-old swimmer globally for this event, according to SCMP, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.

Yu is expected to face Canadian Olympic champion Summer McIntosh in the final, as McIntosh is the overwhelming favorite in the 200m IM. Despite the fierce competition, Yu's rapid ascent in the swimming ranks has already garnered international attention. Having only begun swimming at the age of six, Yu quickly transitioned to elite competitions, winning the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley titles at the Chinese National Championships earlier this year, according to SCMP and Channel News Asia.

Yu’s journey is especially noteworthy given her record-breaking times; her performance in the 200m IM at the National Championships has been described as “the fastest ever by a 12-year-old swimmer—male or female,” echoing the potential she has to set new benchmarks in the sport. Additionally, her time of 2:06.83 in the 200m butterfly would have placed her fourth in the previous year's Paris Olympics, further highlighting her elite capabilities, as noted by Reuters and SCMP.

With her incredible performances and hopes pinned on her, Yu Zidi is on the cusp of potentially becoming the youngest athlete to win a medal at an international event in 89 years. The pressure will be on as she aims to continue her remarkable journey and possibly achieve sports history, following in the footsteps of Denmark’s Inge Sorensen, who won a bronze medal at the age of 12 in 1936, according to SCMP and Channel News Asia.