The appearance of a 12-year-old girl, the Chinese Yu Zidi, on the big stage of swimming has caused a general impact that has reached even those not interested in sports. It has sparked a reflection on the lower chronological limits of biology, where the human body is still in its early stages of development.
Sports are, above all, a physical activity and, as such, very demanding, especially at the highest level. While some sports are more prone to precocity than others, it is evident that becoming a world boxing champion or winning the Tour de France at a young age is not feasible. Other sports, such as gymnastics or swimming, often allow for extreme youth in their ranks and their successes, especially in the case of women who develop earlier and have advantageous characteristics like flexibility compared to men.
In swimming, Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe, for example, were at a very high level at 15 and 16 years old. Similarly, many women have excelled at a young age, such as the Australian Shane Gould, who at 15 won three golds, a silver, and a bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics before retiring at 16.
Among active swimmers, Katie Ledecky was 15 when she became an Olympic champion in London 2012, and Summer McIntosh was already showing promise at 14. The Australian Sandra Anne Morgan, the Hungarian Kristina Egerszegi, and the Japanese Kyoko Iwasaki were all 14 when they became Olympic champions.
On March 2, at the trials, the American Anita Nall broke the world record in the event twice at 15 years old. She remains the youngest swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal.
While there have been teenage prodigies winning medals at 14 and 15, Yu Zidi stands out at 12, a significant difference in terms of physical and mental development at such young ages. She does not turn 13 until October, breaking early development records. There is one precedent: Inge Sorensen, a Danish girl who won a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1936 Berlin Olympics at the age of 12.
Yu Zidi has not won any medals yet, but based on her performance in Singapore, she would have achieved remarkable results in past Olympic Games. Her times indicate great potential for future success.
In theory, Yu is expected to win many medals, unless her extreme precocity hinders her future. Her upcoming events in Singapore have already generated great interest and excitement.