Beijing, September 22 (Daily Kiran) : Thirteen-year-old Yu Jiti made headlines on September 21 when she broke the Asian record in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. With a time of 2 minutes 06.10 seconds, this marks her second Asian record in the event within a year, just 25 days before her 14th birthday.
In the final, Yu’s teammate and defending champion, Yu Yithing, led for the first 150 meters. However, Yu Jiti surged ahead in the final 50 meters, showcasing a remarkable sprint in the freestyle segment. Her time is now recognized as the second-best in the event’s history, trailing only world record holder McIntosh, who clocked 2 minutes 05.70 seconds.
Previously, in November 2025, Yu Jiti had set a new Asian record at the Chinese National Games with a time of 2 minutes 07.41 seconds, breaking the 13-year-old record of 2 minutes 07.57 seconds. In June 2026, Yu Yithing briefly held the record with a time of 2 minutes 06.82 seconds. Just three months later, Yu Jiti reclaimed the title in Tokyo, as both swimmers improved the Asian record by a total of 1.47 seconds within a year.
After her victory, Yu Jiti expressed her ambition, stating, “Winning two gold medals at the Asian Games is just the beginning.” Yu Yithing added that consistently breaking Asian records is crucial if they hope to challenge world records and compete against elite athletes like McIntosh at the 2028 Olympics.
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