NAGOYA, Japan (AP) — Chinese 13-year-old Yu Zidi won her third swimming gold medal in the Asian Games on Wednesday, taking the women's 400-meter individual medley in 4 minutes, 28.56 seconds.
She was less than five seconds off the world record held by Canadian Summer McIntosh at 4:23.65.
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Yu took the 200 butterfly and 200 IM earlier in the games in times that put her within reach McIntosh. McIntosh won all three of these events two years ago in the Paris Olympics and holds the world records in each event.
Yu seems certain to face off with McIntosh in the swimming world championships next year in Budapest, Hungary, and a year later at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
China won six of the seven events on Wednesday, the fourth day of competition in the pool, and has now won 21 gold medals in 27 events in swimming. The Chinese won 28 gold medals in the pool in the Asian Games in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, and are a cinch to surpass that total.
Two days remain in the pool and Yu may still swim a relay.
In addition to Yu, China also got gold medals on Wednesday from Yu Yiting in the women's 100 fly (56.41), and Peng Xuwei in the women's 100 backstroke (59.30).
Zhang Zhanshou won the men's 200 free in 1:43.49 with another gold for Tang Qianting in the women's 100 breaststroke in 1:04.98. China also won the mixed medley relay.
The only non-Chinese gold medalist on Wednesday was Shoon Mitsunaga of Japan, who won the men's 100 fly in 50.56.
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