Rise of young swimmers like Yu is exciting for sport, says Haughey

Yu Zidi is “exciting for the swimming world” and part of the sport’s trend towards younger athletes, Hong Kong’s multiple Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey says.

Yu, who won the women’s 200 meters butterfly in an Asian Games record time for the first major title of her career, is following in the footsteps of Summer McIntosh, who made Canada’s team for the Tokyo Olympics as a 14-year-old in 2021 before becoming a  triple gold medalist in Paris three years later.

Haughey, a four-time Olympic medalist, said it is part of a wider trend in swimming.

“I think the general consensus is we have more and more great young swimmers swimming well,” said Haughey, now a relative veteran at 28.

“When Summer first started she was also very young and swimming fast, so I think that’s kind of the trend these days.

“Hopefully, swimming well that young, you can also translate to as you get older and well into your 20s and beyond, so it’s exciting for the swimming world,” she added.

Yu became the youngest swimming world championships medalist in history last year when she won bronze as a 12-year-old as part of China’s 4x200m freestyle relay team. 

Haughey said the evidence suggests that Yu is “definitely capable of going to the LA Olympics.”

“I think she’s doing well under pressure at big meets,” she said.
“I think if she wants to do it, she definitely can.”

Haughey said watching young swimmers like Yu gives her extra motivation.

“On one hand it makes me feel I’m twice their age, but I’m still here, so that says something,” she said.

“I think being an older swimmer means I have a lot more experience, and I try to use that experience to my advantage, for instance like how to handle pressure or what to expect at a big meet.

“It’s so great that there are a lot of younger swimmers because you want the sport to keep moving forward and to keep evolving,” she added.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
 

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