China's 13-year-old swimming star raises questions on child athletes

China's swim star, Yu Zidi, 13: Are child athletes ethical?

The third Asian Games gold medal looked as convincing as the first two, even if Yu Zidi insisted that: "It didn't feel easy at all. It was quite challenging."

On Wednesday, the 13-year-old Chinese swimmer broke the Games record for the third time to add the women's 400 meter individual medley title to her golds in the 200 meter medley and 200 meter butterfly. The three medals add to a bronze she won last year at the World Championships.

Even two years out from the Los Angeles Olympics , talk is turning to a potential rivalry with Canada's Summer McIntosh, 20, who herself finished fourth in the 2020 Olympics at 14 and won a world title at 15. As well as their remarkable talent, the pair's youth has raised some questions.

"The first reaction you have when you see something like this is you think, wow, there's a big career ahead," three-time open water swimming world champion Leonie Beck, of Germany , told DW.

"But I think maybe this is the problem. People around [the athlete], or maybe the media can create this pressure on a young talent. But just because you're really good and fast at this age, doesn't mean that your whole career will continue like this."

本文の著作権はDeutsche Welleにあります。