Chinese 13-year-old Yu Zidi starts quickly in the pool at the Asian Games

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Gold medalist Yu Zidi of China, center, flanked by silver medalist Chang Mohan of China, left, and bronze medalist Misa Okuzono of Japan pose on the podium after the women's 200-meter butterfly final in swimming at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Yu Zidi of China competes in the women's 200-meter butterfly final in swimming at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) — Gold medalist Yu Zidi of China, center, flanked by silver medalist Chang Mohan of China, left, and bronze medalist Misa Okuzono of Japan pose on the podium after the women's 200-meter butterfly final in swimming at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

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6:02 AM on Sunday, September 20

By STEPHEN WADE

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) — Led by 13-year-old Yu Zidi, China dominated the first day of swimming at the Asian Games with Yu and defending Olympic champion Pan Zhanle taking gold.

Yu easily won the 200-meter butterfly on Sunday at the Olympic pool in Tokyo, and Pan took the 100 free, where he holds the world record (46.40 seconds) set two years ago in Paris.

Yu swam a personal-best time of 2:05.08 and fellow Chinese Chang Mohan took silver (2:08.44) with bronze for Misa Okuzono (2:09.97) of Japan.

And the next goal is clear.

“This is to step onto the podium of the Olympic Games,” Yu said. “The top podium. I train hard day after day.

“Success never arrives overnight. I am very excited and proud."

Teammate Li Bingjie a former Olympic and world champion who won the 1,500 freestyle, is from the same area in China — the city of Baoding in Hebei province. She suggested that made the victory even more special.

“I am very happy for her,” Li said. “I was very excited to see her win the gold while I was waiting for my race.”

Yu is a swimmer the world is watching heading to next year's world championships in Budapest, Hungary, and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. She turns 14 in October.

Yu defeated American Regan Smith earlier this year

Yu defeated American Regan Smith earlier this year in the 200 fly in a meet in China. She swam a personal best in that race (2:05.71), which she eclipsed on Sunday.

Smith took silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics behind the dominant swimmer in the event — Summer McIntosh of Canada.

McIntosh holds the world record in the 200 fly (2:01.65) and also holds the marks in Yu's two other dominant races — the 200 individual medley (2:05.70) and the 400 IM (4:23.65). Yu will swim all three events in Japan.

Pan Zhanle chasing his Olympic form

Pan was more than a second off his world-record time and finished in 47.61, barely beating Kim Youngbeom of South Korea (47.65). Another South Korean, Hwang Sunwoo, took bronze (47.79).

Leon Marchand, who won four Olympic gold medals two years ago, was on the pool deck in Tokyo handing out medals.

The Asian games opened officially on Saturday with the first full-day of competition on Sunday. They end Oct. 4.

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