Wensong, Yu Zidi named MVPs of 20th Asian Games in Nagoya
In short
The Olympic Council of Asia announced on 4 October that Thai sprinter Wensong and Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi were named the men's and women's most valuable athletes of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Yu, who is about to turn 14, won three golds and set an Asian record of 2:06.10 in the 200m individual medley. Wensong, 20, won two golds and a silver, taking the 100m in a championship-record 9.90 and the 200m in 19.88 to equal the Asian record.
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The Olympic Council of Asia announced on 4 October that Thai sprinter Wensong and Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi were named the men's and women's most valuable athletes of the 20th Asian Games, held in Nagoya, Japan. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yu Zidi, who is about to turn 14, won three gold medals at the Games and is the youngest three-gold winner in the Chinese delegation. She won the women's 200m individual medley in 2:06.10, an Asian record and, according to the reports, the second-best time in the event's history behind world record holder McIntosh's 2:05.70. She also won the women's 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley, both in Asian Games record times. [ 1 , 2 ]
Wensong, 20, took two golds and one silver. In the men's 100m he broke 10 seconds in the heats, semifinal and final, winning in 9.90 for a championship record and as the only finalist to go under 10 seconds. In the men's 200m final he ran 19.88 in the rain to win, equalling the Asian record set by China's Xie Zhenye. [ 1 , 2 ]
China News Service carried the report datelined Nagoya and credited to Xinhua reporters Yang Fan and Sun Zhe, while Yicai attributed its account to CCTV News; both gave the same medal counts, times and records. Xinhua published a headline item on the announcement. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The awards recognise the standout performances of the Nagoya Games, including a 13-year-old swimmer who beat the Asian record in the 200m individual medley and a sprinter who broke 10 seconds three times in one day. For Chinese readers, the recognition of Yu Zidi alongside China's relay of record results points to a new generation in the pool, while Wensong's 200m time matched an Asian record held by China's Xie Zhenye.
Key facts
- The Olympic Council of Asia announced on 4 October that Wensong of Thailand and Yu Zidi of China were named men's and women's most valuable athletes of the 20th Asian Games. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yu Zidi, who is about to turn 14, won three gold medals and is the youngest three-gold winner in the Chinese delegation. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yu swam 2:06.10 to win the women's 200m individual medley, an Asian record and the second-best time in the event's history behind world record holder McIntosh's 2:05.70. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yu also won the women's 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley in Asian Games record times. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Wensong, 20, won two golds and one silver at the Games. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Wensong broke 10 seconds in the heats, semifinal and final of the men's 100m, winning in 9.90 for a championship record and as the only finalist under 10 seconds. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Wensong won the men's 200m final in the rain in 19.88, equalling the Asian record set by China's Xie Zhenye. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Olympic Council of Asia announced on 4 October that Wensong and Yu Zidi were named the men's and women's most valuable athletes of the 20th Asian Games. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yu Zidi won three gold medals at the Games and is the youngest three-gold winner in the Chinese delegation. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yu set an Asian record of 2:06.10 in the women's 200m individual medley, described as the second-best time in the event's history. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Wensong won the men's 100m in 9.90 and the men's 200m in 19.88, equalling the Asian record held by Xie Zhenye. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- How the most valuable athlete awards were decided, and when they will be presented. No document describes the selection process, any vote or a ceremony; the reports state only the announcement.
- Whether the description of Yu's 2:06.10 as the second-best time in the event's history is an official statistic. Both reports carry the same wording without naming the body that compiled it.