by sportswriters Wang Zijiang and Xia Liang

SINGAPORE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- At just 12 years old, China's Yu Zidi made a stunning debut at the World Aquatics Championships, reaching three individual finals and earning a relay medal - a breakout performance that turned heads at a meet marked by world records and intense rivalries.

The eight-day swimming competition concluded Sunday in Singapore with three world records and 15 championship records. As the first major long-course showdown ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it showcased the continued dominance of the United States and Australia as well as the rapid rise of young international stars.

Yu became the youngest swimmer in history to win a world championship medal, earning bronze in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay after swimming in the heats. Though she did not race in the final, her contribution secured a place on the podium.

Her individual results were just as striking. Yu placed fourth in the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, narrowly missing medals in all three. Competing against swimmers more than twice her age, she captivated the swimming world.

Yu said racing against elite swimmers she once only watched on television offered invaluable experience.

"I learned so much," she said. "For example, I want to study Summer McIntosh's turns - I really admire her technique. I see her as a role model and hope I can become as good as she is someday."

World-class swimmers including Romania's David Popovici and American star Gretchen Walsh publicly praised Yu, calling her performance a glimpse of the sport's future.

Her emergence was the bright spot of a youthful Chinese squad that finished third in the medal standings with two golds, six silvers and six bronzes, trailing only the United States and Australia.

Qin Haiyang, who swept all three breaststroke titles at the 2023 Fukuoka Worlds but left the Paris Olympics without an individual gold, returned to form by winning the men's 100m and 200m breaststroke. Li Bingjie took silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle - beating U.S. great Katie Ledecky in the latter - while Tang Qianting medaled in both breaststroke sprints. Rising star Wan Letian and sprinters Wu Qingfeng and Cheng Yujie also reached the podium, with China adding four more medals in relays.

"This is the first international competition of the new Olympic cycle," said China's head coach Cui Dengrong. "Our focus is on developing young athletes and coaches while assessing our standing on the world stage."

The United States again topped the medal count with nine golds, 11 silvers and nine bronzes, followed by Australia with eight golds, six silvers and six bronzes.

Ledecky, 28, claimed her seventh world title in the 800m freestyle and sixth in the 1,500m. Walsh swept the 50m and 100m butterfly, while Luca Urlando won a rare men's gold for the Americans in the 200m butterfly. The U.S. also broke world records in the women's 4x100m medley relay and the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.

Australia countered with sprint and relay dominance. Kaylee McKeown won both women's backstroke titles, Mollie O'Callaghan took the 200m freestyle, and Cameron McEvoy claimed the men's 50m freestyle. The Aussies won three of eight relay events and displayed depth across the roster.

Fifteen countries and regions won gold across the 42 events, with Canada and France each taking four titles.

Canada's 18-year-old McIntosh led all swimmers with four golds - in the 200m and 400m IM, 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle - and added a bronze in the 800m. Her 200m butterfly victory set a championship record and was just 0.18 seconds off the world mark.

France's Leon Marchand broke the world record in the men's 200m IM (1:52.69) and added gold in the 400m IM. Maxime Grousset took the men's 50m and 100m butterfly.

Romania's Popovici continued his freestyle dominance with golds in the 100m and 200m, his 46.51 in the 100m just shy of Pan Zhanle's world record (46.40). Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui swept the men's 800m and 1,500m freestyle. ■