Promising Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi completed her golden hat-trick at the Asian Games, on Wednesday, by achieving a sweeping victory in the 400-meter individual medley race.
The 13-year-old girl, who is still a school student, finished the race with an Asian Games record time of 4:28:56 minutes, achieving the perfect mark in her three individual races in Tokyo, after winning gold in the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley, with two Games record times as well.
She broke the previous Games record in the 400m medley, set by compatriot Yi Shiwen in 2014, by nearly 4.5 seconds.
This was the fourth fastest time in the world this year, while Canadian world record holder Summer McIntosh has the three best times.
Yu appears to be on her way to becoming a prominent contender for medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as she has become the talk of the swimming world since she became, last year, the youngest swimmer to win a medal in the history of the World Championships, after she won bronze in the relay race at the age of only twelve.
She also finished fourth, slightly behind the top three, in three individual races at the World Championships.
She strengthened her growing reputation this year, especially with her victory, last March, over the multiple-crowned American Olympic champion, Regan Smith.
This week, Yu asserted her dominance in Tokyo, offering another glimpse of her immense talent in the 400m individual medley.
Yu took the lead from the start and set out on an open road towards the finish line, finishing the race 3.95 seconds ahead of her compatriot Kei Wenshi, who took the silver, while Japanese Mio Narita came third.
In addition to making international headlines, her two gold medals, which she has achieved so far this week in the Asian Games, have caused a sensation in her country.
Her story, including her accidental discovery by a swimming coach in a water park, as well as her struggle with media interviews, spread widely.
When asked if answering the questions was the hardest part, she laughed, “Every time, I just want to float away somewhere else.”
The Italian coach of the Brazilian national team, Carlo Ancelotti, confirmed that the five-time world champions are taking their friendly match against India very seriously next week, stressing that “there is no friendly match at all” for the “Seleção”, according to what was reported by an Indian newspaper on Wednesday.
The Brazilian national team, ranked fifth in the world and led by stars such as Vinicius Junior, will face its Indian counterpart in Kolkata on October 3, in its first match on Indian soil, where football is very popular despite the overwhelming dominance of cricket.
The visit will give local fans a rare opportunity to see one of the most famous teams in football history up close.
The Times of India quoted Ancelotti as saying: “Brazil has fans in every corner of the world. “It is fun for us to play in India, not only for the Brazilian fans, but also for the Indian fans.”
Although the match is a friendly match, the veteran Italian coach confirmed that Brazil will deal with it with the utmost seriousness, saying: “It is a preparatory and friendly match, but for us there is no friendly match at all.”
India, ranked 138th in the world, has never qualified for the World Cup finals, but football is extremely popular, especially in Kolkata and the southern city of Kochi.
The 67-year-old Italian coach pointed out that the match will also give Brazil an opportunity to get to know a new football culture, adding: “We have to get to know other countries and other cultures. “We are used to playing friendly matches against different football schools.”
He continued: “India will be an exciting experience. It is true that India does not have much experience facing world-class teams, but it is important for us to know how they play. “I have never been to India before, and I am very excited to come to Kolkata.”
Next week's match will be the first appearance of the full-star Brazilian national team in India.
The late Brazilian football legend Pele previously visited India in 1977 and 2015.
The Brazilian team will arrive in India after playing two friendly matches against its Australian host on Friday and Tuesday in Townsville and Brisbane, respectively.
Ancelotti is considered one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the game, especially in the Champions League, which he won a record five times.
Brazil is seeking to end a long period of absence from the World Cup podium, after winning the title for the last fifth time in 2002.
Its journey ended this summer in the North American World Cup in the eighth final at the hands of Norway (1-2), in its first major test under the leadership of the former Spanish Real Madrid coach.
Kylian Mbappé, the star of the French national football team, said that he understands the great excitement surrounding Jurgen Klopp's first appearance as coach of the German national team, during the match against the Netherlands in the European Nations League tomorrow, Thursday.
Mbappe told the Bild weekly newspaper on Wednesday: “Certainly, this is true. “Klopp is one of the best coaches in the last 20 years.”
He added: “Jose Mourinho, Klopp, there are coaches that every player wishes to work with. It's great to see him back on the pitch. "I'm looking forward to the next match against him."
Klopp, the former coach of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, took over the leadership of the German national team, succeeding Julian Nagelsmann.
On the other hand, the French team reached the semi-finals of the tournament, before being eliminated from the competition by Spain.
Mbappe said: “I always have great respect for Germany, regardless of the coach’s name. Germany is still one of the best teams in the world.”
Mbappe also confirmed that Klopp wanted to include him in Liverpool during his time as coach of the team.
The French striker went on to say: “I was very much hoping to join him at that time,” but he explained that the move was early in his professional career at that stage.
He continued: “I was not ready to leave my country. I wanted to return to my hometown, Paris. I had only played for Monaco for one year, and I needed to stay in familiar surroundings to feel comfortable. That is why I moved to Paris Saint-Germain.”
Mbappe played with Saint-Germain from 2018 to 2025 before moving to Real Madrid, where he currently plays under the leadership of coach Jose Mourinho.
