Teen Titan comes of age

The following day, Yu returned for the 200 IM. The race was decided in the final 50 meters. Teammate Yu Yiting, the defending Asian Games champion, led for much of the race, and Yu Zidi was 0.03 seconds behind at the final turn.

But Yu Zidi surged ahead in the freestyle leg to win in 2:06.10, lowering the Asian record by 0.72 seconds.

"Since it was the last 50 meters, I just had to give it everything I had. I didn't think about anything else. I just closed my eyes and pushed through," she said.

"I believed I had the ability to come back and catch up. We practice situations like this a lot in training."

Her coaches' pre-race instructions also proved decisive. "The details we discussed today were things I might not get right in training, so I needed to pay more attention to them. I can actually do those things, but sometimes I do not remind myself to do them. Going through them again in my head can help," she said.

"I do not think about anything else. I just think about the little details and my movements."

Her final event, the 400 IM, came Wednesday. Yu Zidi won in 4:28.56, breaking the Asiad record of 4:32.97 set by Ye Shiwen at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. She finished just 0.13 seconds outside Ye's Asian record of 4:28.43, set at the 2012 London Olympics.

"I came just short of the record, but I improved my time, so I think that is pretty good," Yu said.

However, it didn't take her long to default to her self-critical nature.

"I am very happy. I have gained a lot from these Asian Games, but there are also some regrets. I will go back and review what I did not do well. Hopefully, I can do better next time."