“Seven-time gold medalist” in swimming is no match! “Thailand’s Bolt,” Phuripol Bunson, who halted China’s dominance, crowned tournament MVP → 13-year-old Chinese swimming prodigy Wei Zidi takes center stage in women’s category [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

The “brightest stars” that shone most brilliantly at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were Phuripol Bunson (20, Thailand), known as “Thailand’s Bolt,” who blocked China’s monopoly on the tournament, and Wei Zidi (China), the “13-year-old swimming prodigy” who shook the world of swimming.

The organizing committee officially announced the final selection of the men’s and women’s Most Valuable Players (MVPs) for the tournament on the closing day, the 4th.

In particular, the men’s MVP result emerged as the biggest point of interest toward the end of the Games. This was because Bunson, who dominated the track, claimed the prestigious trophy, defeating Zhang Jianshuo (19, China), who had been a leading candidate and became the first “seven-time gold medalist in a single tournament” in Asian Games swimming history.

Bunson won double gold in men’s short-track athletics at this tournament. After crossing the finish line in the 100m final with an overwhelming tournament record of 9.90 seconds, he also set a tied Asian record of 19.88 seconds in the 200m to claim gold. Bunson’s shocking performance, which rewrote Asian short-track history with explosive speed worthy of his nickname “Thailand’s Bolt,” became the decisive factor that surpassed China’s swimming star, who had boasted multiple gold medals.

In the women’s category, Wei Zidi, the “next-generation swimming queen,” was unanimously chosen as the protagonist. Born in 2012 and only 13 years old, Wei Zidi caused a sensation by winning three gold medals at this tournament. She set an astonishing Asian record of 2 minutes 6.10 seconds in the women’s individual medley 200m final, and consecutively broke tournament records in the individual medley 400m (4 minutes 28.56 seconds) and butterfly 200m (2 minutes 5.08 seconds), demonstrating overwhelming skill.

Wei Zidi, who had made her name as the youngest medalist in World Championship history by winning a bronze medal in the women’s freestyle relay 800m at the Singapore World Championships held in 2025, perfectly established herself as a global star beyond Asia by securing the MVP title on her first Asian Games stage.

The Asian Games MVP is the most prestigious award, having been introduced for the first time at the 1998 Bangkok Games and awarded to legends symbolizing Asian sports such as Park Tae-hwan, Lin Dan, and Ikee Rikako. Since the system was reformed into separate men’s and women’s awards starting from the previous 2022 Hangzhou Games, this tournament concluded with a grand finale combining Bunson’s surprise award for blocking China’s sweep of all gold medals in both men’s and women’s categories, and Wei Zidi’s glorious coronation.

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*This content was translated by AI.