Yan Ziyi is the fastest-rising prodigy in track and field. The Chinese javelin phenom came within inches of the world record on the day after her 18th birthday.
It was the second-best throw of all-time.
We finally got to see Ziyi compete on the highest level of international track and field at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen on Saturday. She did not disappoint.
Who is Chinese track and field phenom Yan Ziyi?
To be completely honest, there is not a lot of information on Yan Ziyi. We do not know much about her. Her height and weight are a mystery. All we know is what we can see.
Ziyi, who was born in 2008, celebrated her 18th birthday on May 22, 2026. She hails from Ningbo in the Zhejiang Province of China. That’s pretty much all we’ve got. Everything else is based on results.
Yan first gained international attention as a 15-year-old in 2024. She broke the women’s under-20 record at the China Athletics Grand Prix with a throw of 64.28 meters.
Just to put her throw in perspective, that mark would’ve won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. It became clear to everyone that she was an immediate threat in the sport. Yan had arrived. Unfortunately, she did not meet the minimum age requirement to compete at the Olympics in 2024 or the World Championships in 2025.
Nevertheless, Yan kept throwing. She broke her own U-20 record several times over the last few year and won the Chinese Athletics Championships with a throw of 65.89 in August— while competing with an ankle injury. Everybody wanted to know what she can do when she is healthy. Well, we just found out.
The javelin world record is already in jeopardy.
Yan Ziyi turned 18 years old on May 22. She competed at the Xiamen Diamond League meet on May 23.
Yan’s opening throw set a new Diamond League record and, once again, broke her own U-20 record. It propelled her to the top of the leaderboard with a lead that she did not give back.
Her goal going into the weekend was to reach a distance of 65 meters. She improved on that mark by more than six meters later in the competition. Yan Ziyi landed a throw of 71.74 meters.
That is the second-best throw in women’s javelin history. The world record was set by Barbora Spotakova in 2008 at 72.28. Yan is already right there. She is only 18.
“What I want for myself now is consistency. A flash in the pan is not what I want. I don’t want this to be just a one time thing. The world record wasn’t in my mind before. Today, my goal was to maybe try targeting the area record. But now, I think I can push harder. I will see how it will go for the next couple of years and prepare for breaking the world record.”
The second-place finisher at the Diamond League meet hit 65 meters on the dot. Yan beat her by more than six meters.