Teenage thrower from Ningbo breaks Asian javelin record

Yan Ziyi at the competition. [Photo by Xin Zhicheng/Tide News]

Chinese teenage athlete Yan Ziyi made headlines at the 2026 Wanda Diamond League Xiamen on May 23, delivering a record-breaking performance in the women's javelin event.

Competing at the Xiamen Olympic Sports Center, the 18-year-old from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, threw an astonishing 71.74 meters on her very first attempt.

The mark not only became the world's best performance of the season, but also broke both the Asian record and the women's U20 world record. She now stands just 54 centimeters shy of the world record of 72.28 meters set by Czech legend Barbora Spotakova.

The achievement came just one day after Yan's 18th birthday, turning the competition into a memorable celebration. Her previous personal best was 65.89 meters, meaning she improved by nearly six meters in a single meet.

Yan's talent was first discovered during a primary school sports competition in Ningbo's Haishu district. Since then, she has risen rapidly through the ranks, winning international youth titles and repeatedly setting U20 records.

Remarkably, she has yet to compete at either the Olympics or the World Championships, suggesting her greatest achievements may still lie ahead.