Asian Games 2026 MVPs: China's 13-year-old Yu Zidi, Thailand's Puripol Boonson claim top honours
Synopsis
A 13-year-old swimmer and a 20-year-old sprinter just dominated Asia's biggest multi-sport stage. China's Yu Zidi claimed three gold medals and three Games Records before reaching high school age; Thailand's Puripol Boonson ran the 100m in 9.90 seconds and the 200m in 19.88. Both were handed USD 25,000 and a clear runway to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Key Takeaways
Yu Zidi , 13 , of China was named Female MVP after winning three gold medals and setting three Games Records and one Asian Record in the pool at Aichi-Nagoya.
Puripol Boonson , 20 , of Thailand was named Male MVP after completing the 100m-200m sprint double , setting four Asian Games Records and equalling the Asian Record ( 19.88 seconds in the 200m).
Both athletes receive USD 25,000 each from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) .
Boonson ran the 100m in 9.90 seconds , improving his own semi-final Asian Games Record of 9.91 .
The OCA and selection panel chair Tayyab Ikram cited both athletes as strong prospects for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics .
China's Yu Zidi, aged just 13, and Thailand's sprint star Puripol Boonson were named the Female and Male Most Valuable Players of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on 4 October 2026. Both athletes earned the distinction for record-shattering campaigns that combined multiple gold medals with a string of Asian Games and Asian Records. Each recipient will collect USD 25,000 from the OCA in recognition of their performances.
Yu Zidi's Historic Swimming Campaign
Yu Zidi announced herself as one of the most remarkable athletes at Aichi-Nagoya, claiming three individual gold medals in the pool despite being only 13 years old. She topped the podium in the women's 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, and 400m individual medley, setting three Games Records and one Asian Record across those events.
Her record-breaking run began on 20 September in the 200m butterfly, where she clocked 2:05.08 to establish a new Games Record. The following day, 21 September, she went faster still in the 200m individual medley — her time of 2:06.10 both set a Games Record and lowered the Asian Record. She sealed her hat-trick on 23 September, winning the 400m individual medley in 4:28.56, a third consecutive Games Record.
Boonson's Sprint Double for Thailand
Puripol Boonson, 20, delivered a dominant sprint double for Thailand, becoming one of Asia's fastest men at these Games. He set four Asian Games Records and equalled an Asian Record during his campaign across the 100m and 200m.
On 25 September, Boonson blazed to gold in the men's 100m in 9.90 seconds, improving on the 9.91 Asian Games Record he had himself set in the semi-finals earlier that day. Two days later, he completed the sprint double in the 200m with a winning time of 19.88 seconds, shattering his own Games Record of 20.10 set the previous day and equalling the Asian Record. He also added a silver medal as part of Thailand's mixed 4x100m relay team.
What the OCA Selection Panel Said
Tayyab Ikram, chair of the OCA MVP Awards Panel, described the selection as an unusually demanding process. 'The five members of the panel had a very difficult job selecting the Female and Male MVP of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. This is testament to the exceptional quality of the athletes and to the high level of competition throughout the Asian Games,' he said.
Ikram added that both athletes had the potential for sustained success at the highest level. 'We are convinced that their performances here at the Asian Games will be a stepping stone to greater things in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. They made a huge impact on the spectators and media at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and have time on their side to build on this success and win many more gold medals in the future,' he said.
The five-member selection panel comprised Ikram, OCA Deputy Director General Vinod Kumar Tiwari, OCA Athletes Committee chair Ding Ning, OCA Sports Committee chair Song Luzeng, and Jeremy Walker, editor of the OCA Sporting Asia Newsletter.
An Illustrious Roll of Honour
Yu and Boonson join a distinguished roster of OCA Asian Games MVP Award recipients. Previous winners include Japan's Koji Ito (1998), Kosuke Kitajima (2002 and 2014), Park Tae-hwan (2006), Lin Dan (2010), Japan's Rikako Ikee (2018), and China's Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei, who claimed the male and female awards respectively in 2022.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now firmly in view, both athletes — one a teenager barely past primary school age, the other a sprinter in his early prime — appear well placed to carry Asia's hopes onto the global stage.
Point of View
Which has a long history of producing elite teenage athletes — but her margin of victory and the Asian Record in the 200m individual medley signal genuine world-class potential, not just precocious promise. Boonson's 9.90 and 19.88 in the same Games places him among the fastest Asian sprinters ever, at a moment when the continent is straining to close the gap with Jamaica and the United States ahead of Los Angeles 2028. What mainstream coverage may understate is the age gap between the two MVPs: one is barely a teenager, the other just entering his prime — the OCA is, in effect, signalling a generational shift in Asian athletics that could reshape medal tables at the next two Olympics.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the MVP awards at the 2026 Asian Games?
China's swimmer Yu Zidi, aged 13, won the Female MVP and Thailand's sprinter Puripol Boonson, aged 20, won the Male MVP at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on 4 October 2026. Both were selected by a five-member OCA panel and will receive USD 25,000 each.
What records did Yu Zidi set at the Asian Games 2026?
Yu Zidi set three Asian Games Records and one Asian Record across her three individual gold medals — in the women's 200m butterfly (2:05.08), 200m individual medley (2:06.10, also an Asian Record), and 400m individual medley (4:28.56).
How fast did Puripol Boonson run at Aichi-Nagoya?
Puripol Boonson won the 100m in 9.90 seconds and the 200m in 19.88 seconds, setting four Asian Games Records and equalling the Asian Record in the 200m. He also picked up a silver medal in the mixed 4x100m relay.
What is the OCA Asian Games MVP Award?
The OCA Asian Games MVP Award is presented by the Olympic Council of Asia to the standout female and male athletes of each Asian Games edition. Past recipients include swimming and badminton legends such as Kosuke Kitajima, Lin Dan, Rikako Ikee, and Qin Haiyang.
What does the Asian Games 2026 MVP selection mean for the 2028 Olympics?
OCA panel chair Tayyab Ikram explicitly identified both Yu Zidi and Puripol Boonson as candidates to perform at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, calling the Asian Games a 'stepping stone to greater things.' Yu will be 15 and Boonson 22 at the time of those Games.
