{{Short description|Chinese javelin thrower (born 2008)}} {{family name hatnote|Yan|lang=Chinese}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Yan Ziyi | birth_name = | image = | caption = | nationality = Chinese | sport = Track and Field | event = Javelin throw | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|5|22|df=yes}} | birth_place = Ningbo, China | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | pb = '''Javelin:''' 71.74m m (Xiamen, 2026) '''WU20R''' | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}}30px {{Medal|Country|{{CHN}}}} {{Medal|Competition|World U20 Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2024 Lima|Javelin throw}} }}
'''Yan Ziyi''' ({{zh|s=严子怡|p=Yán Zǐyí}}; born 22 May 2008) is a Chinese track and field athlete who specializes in javelin throw. She won the gold medal at the 2024 World U20 Championships. In 2026, she set a world under-20 record and Asian record of 71.74 metres, which is the second-best mark in history.<ref name=Xiamen2026/>
==Biography== Yan began surpassing 60m regularly in 2024, winning her country's women's javelin title in March 2024 in Tianjin with a throw of 61.31 meters.<ref>{{cite web|website=Etusuora.com|url=https://etusuora.com/en/news/the-15-year-old-chinese-threw-a-great-result-in-the-javelin|title= The 15-year-old Chinese threw a great result in the javelin|date=31 March 2024|accessdate=15 April 2024}}</ref> She threw past 60m in four of her five competitions in 2024 and set a personal best mark of 62.23m in Chengdu in April 2024.<ref>{{cite web|website=TheBridge.in|url=https://thebridge.in/athletics/15-years-old-yan-ziyi-sets-javelin-throw-women-world-junior-record-46901|date=15 April 2024|accessdate=15 April 2024|title= 15-year-old Yan Ziyi sets javelin throw world junior record, throws 64.28m}}</ref> Later that month, she set a under-20 world record for the javelin with a throw of 64.28m to win at the China Athletics GP, breaking Yulenmis Aguilar mark of 63.86m from 2015.The throw also beat the unratified mark of 63.96m achieved by Greek Elina Tzengko in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=Perez launches discus 73.09m, Sears clocks 10.77 for 100m"|website= World Athletics|date=14 April 2024|accessdate=15 April 2024|url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/yaime-perez-discus-73-09m-jacious-sears-10-77-100m}}</ref> However, Yan was not allowed to compete in the 2024 Olympics due to the age limit set by World Athletics.<ref>{{cite web |date=2022-12-20 |title=Qualification system published for Paris 2024 Olympic Games |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/qualification-system-paris-2024-olympic-games |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref> On 30 August 2024, Yan won the gold medal at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-08-31 |title=Jarvinen threatens world U20 decathlon record to get gold in Lima |url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/lima24/news/report/day-four-afternoon-lima-24-field-decathlon-jarvinen-farkas-yan |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
She broke the under-20 world record for a third time when she threw 64.83 metres in Chengdu in March 2025.<ref> {{cite web|website=World Athletics|url=https://worldathletics.org/news/report/yan-ziyi-world-u20-javelin-record-chengdu|title= Yan throws world U20 javelin record in Chengdu |date=29 March 2025|accessdate=29 March 2025}}</ref> She threw 60.54 metres to place fifth at the 2025 Shanghai Diamond League event in China on 3 May 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.watchathletics.com/page/6590/results-shanghai-suzhou-diamond-league-2025|date=3 May 2025 |website=Watch Athletics|accessdate=5 May 2025|title= Results - Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League 2025}}</ref> In August, she won the Chinese Athletics Championships with a throw of 65.89 metres, breaking the world under-20 record for a fourth time, despite competing with an ankle injury. As with the Olympic Games the previous year, she was not permitted to compete at the 2025 World Athletics Championships due to her young age and despite being a favorite for the world title.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7227249?eventId=10229533 |website=World Athletics|accessdate=12 November 2025|title=Chinese Championships|date=1 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://english.news.cn/20250817/46dba9f316e7492d8295cbdf8437bcb7/c.html |website=News.cn|accessdate=12 Nov 2025|title= Javelin talent Yan Ziyi in no rush to compete at global elite stage|date=17 August 2025}}</ref> In November, she was nominated for the World Athletics Women's Rising Star Award.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/finalists-announced-2025-women-rising-star-copy |website=World Athletics|accessdate=12 November 2025|title= Finalists announced for 2025 Women's Rising Star Award|date=11 November 2025}}</ref>
On 23 May 2026, she set a new world under-20 record and Asian record of 71.74 metres at the 2026 Xiamen Diamond League, to move to second on the world all-time list.<ref name=Xiamen2026>{{Cite web | url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/xiamen-diamond-league-2026-yan-russell |title= Yan and Russell reign supreme in Xiamen with second-best marks in history|date=23 May 2026 |access-date=23 May 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{sports links}}
{{Footer World Junior Champions women's javelin throw}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yan, Ziyi}} Category:2008 births Category:21st-century Chinese sportswomen Category:Child sportspeople Category:Chinese children Category:Chinese women javelin throwers Category:Living people