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Meilutyte Makes It A Brace: 1:03.52

Dec 15, 2012  - Craig Lord

Istanbul, World Short-Course Championships, Day 4 finals:

Women's 100m breaststroke

Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 15, claimed her second gold of the championships with a 1:03.52 national record that kept Alia Atkinson (JAM) at bay in another national record, of 1:03.80, Rikke Pedersen (DEN) taking bronze in 1:04.05. 

Meilutyte, based in Plymouth, led from go to gold, turning in 30.04 and returning in 33.48 for a championship record. Atkinson lost a fraction on the champion on each 50m of the race, splitting 30.20 and 33.60. A 200m ace, Pedersen turned in 7th at half-way, on 30.83 and then laid down a 33.22 to challenge the 1:04 mark as the last in the final under 1:05.

The winning time places Meilutyte 4th on the all-time list, all suits, but second behind Jessica Hardy (USA), fifth tonight, on the all-time textile ranks. Atkinson enters the top 5 in textile at No 4. A year ago, Meilutyte's season best (albeit at a time when short-course was not - and had never been - a focus) was 1:08.30. The 24-year-old Jamaican has improved from a best of 1:06.05 at the Dubai championships just two years ago.

Swift swimming. Good to point that out but we hear this from the in-house commentary team: "the capacity is 10,500, … great crowd in tonight…" Actually, not much more than 1,000 people. That problem will never be resolved if it is not acknowledged.

Dubai 2010 compared:

  • Rebecca Soni (USA) 1:03.98
  • Leisel Jones (AUS) 1:04.26
  • Ji Jiping (CHN) 1:04.79

History in the making:

World s/c Podiums

  • 2012: 1:03.52; 1:03.80; 1:04.05
  • 2010: 1:03.98; 1:04.26; 1:04.79
  • 2008: 1:04.22; 1:04.93; 1:05.38
  • 2006: 1:05.25; 1:05.62; 1:06.08

Title never retained

World Records 

  • WR: 1:02.70 Rebecca Soni (USA) 18.12.09
  • TB: 1:03.63 Leisel Jones (AUS) 17.07.10 (30.42)

All-time textile rankings top 5:

  • 1:03.33 Hardy
  • 1:03.52 Meilutyte
  • 1:03.63 Jones
  • 1:03.80 Atkinson
  • 1:03.98 Soni