Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, trained under Jon Rudd at the Plymouth Leander Swim Club in the U.K., has broken the first World Record of 2013 with a 1:04.35. That broke the old World Record of 1:04.45 that American Jessica Hardy set at the 2009 U.S. Open.
Meilutyte then joins, or depending on your continental preferences takes, American Katie Ledecky as the world’s premier 16-year old with this swim, and she’s still got one round to go.
Swimming out of the second semi-final, even after watching a very slow first heat in front of her, Meilutyte was out in under 30 seconds (something only Hardy does) and brought things home to the record. Meilutyte’s opening 50 was only the 4th 50 breaststroke under 30 seconds ever, and she did it on a split (she has two, and Hardy has two).
She got off of the blocks very fast, and had about a two-foot lead by the time the competitors surfaced. This is a sharp reminder of the fact that she once thought she would be a world-class sprint freestyler, where that sort of a start is a necessity.
The crowd at the Palau Sant Jordi for the 2013 World Championships recognized Meilutyte’s swim with a thunderous and rolling applause that lasted for minutes after the record-breaking performance.
With that pressure off, next it will be a challenge for gold for her, as Russian Yulia Efimova was challenging her for much of this race and wound up with a 1:05.29.
| Hardy | Meilutyte | Meilutyte | |
| Old WR | Olympic Gold | New WR | |
| 1st 50 | 29.80 | 30.56 | 29.97 |
| 2nd 50 | 34.65 | 34.91 | 34.38 |
| Total Time | 1:04.45 | 1:05.47 | 1:04.35 |
Fantastic swim!
All I can say is that she glided to the finish, which, for me, means that, if she nails the race tomorrow, she will break 1.04
The link to the biomechanics report isn’t working for me. Can you repost?
The biomechanics reports on the official website are very interesting. Look at the stroke rates for Meilutyte and Efimova!
http://media4.bcn2013.com/media/asset_publics/resources/000/005/832/original/67_S_2.v1375125132.
Your link doesn’t work. 🙁 I’ve made my own calculation’s before:
How many strokes over (1st 50m / 2nd 50m), Women’s 100m breast:
Hardy 22/26 = 48 (US Trials)
Larsson 19/23 = 42 (US Trials)
Pedersen 18/20 = 38 (Canet, Mare Nostrum Series)
Soni 24/29 = 53 (London)
Meilutyte 23/29 = 52(London)
Efimova 21/29 (Universiade)
If we get the newest data, it’s easy to compare.
Try this: http://www.bcn2013.com/en/swimming/detail/event/semifinals-100m-br-w?tab=results#tabs
There are links to the analyses there. You can also view them on individual athlete bio pages but the event ones are more interesting to see graphs of all the swimmers at once.
Oh, sorry. I mixed Efimova up with Hardy! Efimova’s stroke rate is crazy: (24.5 / 30.9) and Hardy’s stroke rate is close to her “normal”: (20.5 / 25)
Thanks! According to the analysis RMP’s estimated stroke rate is 17,8 / 20.6. It seems to match quite nicely to her Mare Nostrum performance. Ruta has slowed down a bit if compared to her London swim. Hardy’s stroke rate has gone to the opposite direction.
What makes me confused is the fact that Larsson’s stroke rate is slowest now. Maybe I must calculate again. All those videos are on youtube.
It looks like they do this analysis for all the events from the semi final stage, so a potential wealth of data there for the swim nerds 🙂
Yes, I have been interested in this stroke rate issue as we seem to have two competing ways to do this. Efimova, Meilutyte and Hardy, and Soni, swims with huge stroke rates. Then there is RMP’s and Larsson’s style. Let’s see how RMP can make it tomorrow with her “unorthodox” stroke rate in Women’s 100m breast.
Meilutyte launches herself with an immense strenght. It’s visible even without a slow-motion replay. I believe Soni is already starting her comeback. She can’t quit while women’s breastroke is advancing into a new level.
can we get an order of finish?
Is Meilutyte or Ledecky older?
Katie is older by just two days (March 17 1997). Ruta was born March 19.