WR Holder Ruta Meilutyte, Still Battling Injury, Delays Comeback

2016 Euro Meet

• January 29th-31st
• D’Coque Aquatic Center in Luxembourg
• Friday timed finals at 4pm local (10am EST)
• Saturday prelims at 8am local (2am EST); finals at 5pm local (11am EST)
• Sunday prelims at 8:30am local (2:30am EST); finals at 4pm local (10am EST)
• Meet Site
• Start Lists/Results
• Live Streaming

Lithuanian star Ruta Meilutyte has pulled out of the 2016 Euro Meet while still battling the elbow injury that kept her from racing most of the last part of the 2016 year.

Meilutyte, who trains at Plymouth Leander in the UK, has been back in training for a while, and planned to make the 2016 Euro Meet her first meet since the 2015 World Championships where she was a bronze medalist in the 100 breaststroke. The World Record holder, however, is still struggling with the start, according to the moderator of the pre-meet press conference in Luxembourg.

Her coach Jon Rodd says that her training is progressing well but that they won’t get the all clear on diving until a final scan of the afflicted elbow is done next week. He also said that the Edinburgh International Meet in March is the pair’s new likely target for a return to competition.

Meilutyte’s starts are among the best in the world and where she gains a significant advantage over her competitors in races, so they are a vital part of her ability to contend for Olympic gold again this summer.

Meilutyte was involved in a bicycle incident in September of last year that required her to have surgery. During her recovery in the water, she’s earned a new training partner in Dutch National Record holder Moniek Nijhuis.

At still only 18 years old, she is the 2012 Olympic Champion and 2013 World Champion in the 100 breaststroke and is the World Record holder in the 50 and 100 meter breaststrokes in long course and the co-World Record holder in the 100 breaststroke in short course.