14-Year-Old Eneli Jefimova Hits 1:06.47 100 Breaststroke Estonian Record

2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
• Budapest, Hungary
• Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
• Event Site
• Entry List
• Live Results
• Live Stream

Swimming in the semi-finals of the 2021 European Swimming Championships, 14-year-old Eneli Jefimova delivered a 1:06.47 Estonian record, lowering her own mark from a 1:06.82 which she set earlier this year at the 2021 Swim Open Stockholm.

Jefimova’s swim was fast enough to earn 4th place in her semi and 8th place overall, allowing her to move on to the finals heat which will take place on Wednesday, May 18. The semi-finals were lead by Sweden’s Sophie Hansson who was the only swimming to get under 1:06 in the event with a 1:05.69 national record.

2021 European Championships Women’s 100 Breaststroke Semi-final Results

1. Sophie Hansson (SWE), 1:05.69
2. Martina Carraro (ITA), 1:06.09
3. Molly Renshaw (GBR), 1:06.21
4. Arianna Castiglioni (ITA) / Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 1:06.24
5. –
6. Mona McSharry (IRL), 1:06.42
7. Eneli Jefimova (EST), 1:06.47
8. Sarah Vasey (GBR), 1:06.53

Jefimova has now been under the FINA A standard of 1:07.07 a number of times this season and has thus qualified to swim the event for Estonia at the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games.

While she was only 12 years old at the time and wasn’t present at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships, Jefimova’s 1:06.47 would have been good enough to win gold at the 2019 World Swimming Championships, beating Evgeniia Chikunova’s winning time of 1:06.93 for Russia. Additionally, the time would have placed 5th at both the 2016 Olympics and 2019 World Championships.

Jefimova’s swim makes her the fastest-ever 14-year-old in the event and the 14th fastest 18&U swimmer in history.

1. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:04.35 (Age 16, 2013)
2. Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 1:05.41 (Age 17, 2009)
3. Kasey Carlson (USA) – 1:05.75 (Age 17, 2009)
4. Kanako Watanabe – 1:05.88 (Age 17, 2014)
5. Benedetta Pilato – 1:06.00 (Age 16, 2021)
6. Qianting Tang – 1:06.04 (Age 17, 2021)
7. Evgeniia Chikunova – 1:06.06 (Age 16, 2021)
8. Georgia Bohl – 1:06.12 (Age 18, 2016)
9. Jessica Hardy (USA) – 1:06.20 (Age 18, 2005)
10. Sophie Taylor (GBR) – 1:06.35 (Age 18, 2014)
11. Leisel Jones (AUS) – 1:06.37 (Age 17, 2003)
12. Lydia Jacoby (USA) – 1:06.38 (Age 17, 2021)
13. Lilly King (USA) – 1:06.43 (Age 18, 2015)
14. Eneli Jefimova – 1:06.47 (Age 14, 2021)

While Lithuanian breaststroker Ruta Meilutyte holds the fastest swim from a junior in history with her 1:04.35 former world record, her quickest swim at age 14 was a 1:07.30 at the British Gas Swimming Championships in 2012. With her 1:06.47, Jefimova now ranks #14 in the world this season.