2018 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 3-9, 2018 (swimming portion)
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Tollcross International Swimming Centre
- Meet Central
- Program
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream (Europe w/ English commentary)
- Full Results
Yuliya Efimova recorded the fastest breaststroke split in history and the Russian women won gold in the 4×100 medley relay in European Championship Record time to close out the competition in Glasgow.
After breaking the European Record and winning silver at last summer’s World Championships, Russia came in as the favorites for gold in the women’s medley relay, and they lived up to the hype as they won in a time of 3:54.22, wiping Denmark’s 2014 meet record of 3:55.62 off the books.
Anastasiia Fesikova led them off with the 2nd fastest split in the field (59.56), and then Efimova produced a massive lead for the team with the fastest breaststroke split in history. She split 1:03.95, the first ever sub-1:04, as they opened up a nearly three-second advantage over the Italians. Svetlana Chimrova (57.34) had the top fly split in the field, and Mariia Kameneva brought them home in 53.37 for the victory.
When Denmark set that Championship Record in 2014, it was also the European Record at the time. Check out a split comparison of the two new and old meet records below:
Split Comparison, Women’s Medley Relay Championship Record
| Denmark, 2014 Euros | Russia, 2018 Euros |
| Mie Nielsen – 1:00.37 | Anastasiia Fesikova – 59.56 |
| Rikke Moeller-Pedersen – 1:06.07 | Yuliya Efimova – 1:03.95 |
| Jeanette Ottesen- 56.15 | Svetlana Chimrova – 57.34 |
| Pernille Blume – 53.03 | Mariia Kameneva – 53.37 |
| 3:55.62 | 3:54.22 |
Efimova’s split surpasses her 1:04.03 from the 2017 World Championships, done on the relay where Russia broke the European Record in 3:53.38. Prior to that, the fastest split ever belonged to China’s Chen Huijia, who went 1:04.12 at the 2009 World Championships.
Fastest Breaststroke Splits In History
Note: includes mixed medley relays
- Yuliya Efimova, 1:03.95 (2018)
- Yuliya Efimova, 1:04.03 (2017)
- Chen Huijia, 1:04.12 (2009)
- Lilly King, 1:04.15 (2017)
- Lilly King, 1:04.48 (2017)
- Leisel Jones, 1:04.58 (2008)
- Sarah Katsoulis, 1:04.65 (2009)
- Rebecca Soni, 1:04.71 (2011)
- Yuliya Efimova (2013) / Rebecca Soni (2012), 1:04.82
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Efi and Sun living the high life and still reaping the rewards of a fraudulent system. Always look for 2nd place when these two swim.
She’s a cheetah
If I Efimova wins something, I always look for the 2nd place in the ranking who is the real winner for me.
BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT SHE IS FROM RUSSIA AND LILLY KING IS AWESOME! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!!!!
Once a cheater always a cheater that’s how
then by that logic down with Madyson Cox AND Ryan Lochte!!!!!!!!!!!
If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying lol
Yep
Agreed. I swam in the 80s when there were lifetime bans and one strike. I dislike all these dopers and cheaters.
Things they gave one-strike lifetime bans for: doping (I guess? I’m taking your word for it)
Things they didn’t give one-strike lifetime bans for: having sex with your swimmers
In fact, the latter frequently got you employed, and promoted. Sometimes marrying your swimmers got you set up with cushy 6-figure jobs at USA Swimming for decades.
Lest we do that thing where we pretend like the past was actually better than the present: I’ll take dopers over child rapists.
Scott – I think maybe you’re misremembering. Ben Johnson, the most famous doper of the 1980s, was given a two-year ban after his first positive test. Then his coach told a committee that he had been doping since 1981, so they took away all of his world records. It took a 2nd test, on top of the coach testimony of a decade of doping, for him to receive a lifetime ban.
In fact, a look through this page indicates that lifetime bans were quite rare in the 1980s for first strikes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doping_cases_in_athletics
I couldn’t find a list this extensive for swimming. I wasn’t aware in the 1980s, but it seems to me that dopers… Read more »
Lochte wasnever accused of doping. He violated a rule, but was never accused of doping.
Wow, she really came through for her team with that split.