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
Italy’s Benedetta Pilato lowered the women’s long course 50 breaststroke world record to a 29.30, shaving a 0.10 seconds off Lilly King‘s former mark of 29.40. With that swim, Pilato also breaks the World Junior, European, European Junior, Italian, and European Championships records.
Pilato lowered the world junior, European junior, and championship records during the prelims of the event with a 29.50 and has now lowered it by another 0.20. The previous European record was set by Lithuanian breaststroker Ruta Meilutyte who hit a 29.48 back in 2013.
The now-former world record of 29.40 was set by Lilly King at the 2017 World Swimming Championships at this exact same pool at the same meet where Yuliya Efimova posted a 29.52 which now sits at #5 in terms of all-time performances. That means that the pool has played host to 3 of the 4 fastest times in history and 5 of the top 9.
All-Time Women’s Long Course 50 Breasktroke Performances
- Benedetta Pilato – 29.30 (2021)
- Lilly King – 29.40 (2017)
- Ruta Meilutyte – 29.48 (2013)
- Benedetta Pilato – 29.50 (2021)
- Yuliya Efimova – 29.52 (2013)
- Yuliya Efimova – 29.57 (2017)
- Ruta Meilutyte – 29.59 (2013)
- Lilly King – 29.60 (2017)
- Benedetta Pilato – 29.61 (2020)
- (TIE) Benedetta Pilato – 29.62 (2021)/LIlly King – 29.62 (2018)
Pilato raced the 50 breaststroke for Italy at the 2019 World Championships, earning a silver medal to Lilly King‘s 29.84 with a 30.00. While she now sits in the top spot in history in the world, she won’t race the event in Tokyo as the stroke 50s are not Olympic events. She will, however, represent Italy at the 2021 Olympics in the 100 breaststroke.
This swim marks Pilato’s first-ever world record and remains her only long course world junior record. She also holds the world junior record in the short course version of the event at a 28.81 from 2020.
Proves once again that Stroke Rate (70+SR) really matters….even in breaststroke. Few swimmers have the kick cycle time like Benedetta to be able to get to that rate. Let us not forget that Peaty was a great 50 breaststroker years before he became the best 100 breaststroker.
Do we know how rested Pilato is? Because if she isn’t, big things are coming in Tokyo
she is a teenager, she isn’t training like a pro. She has crazy speed (genetics), but it takes time to build a 100
Knowing Lilly, she will probably throw in the towel and retire before trials.
“it’s embarrassing to have your wr broken”
My lifetime stats are pretty normal until you reach the “burritos consumed” column.
*scans my own stats column* I don’t even have something to show I that department
You knew it was coming. She was so young with so much talent. She could very well end up being the female Peaty. If not Tokyo, soon after.
Eneli Jefimova is also Peaty. She is 14
https://youtu.be/WNAKb2wvkQQ
Man if only 50 strokes were olympic events. This women’s 50 breast dual would be so fun to watch on the biggest stage. I know they’ll face off in the 100 but still.
It has happened for women in every event For men I can immediately think about 3/4 of events. where boys have been 17 . Where they have been 18 that year others may have bern eligible but I don’t know their birthdays. You could google . .
World junior records are nonsense, FINA only take account the records established since 2014 , but some young swimmers before 2014 had literally gone faster than the actual records (Phelps, lochte, ledecky, meilutyte, sjoestrom, campbell)