2024 SC Worlds Previews: Douglass and Tang Hold Strong in Women’s Breaststroke Events

2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 10-15, 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Roster Index
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

After crushing the 200m breaststroke world record on the 2024 World Cup circuit, American Kate Douglass leads a strong contingent of breaststrokers that will be competing at the 2024 World Championships in Budapest in just a few weeks. Though Douglass is the favorite to win the 200 breast, there are plenty of other names that could make an impact across all three breaststroke events. 

Women’s 50 Breaststroke Preview 

• World Record: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2022)
• Championship Record: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2022)
• 2022 SC World Champion: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU
• Returning 2022 Short Course Worlds Finalists: Ruta Meilutyte, Lara van Niekerk, Lilly King, Tanf Qianting, Benedetta Pilato, Veera Kivirinta

China’s Tang Qianting saw a dominant performance in this event across the World Cup, sweeping this event across all three stops of the series. In addition, she broke the Asian Record 3 different times this season en route to becoming the 3rd-fastest performer of all time with her 28.76 from the final stop of the series in Shanghai. At that stop, she won the event by almost a second, making herself the clear-cut favorite to win the World Championship title. If she does so, Tang will walk away with her first SC World Championship title. 

Tang Qianting via Fabio Cetti

With her dominance, Tang’s path looks relatively clear. However, her biggest obstacle will likely be World Record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. After experiencing a career resurgence in 2022, Meilutyte set a new World Record in this event with a blistering 28.37. In 2023, she posted a World Record of 29.16 in the long course pool as well, showing that she might have more left in the tank. Since finishing 11th in the 100 breaststroke at the Paris Olympics, Meilutyte has not competed in any SCM meets, leaving her form slightly questionable. However, it should be clear if she’ll be in “challenger” form as soon as she jumps into the pool at Worlds. 

Italian Benedetta Pilato should also play a major role here. Pilato contested this event multiple times on the World Cup circuit, but couldn’t best Tang. However, she has a history of success in this event, having held the World Record in the long course pool before Meilutyte and she holds the second fastest time in the qualifying field with her 28.86 from the 2023 European Championships. 

Lilly King (photo: Jack Spitser)

Young star Eneli Jefimova of Estonia, along with American Lilly King could also make a major push for the podium. King has a proven medal record and plenty of experience behind her, having been competing at the international level for nearly a decade. The 2016 Olympic Champion is the current American Record holder in the event with her 28.77 from the 2020 ISL season. Though she hasn’t competed in the short course much since the end of the ISL, King should have no problem adjusting back and throwing down some great performances. On the flip side, Jefimova has been a rapidly rising force on the European swim stage, and will be looking for an international breakout at Worlds. With a best time of 29.10, she will be right in the thick of things. Especially at only 17-years-old, watch for her to potentially produce a huge performance. 

The other US entrant in the race is 2024 Olympian Emma Weber. The UVA swimmer is entered in the race with a 31.01 LCM qualifying time. However, expect her to move up. Other swimmers who could move up the psych sheet significantly include China’s Yu Jingyao, Sweden’s Sophie Hansson, and South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk. Despite not racing SCM often, van Niekerk won the silver medal in this event back in 2022. She hasn’t raced since the 2024 South African Championships after missing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to an error in which her qualifying times were not counted. Given that she missed out on Paris, van Niekerk will likely be fired up to perform well here. 

Notably, Russian star Yuliya Efimova is also entered in the race as a neutral competitor. Efimova hasn’t been eligible to compete in any World Aquatics Meets since the 2021 World Cup due to the organization’s ban on Russian athletes. However, due to recent updates of World Aquatics’ policy regarding athlete eligibility while their nation is  under a “period of conflict”, Efimova is now eligible to compete under neutral status. 

SwimSwam’s Picks – Top Four

Women’s 100 Breaststroke Preview

• World Record: 1:02.36 – Alia Atkinson, JAM (2014/2016)/Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• Championship Record: 1:02.36 – Alia Atkinson, JAM (2014)
• 2022 SC World Champion: 1:02.67 – Lilly King, USA
• Returning 2022 Short Course Worlds Finalists: Lilly King, Tang Qianting, Lara van Niekerk, Ruta Meilutyte
• 2024 Olympic Finalists in the Field: Tang Qianting, Benedetta Pilato, Lilly King, Eneli Jefimova, Angharad Evans,  Alina Zmushka

Many of the same players from the 50 breaststroke will cross-over into the 100 breaststroke, with a few notable additions. 

As with the 50 breaststroke, Tang Qianting remains the favorite after sweeping the event at the World Cup series. She holds the top entry time with a 1:02.53, the fastest time on the psych sheets by over a half second and the 4th fastest time in history. However, of the three swimmers that stand ahead of Tang on the all-time rankings, two are slated to compete here, making for an exciting matchup. 

American Lilly King holds the 3rd fastest performance of all time thanks to her 1:02.50 from the 2020 ISL season. Since the ISL ended its run, King hasn’t entered the SCM pool very often. In fact, she’s currently seeded way down the psych sheets with an entry time of 1:05.43 from the long course pool. However, in her last SCM 100 breaststroke at the 2022 World Championships, King posted a time of 1:02.67 to win the title, making her a serious threat to Tang’s hopes of running away with the championship. 

Current co-World Record holder Ruta Meilutyte is also entered and should be a threat if she’s in top form. Though she’s shifted her focus towards the 50m breaststroke in the long course pool more recently, Meilutyte still poses a serious threat in the 100m breaststroke, especially in short course. At the 2022 edition of the championships, she was seeded second going into the final with a 1:03.40 before facing a disqualification in the final for a double dolphin kick off of the start. Prior to her disqualification, Meilutyte had posted a time of 1:02.91, finishing second to King. With that time, she should definitely be in the mix for a medal here. 

Ruta Meilutyte (photo: Jack Spitser)

Eneli Jefimova and Benedetta Pilato are also amongst the top of the field as the 2nd and 3rd seeds. In her breakout season on the senior level, Jefimova has made a significant impact, becoming one of  the top European breaststrokers thanks to her performances at the 2024 European Championships and 2024 Olympic Games. At only 17-years-old, she holds a best time of 1:03.21, which she has already approached several times this season at various competitions, meaning that she could be in for a breakout. The 19-year-old Pilato has been established on the international stage for several years now, winning her first World Championships medal at 14-years-old. Despite her strong career, Pilato has never won a SC Worlds title, something that she’s looking to change this year. After finishing 2nd to Tang at the World Cup in this event on several occasions, she’s likely motivated to get her hand to the wall first. South African record holder Lara van Niekerk will certainly be in the conversation as well, holding a best time of 1:03.93. Known more for her speed in the 50, she holds a strong 100 as well.

In terms of new additions to the race as compared to the 50 breaststroke, Evgeniia Chikunova is one of the biggest names to throw into the ring. The Russian 200 breaststroke specialist has not contested many international races in recent years due to the ban of Russian athletes from World Aquatics events. However, like her teammate Yuliya Efimova, Chikunova is ready to return to the international stage under a neutral status. Less than two weeks ago, Chikunova posted a best time of 1:04.07 in the 100 breaststroke, and could see big improvements on that time with a taper under her belt.

SwimSwam’s Picks – Top Four

Women’s 200 Breaststroke Preview

• World Record: 2:12.72 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• Championship Record: 2:15.77 – Kate Douglass, USA (2022)
• 2022 SC World Champion: 2:15.77 – Kate Douglass, USA
• Returning 2022 Short Course Worlds Finalists: Kate Douglass, Sydney Pickrem 
• 2024 Olympic Finalists in the Field: Kate Douglass, Kotryna Teterevkova, 

Kate Douglass (photo: Jack Spitser)

When talking about dominance in the sport of swimming, one should look to American Kate Douglass as a prime example. At the final stop of the 2024 World Cup in Singapore, Douglass threw down an astonishing time of 2:12.72 to shatter the World Record in the 200 breaststroke by almost 1.5 seconds. Impressively, the record she shattered was her own mark of 2:14.16, set only a week before in Incheon. Prior to that, the mark stood for over a decade at a time of 2:14.57, set by fellow American Rebecca Soni back in 2009. With her time, Douglass now stands nearly 2 seconds ahead of anyone else in history, one of the widest margins in the sport of swimming. Barring an exceptional swim by another athlete or a major error on Douglass’ part, this race should be hers for the taking, with a fairly comfortable margin.

Her biggest threat will likely be Evgeniia Chikunova, the only other swimmer to have broken the 2:15-barrier in over a decade. Back in 2022, Chikunova threw down a blistering 2:14.70 to nearly take down Soni’s record, falling just a tenth of a second short. A few months after that, she went on to take down Tatjana Schoenmaker’s World Record mark in the long course edition of the race at the 2023 Russian Championships with a 2:17.55. Though she hasn’t been able to race much since then, Chikunova has been consistent in her performances. If Douglass isn’t on top form, she’ll certainly be right there to take the crown. 

Alex Walsh (photo: Jack Spitser)

Notably, 2022 silver medalist Lilly King will not be joining her teammate Douglass in this event. Instead, Alex Walsh will contest this race as the 2nd American entrant. Walsh hasn’t competed since the 2024 Olympic Games, undergoing a meniscus procedure in September. However, she’s a fierce competitor who has made a big progression in the LCM version of this event over the past 12 months. Though she currently does not have a time registered in the SCM pool, she’s the reigning NCAA Champion in the event, dropping a time of 2:02.07, and she holds a best time of 2:22.38 in the long course pool. 

Along with Walsh, Tara Kinder of Australia and neutral athlete Alina Zmushka should also make a push for the podium, entering the meet as the 3rd and 4th seeds. However, behind Douglass, this field seems to be wide open, meaning there could be some major surprises. 

SwimSwam’s Picks – Top Four