Russian breaststroker Yulia Efimova put up a second straight day of big swims on Sunday at the 2015 CA Southern California March Senior Invite in long course, as she had a very fast return from her 16-month doping suspension.
On Sunday, Efimova swam a world-leading 2:23.99 in the 200 meter breaststroke. Unlike the 100 on Saturday, that does bump Efimova to 3rd in the 2015 world rankings.
2014-2015 LCM Women 200 Breast
ZEYNEP
2.19.64*WJR
2 | Kanako WATANABE | JPN | 2.20.90 | 04/12 |
3 | Rikke MOLLER PEDERSEN | DEN | 2.21.58 | 06/10 |
4 | Rie KANETOU | JPN | 2.21.90 | 04/12 |
5 | Micah LAWRENCE | USA | 2.22.04 | 08/06 |
As compared to Efimova’s own personal history, her endurance suffered a tiny bit at the end of this 200 breaststroke; she’s usually a hair better than the 37.3 that she split at the end of this race. Overall, though, it was a seven-second victory, and another solid swim in her return to action.
Other winners on Sunday:
- US National Teamer Katie McLaughlin won the women’s 100 fly in 1:00.97, beating out Chinese swimmer Shija Wang. McLaughlin again topped Wang in the 100 free, though by a tighter 56.36-56.72 margin.
- Alex Valente won the men’s 100 fly in 54.76.Cole Cogswell finished 6th in 58.26.
- The Russians went 1-2-3 in the men’s 100 free, with Nikita Lobintsev (49.68), Alexander Sukhorukov (49.81), and Vlad Morozov (49.82).
Good for Yulia. Not saying that what she did before is to be overlooked, but to fight through that and come out swimming these times is impressive.
I say, “keep them doubting!” She has been very consistent over the years anyways!
If she were a chinese and trained in China, I doubt you would have said the same thing.
Abbey Weitzeil must be in a very heavy training period.
She swam 56.88 in the 100 free final.
Anyway, she isn’t usually a fast in-season swimmer.
Last year at the same period she was in 57.26.