Lithuania Names 8 Swimmers to World Championships Roster; No Meilutyte

Lithuanian swimmer Ruta Meilutyte has not been chosen among among the 8 (pool) swimmer team for the 2019 World Championships. The meet will take place from July 12th-28th in Gwangju, South Korea, with swimming taking place the 2nd week of that time period.

The Lithuanian roster will be composed of 6 men and 2 women, and the country will also enter a men’s 400 medley relay and a mixed 400 medley relay. Event without Meilutyte, that’s a similar mix to the 2017 World Championships, where the country sent 7 men and 2 women but opted to not race a mixed medley relay.

The team’s only returning finalists from the 2017 World Championships are Danas Rapsys (8th in the 200 back) and Andrius Sidlauskas (6th in the 100 breast). Meilutyte placed 4th in both the 50 and 100 breaststrokes in 2017.

Simonas Bilis is also a potential finalist: he was just 29th in his specialty event, the 50 free, but was 8th a year earlier at the Olympics.

Meilutyte is awaiting a final edict after missing 3 anti-doping tests in a 12 month period. Her coach Dave Salo said that she took a training break after the 2018 World Championships and returned home to Lithuania, and that this was the likely explanation for the missed test rather than dodging detection.

While Lithuania seems to be bracing for at least the minimum 1 year suspension in this case, Emil Vaitkaitis, the head of the Lithuanian Swimming Federation is not ready to declare this the end of her career.

Vaitkaitis says that the federation has done all that they can to help Meilutyte, but that they don’t believe that it’s possible to avoid a penalty of at least one year. He does, however, insist that she is clean.

Talking to Lithuanian news site lrt.lt, he said “After already missing 3 tests, she was checked by the (anti-doping controller), this time they found her, took samples, and as far as I know, the tests were negative. Rather, we do not have the information that the tests were positive, which probably means they were negative.”

Vaitkaitis insists that he does not believe that Meilutyte intentionally missed her tests – he believes that she wanted to retire, so she didn’t update the ADAMS whereabouts system. He further emphasized that she admitted her mistake, did not try to make up excuses, and that he believes that this shows maturity.

Lithuanian Swimming Roster, 2019 World Championships:

Men:

Women:

  • Ugne Mazutaityte – 200 back
  • Kotryna Tetervkova – 50 free, 100 free, 200 breast

Staff:

1. Emil Vaitkaitis Head of Delegation
2. Ina Paipelienė Head coach
3. Dirk Lange Coach
4. Mikhail Romanovskis Coach
5. Andrius Bogdelis Doctor/physiotherapist
6. Lina Katelytė Masseur

Lithuania also announced several other team nominations, including Natalija Ambrazaitė in synchronized swimming.

Other 2019 Lithuanian Rosters

European Junior Championships (Kazan, Russia, July 3rd-7th)

Swimmers
1. Kotryna Teterevkova Q Vilniaus MSC 50, 100, 200 breaststrokes
2. Arijus Pavlidi Q Vilniaus MSC 50, 100, 200 backstroke, 50, 100 freestyle
3. Erikas Grigaitis Q Kauno PM 50, 100, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle
4. Jokūbas Keblys Q Panevėžio Žemyna 50, 100 l. freestyle
5. Titas Smailys Q Panevėžio Žemyna 50, 100 l. freestyle
6. Paulina Pekūnaitė Panevėžio SG 50, 100, 200 backstroke
7. Marija Rutkauskaitė Kauno SM Startas 50, 100, 200, 400 l. freestyle
 –
Staff
1. Michailas Romanovskis Head Coach
2. Vygantas Banys Coach
3. Redas Pivoriūnas Doctor/masseus
4. Rasa Mažutaitienė Team Leader

European Youth Olympic Festival (Baku, Azerbaijan, July 22-27)

Swimmers
1. Daniil Pancerevas A Klaipėdos Gintaro SC 50, 100 freestyle, 100 fy
2. Aleksas Savickas B Panevėžio Žemyna 100, 200 breaststroke, 50, 100 free
3. Mija Motiejaitytė B Kauno PM 100, 200 breaststroke
4. Laura Šliburytė -47 Kauno PM 50, 100 freestyle
5. Džiugas Karklelis -81 Ignalinos KKSC 100, 200 breaststroke, 200, 400 IM
6. Tadas Praniauskas -87 Kauno PM 100, 200 backstroke
7. Tomas Navikonis -106 Panevėžio Žemyna 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle
8. Gerda Jotautė -108 Kauno PM 50, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke
9. Nojus Skirutis -134 Klaipėdos Gintaro SC 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly,
200 backstroke, 400 IM
10. Radvilė Kerševičiūtė -143 Kauno PM 100, 200 butterfly
 –
LTU 4×100 men’s medley
LTU 4×100 men’s free
LTU 4×100 mixed medley
LTU 4×100 mixed free
LTU 4×100 women’s medley
 –
Staff
1. Jandra Bogužienė Coach
2. Židrūnė Budrienė Coach
3. Rasa Duškinienė Team Leader

World University Games/Summer Universiade (Naples, Italy, July 3-14)

Swimmers
1 Agnė Šeleikaitė Q LSMU 50, 100, 200 breaststroke
2 Andrius Šidlauskas Q VDU 50, 100, 200 breaststroke
3 Povilas Strazdas Q VU 200 IM, 50, 100 butterfly, 50, 100 freestyle
4 Eimantas Milius Q LSU 100, 200 backstroke, 200 IM
5 Tomas Sungaila Q UNC (JAV) 50, 100, 200 freestyle
6 Valdas Abalikšta Q UNC (JAV) 50, 100, 200 breaststroke
 –
LTU 4×100 men’s medley
LTU 4×100 men’s free
 –
Staff
1. Giedrius Martinionis Coach
2. Aistė Radvilavičiūtė Team Leader

Nordic Age Group Championships (Veijle, Denmark, July 13-14)

Swimmers:
1. Daniil Pancerev Klaipėda Amber SC
2. Džiugas Karklelis Ignalina CSC
3. Tadas Praniauskas Kaunas PM
4. Augustė Jociūtė            Kaunas PM
5. Noah Skirutis Klaipėda Amber SC
6. Radvilė Kerševičiūtė Kaunas PM
7. Daniel Kveder Klaipėda Amber SC
8. Joris Veretinskas Kaunas PM
9. Martin Tretjak Klaipėda Amber SC
10. Mykolas Rindokas Kaunas PM
11. Jacob Tijunonis Vilnius MSC
12. Anželika Zlatkutė Anyksciai KKSC
13. Gabrielė Puzaraitė Kaunas PM
14. Patricija Kondraškaitė Impuls Swimming Academy
15. Martynas Audickas Kaunas PM
16. Jacob Jankauskas Siauliai PC Dolphin
17. Gustė Šimkutė Vilnius MSC
 
Staff:
1. Jandra Bogužienė Coach
2. Eugenijus Rakitinas Coach
3. Justas Achramavičius Team Leader

Resolution

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About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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