Not A Fluke: Pilato Swims #2 Performance In 50 Breast History To Win Gold

2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

16-year-old Benedetta Pilato of Italy broke the women’s long course 50 breaststroke World Record in last night’s semi-finals of these European Championships. The teen fired off a monster mark of 29.30, shaving .10 off Lilly King‘s former record of 29.40 to establish the World Junior, European, European Junior, Italian, and European Championships records in the process.

In tonight’s final of the event, Pilato proved last night’s effort was anything but a fluke, as the teen busted out a near-identical mark of 29.35. Her result represented the only sub-30 second time of the field, with Finland’s Ida Hulkko reaping silver in 30.19 while Russia’s Yuliya Efimova claimed bronze in 30.22.

Behind Pilato, Hulkko notched a national record of her own, with the Florida State Seminole’s 30.19 overtaking her own previous Finnish standard of 30.33 from June of last year. That doubled up on the gold medal Finnish teammate Ari Pekka Liukkonen reaped just the previous event of the men’s 50m freestyle.

Going back to Pilato, she now owns the top 2 times ever in this women’s 50m breast and 3 of the top 5 performances all-time.

All-Time Women’s Long Course 50 Breasktroke Performances

  1. Benedetta Pilato – 29.30 (2021)
  2. Benedetta Pilato – 29.35 (2021)
  3. Lilly King – 29.40 (2017)
  4. Ruta Meilutyte – 29.48 (2013)
  5. Benedetta Pilato – 29.50 (2021)
  6. Yuliya Efimova – 29.52 (2013)
  7. Yuliya Efimova – 29.57 (2017)
  8. Ruta Meilutyte – 29.59 (2013)
  9. Lilly King – 29.60 (2017)
  10. Benedetta Pilato – 29.61 (2020)

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.

 

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Anonymoose
3 years ago

her stroke is quite van der burgh esque. and so is shymanovichs and martinenghis

Coach Macgyver
3 years ago

If you go the bathroom, turn off the lights and say Efiminova 3x, then Lilly King will come out and shake her finger at you.

Swimmer
Reply to  Coach Macgyver
3 years ago

instructions unclear, got my hand stuck in the toilet.

Coach Macgyver
Reply to  Swimmer
3 years ago

Man, you did it wrong. Don’t rub your eyes because that’s pink eye. Got that in both eyes once and man it hurts and is itchy.

The unoriginal Tim
3 years ago

Arms almost completely out of the water on every stroke.

Comments are Closed
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
3 years ago

As opposed to Peaty.

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
3 years ago

Yeah its legal it just looks weird.

SnakeEyes
3 years ago

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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