Ruta Meilutyte Will Train With Team Elite in San Diego for a Month

Courtesy: Team Elite

2012 Olympic gold medalist Ruta Meilutyte is continuing her training globe-trek with her next spot coming in San Diego, California with David Marsh and Team Elite. Marsh was the head coach of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Meilutyte, a Lithuanian who has spent most of her young career training in the UK, rose rapidly to prominence in 2012 when she surprised for gold in the 100 breaststroke at just 15-years old. A year later at the World Championships, Meilutyte broke the World Record in the 100 breaststroke in long course with a 1:04.35. Later that year, she also broke the World Record in the 100 breaststroke in short course meters (1:02.36), and the 50 breaststroke in long course meters (29.48).

Thereafter, though, her progress stalled. She’s only swum a best time in one sprint breaststroke event since 2013 (the 50 SCM in 2014), or the IMs (where she’s been 57.68 in the 100 and 2:12.32 in the 200 LCM). She’s made some progress in the 200 breaststroke (2:25.62/2:22.21), but otherwise has largely stalled out in all events that are even within scope of her primary events.

Since her head coach Jon Rudd left Plymouth Leander to take over the Ireland program, Meilutyte has hopped around to several different training regimes. Early in 2017, she returned to Lithuania for a period of training; she then spent time training with Michael Bohl in Australia, who even talked her into swimming a 1500 free. Now, at only 20-years old, she’ll head for a training block in the United States – saying that her plan currently is to be there for a month.

“I still vividly remember meeting David at a BBQ restaurant in the Olympic village as a 15 year old shortly after arriving at the London Games,” Meilutyte said. “From our initial conversation to my first gold medal and beyond, David has always been a great encourager, advisor, and sounding board for me in addition to his global reputation of helping top swimmers get even better. This will be my first time training with him so I’m really excited to spend the next month here in San Diego getting stronger with Team Elite.”

“We’re honored to have Rūta train with us at Team Elite in San Diego,” Marsh said. “Ruta is respected throughout the world for her competitive spirit and prowess. She possesses the highest in character and integrity. The first day she arrived she was already out surfing and then was ready to go at morning practice!”

Among the currently-listed members of Team Elite’s squad includes NCAA Swimmer of the Year Kathleen Baker (who spends much of the year training and competing for Cal’s college team), Michael Chadwick, Olympic champion Anthony Ervin, Dutchman Dion Dreesens, 3-time Olympic medalist from Japan Ryosuke Irie, Madison Kennedy, Katie Meili, Hellen Moffit, Tim Phillips, and Matheus Santana. U.S. World Championship team member Sarah Gibson is also training with the team. \

While members of the group have a great deal of specialties, there’s only 1 other breaststroker in the group – Katie Meili – who is spending most of her year training remotely while attending law school at Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Meili was in San Diego training on-site during the winter break and lead-up to the Pro Swim Series meet in Austin, however. While training with Marsh, she won a gold medley relay medal and bronze individual medal in the 100 breaststroke at the Olympics, and turned that 100 breaststroke medal to silver at last year’s World Championships.

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anonymoose
6 years ago

in the title picture, something nasty is going on in the background

Ervin
Reply to  anonymoose
6 years ago

lol is that Yulia?

Bupwa
6 years ago

Ruta – Coach Marshy can help you return to your best time standards. He is a magic man with great coaching powers! Best wishes.

Ervin
6 years ago

This girl’s start is rivaled only by Caleb Dressel…shes sooooo fast off the blocks

Dan D.
6 years ago

Lot of big egos at Team Elite. I hope Ruta can work well with them, learn a lot, and have fun!

JohnJ
Reply to  Dan D.
6 years ago

Who actually trains at team Elite?

Dan D.
Reply to  JohnJ
6 years ago

I think that Michael Chadwick, Anthony Ervin, Dion Dreesens, Ryosuke Irie, Madison Kennedy, Hellen Moffit, Tim Phillips, Matheus Santana, and Sarah Gibson train at Team Elite in San Diego. Meili trains at Georgetown, and Baker is at Cal Berkeley. Don’t know of anyone else with Team Elite.

Observer
Reply to  Dan D.
6 years ago

Honestly?? If you can’t handle a competitive environment (where eventually you’ll bump into some egos), what the heck are you even doing there??? Go Ruta!!

Dudeman
Reply to  Observer
6 years ago

I think the comment was meant as a joke referring to the Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace interview

Dan D.
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

Thank you! Someone keeps up with interviews!

Dan D.
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace doesn’t seem to think that Team Elite is the kind of place that you can let your guard down, be vulnerable, and learn. That’s all my comment was about. Chill out, folks.

Sccoach
Reply to  Dan D.
6 years ago

Actually she just said “lots of egos,” not all the stuff you are saying

Dan D.
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

Did AVP leave Team Elite because it’s an elite team made up of folks who have egos, or because those egos created a bad environment? AVP isn’t exactly unfamiliar or inexperienced with working in groups of elite swimmers, ya know. David Marsh himself has mentioned how difficult it is to keep the egos and attitudes at Team Elite in check.

Dan D.
Reply to  Observer
6 years ago

Nothing against a competitive environment–such an environment is essential for success. My comment reflected the thoughts of Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, who said in an interview that the concentration of big egos and the environment that they created was part of her decision to leave Team Elite. I don’t think that AVP is so emotionally insecure that she can’t handle being on a team with elite swimmers, after all. Things are different at Team Elite. I just hope it works out well for Ruta.

Tammy Touchpad Error
6 years ago

Hard to fathom that she’s only 20. Showed a lot of promise last year. Would be great if her, Yulia, Mieli, Hannis, and King can all push each other under 1:04. Could be some amazing races these coming years

Pvdh
6 years ago

Same age as Lily Ming, but their careers paths seem to be on opposite trajectories

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