(Video): Yulia Efimova unsure if she will swim 200 breast at Worlds

Russian star Yulia Efimova won 3 events at the second stop  of the FINA Champions Swim Series, earning a total of 32,000$. The Olympic silver medalist won the three breaststroke distances, setting world’s season best times in all of them. Her times in the 200, 100 and 50 breast were 2:22.52, 1:05.99 and 30.26, respectively.

Efimova has been the most consistent 200 meter breaststroker over the last years. She is two-time world champion in the event (2013 and 2017) and Olympic silver (2016) and bronze medalist (2012) in the same event, in addition to world champion titles in 100 breast (2015) and  50 breast (2013).

Unexpectedly, the 27-year-old missed the qualification for the Gwangju World Championships in 200 breast at the Russian Championships, by placing 3rd in the final of the event in a time of 2:23.88. Teen phenom Evgenia Chikunova, born in 2004, won the event in an astonishing time of 2:22.67, while Maria Temnikova finished 2nd in 2:23.45. Nevertheless, Efimova won the 50 and 100 breaststroke, qualifying in both events for Worlds.

After the Russian Championships, there were rumors that 14-year-old Chikunova would skip the World Championships to focus on World Juniors. However, Chikunova’s name did appear on Russia’s roster for the World Championships in Gwangju.

The head coach of the Russian National Team, Sergei Chepik, explained later that Chikunova was included in the team as potential reserve, and would swim only if another breaststroker had to withdraw from the meet. So her focus will be on the World Junior and European Junior Championship meets instead. This decision would then allow Efimova to swim the 200 at Worlds.

When SwimSwam asked Efimova if she would swim the event at Worlds, this is what she answered: “I don’t know, it depends on the head coaches, I’m fine with the 50 and 100, I made the World Championships team and I will swim there. And if the head coaches and others tell me to swim the 200, I will swim the 200. If not, I’m ok with it because I swim 200 here, I have one more in Indianapolis and I have three Mare Nostrum, so I swim enough 200s and I think there should be good times, but I accept the head coaches’ decision“.

Therefore, it seems Efimova is still waiting for the Russian National Team head coaches to communicate her their decision.

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50_SJF
4 years ago

Unsure if PED’s can carry her to a win in the 200 yeah ok we get it

marklewis
4 years ago

She’s correct that the decision is in the coaches’ hands at this point. She’s playing it cool and not putting any public pressure on them.

She is the defending champion in the 200, and Lilly King isn’t standing in her way for the gold like the 50 and the 100.

She’s one of the few women to break the 2:20 barrier in the event.

bear drinks beer
Reply to  marklewis
4 years ago

The decision shouldn’t be in anybody’s hand at this point, it should have been made according to the selection policy. Why is the winner at the National championship be kept as a reserve? It’s just a joke.

nuotofan
4 years ago

I think that Efimova’s huge talent was clear already at the end of 2007, when, as a 15 year-old, swimming in her pink cap and northeless odd strategies in her races, she made great performances at European SC. And 8 months later, at Olympics08, at 16, she was just a few hundredths shy the podium.
My opinion is that Efimova is the most talented breastroker of the last decade and she coud have won more than she did without doping, but “only” with the hard work in the pool.
Unfortunately, at a certain point, she chose another way to succeed.
What a pity for a so-gifted swimmer and beautiful young lady.

Yozhik
4 years ago

I frequently thinking why has she been doing it. She is a gifted swimmer of Lilly King’s level with a rare versatility from 50 to 200. I can understand if it would be a mistake of young teenager caused by environment or someone’s ill influence or the strong desire of youth to get everything at once or the moral of her society that everybody do it not everybody got caught. But it is definitely not the case. When she showed arrogant lack of respect comparing her ban with the driver licence suspension I understood that it would be me who is naive if I believe in innocent mistake of inexperienced young girl who regrets of what has been done. Not… Read more »

Really
4 years ago

Depends on when her prescription runs out….

Yozhik
4 years ago

“And if the head coaches and others tell me to swim…”
Who are others?

Ytho
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

OMG THEY MUST THE PED DOCTORS!!4 >:(

Leisurely1:29
4 years ago

Fitting music in the background

anonymoose
Reply to  Leisurely1:29
4 years ago

lmao

50 free
4 years ago

Whoever did the interviews did all the swimmers dirty with this camera angle

Yozhik
Reply to  50 free
4 years ago

It’s usually happens when it is the camera of smartphone kept above the object. The reporter was probably standing in the crowd of other reporters raising his hand with the phone above the head.