Just when it appeared that Ruta Meilutyte could not be beaten in the breaststroke sprints, Yuliya Efimova came up big in the final of the 50. Efimova out touched Meilutyte, the newly minted World Record holder from the semis with a strong performance and personal best time.
The world record had been traded back and forth by Meilutyte and Efimova throughout the early stages of the event. Efimova swam a 29.78 in prelims to best the old World Record set by reigning World Champion Jessica Hardy in 2009. Meilutyte followed up with an even stronger performance in the semi-final, posting a 29.48.
In the final, Meilutyte was off the blocks in a stunning 0.59 seconds and surfaced ahead of the field. Efimova was able to keep pace with Meilutyte’s rapid stroke rate and get the long touch to finish in 29.52, just off the world record set in the semis. Efimova reclaimed the title she had won in 2009 but lost in Shanghai in 2011 when she took the silver to Jessica Hardy. Hardy finished in third with a 29.80 to equal her own American Record from the 2009 US Open.
Complete race footage is courtesy of SwimSwam partner Universal Sports Network.
Ruta, not Rute… Geez…