Yuliya Efimova Downs US Open 100 Breast, Katie Meili Gets American Mark

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Euro’s Yuliya Efimova clipped USA’s Katie Meili by the slimmest of margins with a U.S. Open mark in the women’s 100-meter breast at the 2015 Duel in the Pool.

Efimova won the race, 1:03.19 to 1:03.20, as her time broke the U.S. Open record of 1:03.33 set by Rebecca Soni back in 2011. That’s almost as fast as Efimova’s career best 1:02.96 from 2013.

Meili broke Jessica Hardy’s American record of 1:03.30 with that 1:03.20 as she moved up to sixth all time in the event’s history.

The fastest time ever by an American is a 1:02.70, however, as Soni clocked that in 2009. That time was unratified by USA Swimming. USA Swimming decided that American records set in techsuits after Oct. 1, 2009 – when USA Swimming implemented the techsuit ban domestically – would not be ratified. This is the case even for times swum legally in international events where ban was not in effect yet.

Hardy, meanwhile, took third tonight.

Euro’s Fanny Lecluyse (1:05.56), USA’s Laura Sogar (1:05.77), Euro’s Hilda Luthersdottir (1:05.92) also competed.

Running Team Score: USA 115, Euro 70

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Women’s 800 free
Men’s 1500 free
Women’s 200 free
Men’s 200 free
Women’s 100 back
Men’s 100 back
Women’s 100 breast
Men’s 100 breast
Women’s 200 fly
Men’s 200 fly
Women’s 50 free
Men’s 50 free
Women’s 200 IM
Men’s 200 IM
Women’s 400 free relay
Men’s 400 free relay

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