World Championships: Benedetta Pilato Takes Top Seed in 50 Breast Semis; Lilly King Squeaks Into Final

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World Championships: Benedetta Pilato Takes Top Seed in 50 Breast Semis; Lilly King Squeaks Into Final

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato breezed into the women’s 50 breaststroke final, while Lilly King barely hung on to the eighth spot at the World Championships.

Pilato took the top seed heading into tomorrow’s finals with a swim of 29.83. The world record-holder was a half second behind her world record set in 2021.

Pilato won the 100 breaststroke earlier in the meet. If she wins the 50, she will join both China’s Luo Xuejuan (2001 and 2003) and the USA’s Lilly King (2017 and 2019) as the only swimmers to have won the sprint double since the 50 form strokes were added to the FINA World’s program in Fukuoka in 2001.

Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte took the second spot in 29.97, while South Africa’s Lara van Diekerk was at 29.99, making it three swimmers in the field to break 30 seconds in the event a the World Championships.

China’s Tang Qianting took the fourth spot in 30.10, followed by Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova (20.34), Brazil’s Jhennifer Conceicao (30.28) and Germany’s Anna Elendt (30.30).

King, the world championships meet record holder (29.40 in 2017) hung on for the eighth seed in 30.35. King won the 200 breaststroke earlier in the meet. She has been a star of the ISL skins in the 50 breaststroke and could still have plenty in the tank for a final blowout swim.

Rosey Metz of the Netherlands was disqualified, while some of the bigger names in the event like Anastasia Gorbenko, Annie Lazor and Sophie Hansson did not make the final.

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