{"id":214641,"date":"2016-08-02T11:00:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-02T18:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=214641"},"modified":"2016-07-31T13:08:08","modified_gmt":"2016-07-31T20:08:08","slug":"swimming-world-olympic-predictions-womens-100-breast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-olympic-predictions-womens-100-breast\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Olympic Predictions: Women’s 100 Breast"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Annie Grevers<\/em><\/p>\n

Lilly King\u2019s<\/strong> American record-crushing breaststroke performances at the 2016 NCAAs as well as her No. 1 world ranking by a half-second in the 100-meter breast (1:05.20) leave little room for doubt: she appears to be the future of American and, perhaps, world breaststroke.<\/p>\n

Still, she\u2019ll have plenty of competition in Rio. After an off year, Lithuania\u2019s Ruta Meilutyte<\/strong> seems to have shifted into high gear, dropping beneath the 1:06 barrier once again.<\/p>\n

Yuliya Efimova<\/strong>, who tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in her career this year, was added to the Russian roster in June, but later declared ineligible by the IOC in July. That should pave the way to the podium for Jamaica\u2019s Alia Atkinson<\/strong>\u2014the Texas A&M Aggie was fourth four years ago in London, third at last year\u2019s Worlds and clocked 1:05.93 last November in Dubai.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Katie Meili<\/strong>, who could give Team USA two medalists. Look for this to be a brawl, though, between the world\u2019s two high-tempo queens, King and the defending Olympic champion, Meilutyte.<\/p>\n

TALK ON DECK<\/strong><\/p>\n