{"id":507634,"date":"2022-06-24T10:06:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T17:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=507634"},"modified":"2022-06-24T10:10:30","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T17:10:30","slug":"world-championships-benedetta-pilato-takes-top-seed-in-50-breast-semis-lilly-king-squeaks-into-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-benedetta-pilato-takes-top-seed-in-50-breast-semis-lilly-king-squeaks-into-final\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships: Benedetta Pilato Takes Top Seed in 50 Breast Semis; Lilly King Squeaks Into Final"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships: Benedetta Pilato Takes Top Seed in 50 Breast Semis; Lilly King Squeaks Into Final<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Italy\u2019s Benedetta Pilato<\/strong> breezed into the women\u2019s 50 breaststroke final, while Lilly King<\/strong> barely hung on to the eighth spot at the World Championships.<\/p>\n

Pilato took the top seed heading into tomorrow\u2019s finals with a swim of 29.83. The world record-holder was a half second behind her world record set in 2021.<\/p>\n

Pilato won the 100 breaststroke earlier in the meet. If she wins the 50, she will join both China\u2019s Luo Xuejuan<\/strong> (2001 and 2003) and the USA\u2019s Lilly King <\/strong>(2017 and 2019) as the only swimmers to have won the sprint double since the 50 form strokes were added to the FINA World\u2019s program in Fukuoka in 2001.<\/p>\n

Lithuania\u2019s Ruta Meilutyte<\/strong> took the second spot in 29.97, while South Africa\u2019s Lara van Diekerk<\/strong> was at 29.99, making it three swimmers in the field to break 30 seconds in the event a the World Championships.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s Tang Qianting<\/strong> took the fourth spot in 30.10, followed by Estonia\u2019s Eneli Jefimova<\/strong> (20.34), Brazil\u2019s Jhennifer Conceicao<\/strong> (30.28) and Germany\u2019s Anna Elendt<\/strong> (30.30).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Rosey Metz<\/strong> of the Netherlands was disqualified, while some of the bigger names in the event like Anastasia Gorbenko, Annie Lazor<\/strong> and Sophie Hansson<\/strong> did not make the final.<\/p>\n