{"id":578464,"date":"2024-02-18T09:28:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-18T16:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=578464"},"modified":"2024-02-18T15:48:14","modified_gmt":"2024-02-18T22:48:14","slug":"world-championships-day-8-finals-ruta-meilutyte-bounces-back-for-third-consecutive-50-breast-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-day-8-finals-ruta-meilutyte-bounces-back-for-third-consecutive-50-breast-title\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships, Day 8 Finals: Ruta Meilutyte Bounces Back For Third Consecutive 50 Breast Title"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships, Day 8 Finals: Ruta Meilutyte Bounces Back For Third Consecutive 50 Breast Title<\/strong><\/p>\n

Her week in Doha got off to a poor start with a 17th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, but Ruta Meilutyte<\/strong> is back in an expected position atop the gold-medal podium in the 50 breaststroke. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who set a world record of 29.30 on the way to gold in the event last year, booked lane four with a strong semifinal swim Saturday evening, and in the final, she held off a charge from the woman who did win gold in the 100 breast, China’s\u00a0Tang Qianting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Coming down the stretch, Tang had a chance to steal away the gold, but Meilutyte finished on a full stroke while her Chinese rival had a short finish, and that made the difference in deciding gold. Meilutyte touched in 29.40, a tenth away from her own world record, while Tang was 11-hundredths behind in 29.51. Meilutyte earned her third consecutive win in this event after previously winning in 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Meilutyte has also won a pair of world titles in the 100 breast, wins in 2013 and 2023 split by a decade and a brief retirement. Meilutyte entered the Olympic year as the favorite for the event at the Paris Games, but she failed to make the 100 breast semifinals<\/a> at the start of the week in Doha, swimming a full three seconds slower than she did in her title-winning swim last year<\/a>. However, Meilutyte showed Sunday that her speed and power is on point.<\/p>\n

“It is a proud moment for me and I\u2019m really happy,” Meilutyte said. “It\u2019s really exciting and inspiring to be on the stage while representing Lithuania. I was not expecting anything specific but it was easier to get the same time swimming the 50 any (time of) season, as compared to swimming the longer swims. I think coming back with a lot of experience has always helped me.”<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m proud of how far I have come and the journey I have been a part of. It\u2019s always a matter of pride to represent my country at the World Championships. Lithuanian fans are the best, very bright country, it\u2019s always a pleasure to be on the podium with such fans in support.”<\/p>\n

Italy’s\u00a0Benedetta Pilato<\/strong>, the former world-record holder in the event and the 2022 world champion in the 100 breast, won a medal in this event for the fourth consecutive World Championships as she touched third in 30.01. Pilato beat the rest of the field, headed by 2022 bronze medalist\u00a0Lara van Niekerk<\/strong> of South Africa at 30.47, by almost a half-second.<\/p>\n