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Russia’s Yuliya Efimova led a handful of 1:06s into the semifinals of the women’s 100-meter breast at the 2015 FINA World Championships.
Efimova put up the top time of the morning with a 1:06.31, well off her third-ranked time of 1:05.89 from the Mission Viejo Invitational in her first swim back from an anti-doping ban.
China’s Shi Jinglin qualified second in 1:06.45 to move into a fourth-place tie with Kanako Watanabe in the world rankings.
USA’s Jessica Hardy put up a 1:06.68 for the third seed to move to seventh in the world, while world-leader Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania earned the fourth seed with an easy speed 1:06.75. She leads the rankings this year with a 1:05.46 from the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum circuit.
Meilutyte is looking to defend her 2013 championship, where she beat Efimova 1:04.42 to 1:05.02 for the win. Hardy finished bronze that year as well with a 1:05.52.
Watanabe (1:06.81), Iceland’s Hilda Luthersdottir (1:06.87) and Australia’s Taylor McKeown (1:06.97) also cleared 1:07 to make semis.
Sweden’s Jennie Johannson (1:07.09), Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson (1:07.09), Spain’s Jessica Vall (1:07.13), Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse (1:07.29), Australia’s Lorna Tonks (1:07.32), Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen (1:07.39), Canada’s Rachel Nicol (1:07.52), Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni (1:07.52) and Finland’s Jenna Laukkanen (1:07.58) also claimed transfer spots into the semifinal heats.
USA’s Micah Lawrence missed a second swim with a 19th-place 1:07.73.
SCHEDULED EVENTS
- Women’s 100 back
- Men’s 100 back
- Women’s 100 breast
- Men’s 200 free
- Women’s 1500 free
