Ruta Meilutyte Heads To Budapest 12 Years After First World Short-Course Gold
Ruta Meilutyte heads to Budapest for the short-course worlds as part of a 12-strong Lithuania team to conclude a year in which she has experienced world title joy, Olympic disappointment and injury.
Meilutyte won the 50m breaststroke for the third straight World Championships in Doha in February before having to undergo surgery for a foot injury weeks later and less than five months before the start of Paris 2024.
She failed to make the final in the French capital as she finished 11th in the semis in 1:06.89, 2.54secs off her European record of 1:04.35 that has stood since the 2013 worlds in Barcelona.
The 27-year-old heads to Hungary with seven world s/c medals since making her debut in Istanbul in 2012, months after winning the Olympic 100br title in London aged 15.
Among her silverware are four golds including three in the 50m in which she is reigning champion following gold at Melbourne 2022 where she set the WR of 28.37 in the semis.
Lithuania squad for the World Short-Course Championships, Budapest, 10-15 December 2024
Men:
Danas Rapšys – 200m & 400m freestyle, relays
Andrius Šidlauskas – 50m, 100m & 200m breaststroke
Tomas Navikonis – 100m freestyle, relays
Tomas Lukminas – relays
Tajus Juška – 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, relays
Kristupas Trepočka – 4 × 200m freestyle relay
Mantas Kaušpėdas – 50m & 100m backstroke
Evaldas Babakinas – 200m backstroke
Women:
Ruta Meilutyte – 50m & 100m breaststroke
Kotryna Teterevkova – 50m, 100m & 200m breaststroke
Justine Murdock – 50m, 100m & 200m backstroke
Smiltė Plytnykaitė – 50m, 100m & 200m freestyle; 50m butterfly
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