Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment. World Championships, Day Two Prelims: Ruta Meilutyte Blazes 1:04.67 to Top Qualifying in 100 Breaststroke How good is the field for the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the World Championships? Well, it includes the last three Olympic champions (2012-2016-2020) and the silver medalist from the most recent Games in Tokyo. And on top of the field during the morning prelims was the woman who walked away with gold from the London Games 11 years ago. Racing in the last of six heats, Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte popped a massive performance of 1:04.67, the fastest time in the world this year and nearly a second clear of the second-fastest effort of the session. The Olympic champ from 2012 went out in 29.99 and never eased off the pace to finish a half-second off the world record of 1:04.13. Securing the second seed for the semifinals was Mona McSharry, who dropped an Irish record of 1:05.55 to finish .01 ahead of South African Tatjana Schoenmaker. At the 2020 Olympics, Schoenmaker was the silver medalist in the event and the champion in the 200 breaststroke. McSharry and Schoenmaker were joined in the sub-1:06 range by American Lilly King, the 2016 Olympic champ. King touched in 1:05.93, was comfortable and figures to return to the 1:04 form she showed at the U.S. Trials. The United States’ Lydia Jacoby, who won gold in the 100 breast in Tokyo, clocked a time of 1:06.71 to finish 14th and will have to be considerably faster at night to book a lane in the final. In 18th and 19th and missing the semifinals were South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk and Germany’s Anna Elendt.
Meilutyte is a really exciting swimmer.
Let’s see what happens through the rounds though. It’s still anyone’s game. I’d love to see a WR.