Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte set the short course world record for the women’s 50m breaststroke at the 2022 World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) in Melbourne – can anyone better it in Budapest?
The World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) consistently delivers world-class showcases of the sport, and one of those at the last edition in Melbourne came courtesy of Ruta Meilutyte. In the women’s 50m breaststroke semi-finals, Meilutyte produced a typically powerful display to clock a World Record in a 25m pool of 28.37. It was an outstanding performance that took 0.19 off the previous record set by Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson at the Swimming World Cup in Budapest in 2018. Meilutyte went on to take the gold medal in the event with a time of 28.50 in the final. That was slightly slower than her semi-final swim, but she would also have beaten the previous world record, which had stood for 2,187 days.
It was a fourth career gold at the World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) for Meilutyte, following her 50m and 100m breaststroke double in Istanbul in 2012 and 50m success at Doha 2014. She has also won five gold medals at the European Short Course Championships and holds the joint World Record for the short course 100m breaststroke - Meilutyte clocked 1:02.36 at the 2013 Swimming World Cup stop in Moscow, which has since been equalled twice by Atkinson but never beaten.
Since bursting onto the scene with Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke at London 2012 and her double success at the Swimming World Championships (25m) in Istanbul later that year, Meilutyte, now aged 27, has had a glittering career. In addition to her short course accomplishments, Meilutyte is a five-time World Champion in the 50m pool. Her most recent success came at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha in the 50m breaststroke, and she twice broke the long course world record in that event at Fukuoka 2023, clocking 29.30 in the semi-final and 29.16 in the final on her way to gold.
Meilutyte has so often set the standard in the 50m breaststroke. However, with China’s Tang Qianting showing great form, having won the event in both stops of this year’s Swimming World Cup, the stage could be set for the short course world record to be challenged again at this year’s Swimming World Championships (25m) in Budapest in December.
Stay tuned to find out!