Lithuania’s Meilutyte smashes world record

Fukuoka, The Gulf Observer: Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania set her second world record in as many days in the women’s 50 metres breaststroke, powering to the gold medal in a superb time of 29.16 seconds on the final day of swimming action at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday.

Meilutyte obliterated the record of 29.30 seconds that she had jointly held with Benedetta Pilato of Italy, after setting that mark in the semi-finals on Saturday and she sent out a warning to her rivals ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics.

“I’m happy,” Meilutyte said. “I definitely felt it was possible. I’m enjoying the process along the way.”

She was 0.78 seconds ahead of silver medallist Lilly King of the United States. Pilato took bronze in 30.04 seconds.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem had broken her own world record in the women’s 50m freestyle semi-finals in a time of 23.61 seconds a day earlier and the 29-year-old was almost as quick in the final to claim gold in style.

Sjoestroem finished only one hundredth of a second away from her blistering effort for the record to beat Australia’s Shayna Jack, who clocked 24.10.

“I’m super happy with that. It was very busy yesterday, with the world record and the gold medal,” said Sjoestroem, who won a fifth straight world title in the 50m butterfly on Saturday.

Sjoestroem’s freestyle victory meant the evergreen swimmer went past American great Michael Phelps with her 21st individual medal at the worlds.

Zhang Yufei took bronze in 24.15 to further swell China’s medal tally.