15th FINA World Championships 2013: Meilutyte (LTU) sets first WR in Barcelona!

Meilutyte (LTU)

AKUATIK INDONESIA, Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte claimed the first world record of the 15th FINA World Championships in a landmark swim for Lithuania in the women's 100m reaststroke. Meilutyte,16, clocked 1:04.35 in the semi-finals to better the 1:04.45 set by Jessica Hardy (USA) in Federal Way, Washington, on August 7, 2009. It was the first swimming world record in the 50m pool for her country since it gained its independence on the break-up of the former Soviet Union.

Four world titles were decided in the pool, with the victors coming from three continents, embracing Oceania, Europe and the Americas. Christian Sprenger provided Australia with the first gold of the evening, beating Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) into second place in the men's 100m breaststroke. Sprenger prevailed in 58.79 ahead of Van der Burgh (58.97) and Felipe Lima (BRA, 59.65) in an event won last time by Alexander Dale Oen (NOR), who sadly died in 2012.

Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom reclaimed the 100m butterfly title she had won in 2009, this time deposing defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Dana Vollmer (USA). Sjostrom, winner of the world title in 2009, won in 56.53, with Alicia Coutts (AUS), already a Barcelona silver medallist in the 4x100m freestyle relay, claiming her second successive world 100m butterfly silver (56.97). Vollmer took the bronze in 57.24.