After winning the 50 breaststroke on the first day of the 2013 Gymnasiade in Brasilia, Brazil, Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte has scracthed the 100 breaststroke in prelims.
That left her without a day 2 event, though she would have surely won the 100 breaststroke, leaving Italy’s Silvia Guerra to win in 1:11.16 – just .05 seconds shy of the Meet Record held by country mate Sara Damiani back in 2006.
In the boys’ 100 breaststroke, there was no such ‘close call’ with the 100 breaststroke record. Chinese Taipei’s Cai Bingrong swam a 1:03.50 to knock a full second off of the old Meet Record held by former French breaststroke star Hugues Duboscq.
That result for the talented 16-year-old is another step in the impressive progress of the Asian Youth Games champion. He’s an even better 200 breaststroker, and in a region where few aside from the Japanese have really been able to excel in the men’s breaststrokes, it’s good to see some variety emerging.
Other huge Meet Records to go down included Hungary’s Benjamin Gratz with a 2:02.49 in the boys’ 200 backstroke. He and Italy’s Simone Sabbioni went toe-to-toe in the race, and both were well under the old record of 2:05.40.
In the men’s 200 IM, another Hungarian won another 200 meter race, where they’re so good as a nation, when Szabo Norbert won the men’s 200 IM in 2:03.96, which is the best time of his career and a new Meet Record for the 17-year old. In 3rd place in that race was Icaro Ludgero of Brazil with a 2:08.00, which marked the first medal for the home team at this meet.
Full Day 2 Meet Results available on this bulletin, with heats beginning on page 44 and finals beginning on page 52.