2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
The preliminary heats of the women’s 100 breaststroke at the 2023 World Championships were topped by two European women, Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte and Ireland’s Mona McSharry.
Meilutyte clocked a 1:04.67, which was the fastest heat time and the seventh-fastest 100 breast time ever. Her performance was her first time breaking the 1:05 barrier since 2013, when she set the (former) world record in the event with a time of 1:04.35. Meanwhile, McSharry swam a time of 1:05.55 to break her own Irish record time of 1:06.04 from April 2023.
All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 100-Meter Breaststroke:
- Lilly King, United States — 1:04.13 (2017)
- Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania — 1:04.35 (2013)
- Yulia Efimova, Russia — 1:04.36 (2017)
- Ruta Meilutye, Lithuania — 1:04.42 (2013)
- Jessica Hardy, United States — 1:04.45 (2009)
- Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania — 1:04.52 (2013)
- Lilly King, United States — 1:04.53 (2017)
- Ruta Meilutye, Lithuania — 1:04.67 (2023)
Meilutyte now vaults to the position of gold medal favorite in the 100 breast, as her time beat out Lilly King‘s 1:04.75 from Nationals to become the 2023 world-leading time. McSharry’s time is ranked sixth in the World.
After retiring from swimming in 2019, Meilutyte made a comeback in late 2021 and raced at the 2022 World Championships, where she won bronze in the 100 breast and gold in the 50 breast. In December 2022, she broke the world record in the short course 50 breast. Prior to Worlds, her best 100 breast time post-comeback was a 1:06.02 from 2022 Worlds.
McSharry has set the Irish record twice in the last year. She first swam a 1:06.04 in April to erase her 1:06.29 mark from 2021, and then went 1:05.55 at Worlds. She holds the 18 fastest Irish performances in the history of the women’s 100 breast.
Congrats to McSharry, Ireland have some rising stars in a couple of Olympic sports.
Hope our new Irish swimming champ isn’t on the same kind of ‘whiskey’ the 96 champ from Ireland was on.
These:
are very impressive.
What a surprise for McSharry.
Ruta’s ‘comeback’ or whatever you would call it is going so well.
I was disappointed when she stepped away from the sport but she’s shaping up to dominate once again perhaps.
Always found the women’s 100 breast interesting, and it was probably the highlight of the morning’s heats.
I am just loving Ruta comeback story.
She has had personal troubles since 2013.
Now she looks happier than ever before.
I hope she wins gold and break WR.
Me too. She was a very young Olympic champion, and I think that the trauma of her early childhood must have really affected her when she got older. It was all a lot to cope with as a youngster.
That part of her doping ban you are loving too? She retired to avoid backlash and now she’s here with her top swim again! Seriously, how easily you folks forget how to call out a cheater
I think her reaction time is really underrated when talking about great starters. She’s always like .59
rowdy about to bust
It’s not underrated when it’s been widely discussed since 2013 Barcelona.
sorry I’m only ate years old
That is insane for a heat. I hope she can back it up in the finals