Eneli Jefimova sixth in world championships 50-meter breaststroke
Top Estonian swimmer Eneli Jefimova on Sunday finished a relatively disappointing sixth in the women's 50-meter breaststroke final at the World Championships in Singapore, just 0.15 seconds outside the medals.
Jefimova, 18, posted a time of 30.13 in the heats and 30.25 in the semifinals on Saturday, giving her an overall position of fifth. Her personal best, also a national record, is 29.83 and was set in April in Helsinki.
"I've had much better swims this season," said Jefimova after Saturday's semifinal. "I don't even know if it was nerves or something else; I've just been here in Singapore for quite a while and am fatigued with this environment. But there's nothing to be done — everyone competes under the same conditions."
Jefimova swam a 30.29 on Sunday, placing sixth overall.
World Championship gold went to Lithuania's Rūta Meilutytė, who won with a time of 29.55 — her fourth consecutive title.
China's Tang Qianting (30.03) took silver, and Italy's Benedetta Pilato (30.14) won bronze. Another Italian, Anita Bottazzo (30.21), and three-time U.S. Olympic champion Lilly King (30.25), competing in the final race of her career, also finished ahead of Jefimova.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm, Andrew Whyte
