European champion Eneli Jefimova: One gold medal is tough, two in a row is even harder
On Wednesday, Estonian swimmer Eneli Jefimova won her second European Short Course gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke, setting a new competition record in the process. After the race, Jefimova told ERR she still feels there is room for improvement.
The first emotion Eneli Jefimova felt after winning gold was shock.
"When I saw the time, I was very surprised that I got my hands under the wall in 1 minute 03 seconds. Then I felt a rush of relief that I had finally done it. It was a really happy feeling, a lot of emotions all at once," Jefimova told ERR.
Jefimova's time of 1 minute 02.82 seconds not only earned her the gold medal, it was also the second-fastest time in European Championship history. Only world record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania has swum faster than Jefimova, clocking 1 minute 02.36 seconds in 2013.
"I'd be lying if I said that [swimming under 1 minute 03 seconds] wasn't the goal," Jefimova continued. "There was room for improvement in the heat and semi-final rounds, but the times were very good. I knew that if I could get it right, I could achieve a really good time."
The victory means Jefimova also successfully defended her European Championship gold medal from two years ago, when she set an Estonian national record.
"It's hard to become European champion once, but it's even harder to do it twice in a row; everyone expects it from you. I was a little nervous, but that means I care about my swimming and want to get good results. As you can see, the nerves didn't bother me too much and it turned out well," said Jefimova.
The three-time European champion admitted that, despite her success, she still aims to keep improving.
"The 50 turns were still a long glide, my coach also said that he was asking while watching: 'What's going on?! We talked everything through!' But in the 50 turns I had a world record split, if only I could get everything to click... but right now, I'm completely satisfied with that time."
It was also the first time Jefimova's mother Svetlana and little sister Polina were able to watch her swim in a major competition.
"It's an indescribable feeling, my mother and sister last came to watch my competitions five years ago, I think. That was a very long time ago. I heard my mother's voice during the preliminary round, the semi-finals and the finals. I immediately realized that it was her voice and that she was cheering me on! It was amazing to go and hug them after receiving my medal," said Jefimova.
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