Eneli Jefimova just outside 100m breaststroke European champs medals
Estonian swimmer Eneli Jefimova finished fourth in the women's 100m breaststroke final at the European Championships in Paris, missing the podium by just five hundredths of a second.
"I actually felt pretty good during the swim," said Jefimova, who won gold over the same distance in Belgrade two years ago, "When the final 25 started, I felt like another gear kicked in, but then the finish just didn't work out at all."
She added she had been calmer than in previous years, despite finishing the event empty-handed, medals-wise. "It's a process, and it's the fourth time I've gone 1:05 — that time is actually great. Today the other women were simply faster," the Estonian said.
At Wednesday evening's final Jefimova, 21, swam 1:05.94 — 0.16 seconds slower than her time in the semifinal, which had been a new domestic record.
In the final, she improved from fifth at halfway to fourth at the finish. Britain's Angharad Evans won gold in a championship record 1:04.87.
Other Estonians bow out in heats earlier on Wednesday
Earlier on the Wednesday, no other Estonian competitors had advanced from the morning heats in Paris.
Kregor Zirk (52.87) and Alex Ahtiainen (52.42) finished 32nd and 29th in the men's 100m butterfly, missing the semifinal cut of 52.07. In the women's 50m backstroke, Maari Randväli (29.18) and Margaret Markvardt (29.76) placed 32nd and 39th, well off the 28.61 cutoff. Christopher Palvadre (2:16.54) and Ralf Roose (2:20.29) were 36th and 41st in the men's 200m breaststroke.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Siim Boikov, Henrik Laever
