Lithuanian teenager Ruta Meilutyte won the 100 metres breaststroke gold at the world championships in Barcelona on Tuesday, with a time just outside the world record she set in Monday's qualifying.
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The 16-year-old Olympic champion touched in a time of one minute 04.42 seconds, seven hundredths slower than Monday's blistering effort of 1:04.35.
Yuliya Efimova of Russia took silver in 1:05.02, matching her result from the 2009 championships in Rome, and American Jessica Hardy, who held the world record before Meilutyte, bronze in 1:05.52.
Lithuanian teenager Ruta Meilutyte shot to fame during the second day of action at the world swimming championships on Tuesday.
Following up on her Olympic title in London last year, Meilutyte scorched to a time of one minute 04.35 seconds in the semi-finals of the 100 metres breaststroke, shaving a tenth off the previous record of 1:04.45 set by American Jessica Hardy in 2009.
Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
