RŪTA MEILUTYTĖ

NATIONALITY Lithuanian
HOMETOWN Kaunas
DATE OF BIRTH 19/03/1997
DISCIPLINE Breaststroke
CLUB/COLLEGE Lithuanian national swimming team
COACH Tadas Duškinas
FOLLOW RŪTA ON
“Do or do not. There is no try.”

BIOGRAPHY

Rūta Meilutytė promised to give her gold medal to her grandmother after winning a third straight 50m breaststroke title at the World Championships in Doha. Rūta did the three-peat in Doha to add to her golds at Budapest 2022 and Fukuoka 2023 and she now has five titles among eight world medals, dating back to 2013 when she was 16.

Rūta lived with her grandmother Aldona while she was a child before moving to Plymouth College in Great Britain.

She became 100m breaststroke champion two years later at London 2012 and now has Olympic, world and European titles among her extensive collection.

She expressed her pride at representing Lithuania on the podium and made that promise to her gran, saying “It’s really exciting and inspiring to be on the stage while representing Lithuania. “It’s always a matter of pride to represent my country at the World Championships. Lithuanian fans are the best, very bright country, it’s always a pleasure to be on the podium with such fans in support. My grandmother admired my medals and this medal is going to be a gift for her.”

Rūta retired in May 2019 before making her comeback in late 2021 since when she has won global and continental titles and set long and short-course 50m breaststroke world records.

The 100m breaststroke short-course standard which was subsequently twice matched by Alia Atkinson still stands today.

Next up is Paris 2024 where she will look to reclaim the Olympic title, 12 years after her triumph in London.

Rūta has negotiated a long and winding path since being elevated to the pinnacle of her sport at 15 and one that has taken in highs, lows and highs once more.

“I think coming back with a lot of experience has always helped me”, said Rūta.

“I’m proud of how far I have come and the journey I have been a part of.”

GENERAL QUICK FACTS

Favorite sportsperson or team (other than swimming)
One of the faves – basketball legend Michael Jordan
Favorite vacation spot and why
Right now Iceland and Mexico and the Lithuanian countryside!
Public person you admire
Author Charles Bukowski and Jonas Mekas, an American-Lithuanian poet, filmmaker and artist
Favorite book(s)/author(s)
I honestly don’t have one! Lately I read ‘The creative act : a way of being’ By Rick Rubin it's a good book!
Favorite artist or work of art
Too many to pick one but if I had to it would be Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiulrionis
Items you’d want on a desert island
Hiking shoes, my phone and a drum
If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
Doby from Harry Potter
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
To change my size to any I like
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
“Creation Of Rūta”
What you’d like to do in your life after swimming
I want to just keep swimming swimming, swimming

SWIMMING QUICK FACTS

Proudest moment in swimming
Probably London 2012 and everything since the comeback
Least favorite part of swimming
Water in the ears!!
Funniest moment in swimming
Because of some issue with the filtration system in my first pool, we had to swim in green water - it was like a swamp!
Favorite/least favorite training set and why
400 or any distance pulling Freestyle with 3,5,7,9 breaths per 50 or 100 or more. I like sets that are challenging on breath and I also love Freestyle
Favorite Race/Training suits and why
Definitely the classic arena suit, it’s called the Team Challenge
Best piece of equipment and why
Fins - you can fly through water with them like a dolphin
Favorite Food after training
Something sweet – anything. An eclair or a banana or tasty protein shake

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOHA
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, FUKUOKA
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUDAPEST
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
BRONZE 100m Breaststroke
2022 WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, MELBOURNE
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
2022 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROME
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
BRONZE 100m Breaststroke
2018 WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, HANGZHOU
SILVER 50m Breaststroke
2018 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, GLASGOW
SILVER 100m Breaststroke
2017 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, COPENHAGEN
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, LONDON
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, KAZAN
SILVER 100m Breaststroke
2014 WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOHA
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
SILVER 100m Breaststroke
2014 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, BERLIN
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES, NANJING
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
2013 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BARCELONA
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
SILVER 50m Breaststroke
2013 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, HERNING
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Individual Medley
2013 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, DUBAI
GOLD 50m Freestyle
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
GOLD 200m Individual Medley
SILVER 100m Freestyle
SILVER Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay
2013 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, POZNAN
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
SILVER 50m Freestyle
2012 OLYMPIC GAMES, LONDON
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
2012 WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, ISTANBUL
GOLD 50m Breaststroke
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
SILVER 100m Individual Medley
2011 EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL, TRABZON
GOLD 100m Breaststroke
SILVER 50m Freestyle
BRONZE 100m Freestyle

INSIDE RŪTA’S BAG

Cobra Ultra Swipe Mirror Goggles
Team Swimsuit Challenge
Powerfin Pro II
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