16-Year Old Benedetta Pilato Breaks Lilly King’s World Record in 50 Breaststroke

By Ben Dornan on SwimSwam

2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
• Budapest, Hungary
• Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
• Event Site
• Entry List
• Live Results
• Live Stream

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato lowered the women’s long course 50 breaststroke world record to a 29.30, shaving a 0.10 seconds off Lilly King‘s former mark of 29.40. With that swim, Pilato also breaks the World Junior, European, European Junior, Italian, and European Championships records.

Pilato lowered the world junior, European junior, and championship records during the prelims of the event with a 29.50 and has now lowered it by another 0.20. The previous European record was set by Lithuanian breaststroker Ruta Meilutyte who hit a 29.48 back in 2013.

The now-former world record of 29.40 was set by Lilly King at the 2017 World Swimming Championships at this exact same pool at the same meet where Yuliya Efimova posted a 29.52 which now sits at #5 in terms of all-time performances. That means that the pool has played host to 3 of the 4 fastest times in history and 5 of the top 9.

All-Time Women’s Long Course 50 Breasktroke Performances

1. Benedetta Pilato– 29.30 (2021)
2. Lilly King– 29.40 (2017)
3. Ruta Meilutyte– 29.48 (2013)
4. Benedetta Pilato– 29.50 (2021)
5. Yuliya Efimova – 29.52 (2013)
6. Yuliya Efimova – 29.57 (2017)
7. Ruta Meilutyte– 29.59 (2013)
8. Lilly King– 29.60 (2017)
9. Benedetta Pilato– 29.61 (2020)
10. (TIE) Benedetta Pilato– 29.62 (2021)/LIlly King– 29.62 (2018)

Pilato raced the 50 breaststroke for Italy at the 2019 World Championships, earning a silver medal to Lilly King‘s 29.84 with a 30.00. While she now sits in the top spot in history in the world, she won’t race the event in Tokyo as the stroke 50s are not Olympic events. She will, however, represent Italy at the 2021 Olympics in the 100 breaststroke.

This swim marks Pilato’s first-ever world record and remains her only long course world junior record. She also holds the world junior record in the short course version of the event at a 28.81 from 2020.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 16-Year Old Benedetta Pilato Breaks Lilly King’s World Record in 50 Breaststroke