17-year-old Estonian swimmer Eneli Jefimova wins European Championship gold

17-year-old Estonian swimmer Eneli Jefimova has won gold in the women's 100m breaststroke at the 2024 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade.
Jefimova led at the half-way mark in the final, before storming to the finish in 1 minute 06.41 seconds, 0.74 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Lisa Mamie of Switzerland in second. The win was Jefimova's first European Championship title in the long pool. The Estonian also won gold last year over the same distance in the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania .
"It's a real mix of feelings, I'm the European champion and that's on an Olympic distance," said a smiling Jefimova after securing the gold medal for Estonia. "When I saw the number one on the scoreboard, I knew I had done it."
"In the first 50 meters, I did one stroke less than I had planned and that's why the first half was a bit slower than in the semi-final, but the second half of the distance I felt good and was able to push," she added.
"To be first in both the short course and the long pool is a feeling of wow. If you are ever asked who was the first Estonian swimmer to win a gold medal at the European Championships, then they say it was me. It's a really proud feeling and I'm overwhelmed with joy," said the European champion.
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The battle for the bronze medal was eventually won by Sweden's Olivia Klint Ipsa (+1.32 seconds) ahead of Poland's Dominika Sztandera in fourth (+1.34 seconds). Jefimova's fellow Estonian Maria Romanjuk came in a very credible fifth, just 1.81 seconds behind the winner.
Elsewhere, Estonia's Aleksa Gold was fifteenth-quickest in the semi-finals of the women's 200m freestyle with a time of 2 minutes, 01.27 seconds, which was not enough for her to make the final.
In the semi-finals of men's 100m butterfly, Estonia's Alex Ahtiainen was 14th (52.76 seconds) and Daniel Zaitsev 15th (52.84 seconds), with both missing out on the final as a result.
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Editor: Siim Boikov, Michael Cole