Estonia's top swimmer Eneli Jefimova gives masterclass for children in Sillamäe
Estonia's top swimmer and World Short Course bronze medalist Eneli Jefimova paid a visit to her hometown of Sillamäe, Ida-Viru County on Friday to give a masterclass for schoolchildren.
For Eneli Jefimova, who turned eighteen on December 27, this was the first time she had given a masterclass for young swimmers. It was also her first return to the pool after she won a historic bronze medal for Estonia at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest in mid-December.
"I'm on vacation at the moment and so this was a very interesting experience for me. It was interesting to see how people reacted, and it was really nice that everyone went along with what I said," said Jefimova.
Liina Bežko, who took part in the masterclass, thinks it's fantastic when top athletes like Jefimova share tips with children.
"Children think swimming is very easy, but today we realized that it is not easy. Some of the exercises were difficult but also interesting," said Bežko.
Athlete Daisy Kroon believes there ought to be more opportunities of a similar kind in the future. "I think they are really great for young people. It would encourage more people to do sport if we had more events like this," she said.
Jefimova said she is not concerned by the poor technique of other swimmers using the pool. However, she would sometimes like people using pools for exercise to be a little more considerate of other swimmers.
"Obviously, not everyone who is in the pool is heading for a championship, they are just going there for a swim. After all, swimming is also really good exercise. But sometimes I do see some swimmers in the pool who splash me. That bothers me more," said Jefimova.
It was while training in Sillamäe that Jefimova won her first Estonian adult championship medal at the age of just ten.
In 2019, Jefimova moved from the Sillamäe Kalev Swimming Club to the Tallinn Kalev Swimming School, where she was coached by Henry Hein. Under Hein's tutelage, Jefimova made it to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and in Paris in 2024. In Paris, she finished seventh in the final of the women's 100m breaststroke. She has also already won numerous medals at both the European and World Championships.
This year, after finishing high school in Estonia, Jefimova will head to the U.S.A. to continue her studies at the University of North Carolina. She will also part ways with coach Henry Hein.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Michael Cole
