At 15 years and 133 days old, Rūta Meilutytė secured the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This performance established her as the youngest Lithuanian athlete to achieve an Olympic gold medal, marking the beginning of a professional career defined by multiple international records and rapid global success in competitive swimming.
Early Development and Training
Born in Kaunas on 19 March 1997, Meilutytė began swimming at age seven. Her early education included attendance at the Kaunas Milikoniai middle school. Seeking advanced facilities, she eventually relocated to Britain, where she trained at Plymouth College and the Plymouth Leander Swimming Club. Under the coaching of Jon Rudd, she accelerated her development, breaking eleven Lithuanian women's swimming records by the time she turned fifteen.
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Take the IQ test →The 2012 Olympic Breakthrough
The 2012 Summer Olympics represented a significant turning point in Meilutytė's career. As the youngest Lithuanian swimmer to compete at the modern games, she progressed through the 100-meter breaststroke heats and semi-finals, establishing both national and European records along the way. Her victory in the final with a time of 1:05.47 confirmed her status as a primary competitor in international breaststroke events.
Record-Setting Performances
Following her Olympic victory, Meilutytė achieved success at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships in Istanbul, where she claimed gold medals and consistently broke national, European, and championship records. By 2013, at the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, she set a new world record in the 100-meter breaststroke during the semi-finals, becoming the first Lithuanian athlete to break a world record since the country's independence in 1990.
Regulatory Challenges and Return
Meilutytė's career faced a disruption when she served a 24-month suspension from July 2019 to July 2021. This penalty followed anti-doping rule violations occurring between April 2018 and March 2019. She resumed participation in national competitions in December 2021. In 2025, she disclosed to the BBC that her time under coach Jon Rudd involved a toxic environment that impacted her personal health.
Fast facts
- Born: 19 March 1997, Kaunas
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2012, 100-meter breaststroke
- Education: Plymouth College, Vytautas Magnus University
- Award: Grand Officer of the Order for Merits to Lithuania (2012)
- Professional Status: Swimmer
- Citizenship: Lithuania
Questions readers ask
What record did Rūta Meilutytė set in 2013?
At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, she set a world record in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Why was Meilutytė suspended from professional swimming?
She served a 24-month suspension between 2019 and 2021 for anti-doping rule violations that took place from April 2018 to March 2019.
Achievements
- Olympic gold medal — 2012
- Competed at swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics and swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metre breaststroke
- Discipline: competitive swimming
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