R?ta Meilutyt?: Biography and Swimming Career

R?ta Meilutyt? was born 19. March 1997. She was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. She moved from Kaunas to Plymouth, with her father and brothers in search of better training. She is now on a boarding scholarship at Plymouth Collegian independent school that for the past decade has established itself as a base for elite young athletes, primarily in swimming but also in fencing and modern pentathlon. R?ta is among around 60 pupils from the 520 at the school who form part of the elite sports program. She is coached by Jon Rudd. She swims 50 to 60 km per week. She also does a lot of work in the gym to build up her leg power. R?ta says that she doesn’t have a tactic, she just swims the way, she thinks is the best.

Her parents are Saulius Meilutis and Ingrida Meilutien?. In March 2001 R?ta lost her mother in a car accident, R?ta was only four years old. She only vaguely remembers her. Her father is a nurse for handicapped people. R?ta has two older brothers, Margiris and Mindaugas.R?ta Meilutyt? started swimming at the age of seven.

When she was twelve she broke her first Lithuania swimming record in the women's 50 m and 100 m breaststroke. At the 2011 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival Meilutyt? won the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke, a silver in the 50m freestyle and a bronze in the 100m freestyle. R?ta Meilutyté became the youngest Lithuanian swimmer to compete at Olympic Games ever, after earning selection to compete at the 2012 London Olympics. In her first event, the100-meter breaststroke heats, Meilutyt? placed first, with a time of 1:05.56, and broke the national Lithuanian swimming record for the 100-meter breaststroke. At the 100-meter breaststroke semifinals, Meilutyt? also placed first, by breaking her previously set Lithuanian swimming record and she also broke the women's 100-meter breaststroke European record, with a time of 1:05.21. At the 100-meter breaststroke final, she won the gold medal, with a time of 1:05.47. At the finals, American swimmer Larson made a mistake by jumping into the pool before the signal, with R?ta taking full advantage after a short delay in the second start, leading by the 50 meter and continuing her spectacular race to take the gold.