2012 London Olympics: Is Ruta Meilutyte the Story of the Games So Far?
Scooped out of the obscurity of a southern English swimming pool three years ago, twelve year old Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte began training to change discipline to the 100m breaststroke. Tonight she created, arguably, the best story of the 2012 London Olympics, so far.
Training and going to school in Plymouth –using the same facilities as Team GB poster boy and high board diver Tom Daley –Meilutyte came to these Games hoping to make a final.
In her first heat the swimmer, now fifteen, took two seconds off of her personal best and broke the European record. She went on to swim even faster in the semi final. With the naivety and will that comes with youth she strolled out for tonight’s final.
Things could have gone differently. As all of the swimmers crouched, waiting for the signal to go, a beep forced American Breeja Larson to dive before the rest. Called back, no penalties were handed out as engineers tried to fix the system which had signalled to go before competitors were told to take their marks.
Unfazed by this, Meilutyte forged forward. She was pressured by Team USA’s Rebecca Soni all the way to the final touch, but the Lithuanian teenager got to the wall 0.08 seconds before her more experienced rival.
Understandably shocked, the youngster climbed out of the pool to rapturous applause from an emotional British crowd. A minority of fans waving Lithuanian flags roared with delight, while Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė cheered her countries first medal of the Games.
With a camera aimed at her face, Meilutyte told the BBC that this was “too much for me,” before thanking her father in Lithuanian.
As news came in of the delight expressed by residents of Plymouth, the name of Ruta Meilutyte began to be mentioned in the same breath as Ye Shiwen and Amanda Beard.
Teary eyed, she collected her medal and gave Lithuania a special Olympic moment. Her coach Jon Rudd told the press that Meilutyte is scheduled to take part in heats later in the Games, but admits that there is no way of knowing what is next or how she will fare.
She will still be in shock, but so will we.
