Sometimes it happens that even a Lithuanian record doesn’t lift the spirits.
Emilija Pociūtė on Wednesday improved her own 50-meter backstroke record for the second time in one day, first swimming 28.21 seconds in the morning heats, shaving 0.15 seconds off the record she set this summer in Munich.
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In the semifinal in the evening at the Paris Olympic Aquatic Centre, the 17-year-old from Šiauliai sprinted even faster, completing the distance in 28.08 seconds, improving the record by another 0.13 seconds.
But the Lithuanian was 0.23 seconds short of the eighth position and the last ticket to the final. She finished thirteenth overall.
So the first career semifinal and the second record brought little joy to the ambitious swimmer, at least that was how it seemed from her stern look when she came to the media interaction area.
“I wanted the final,” explained E. Pociūtė about her reserved mood.
She said she did everything she expected in the distance. “The result satisfied me, that I dropped time from the morning races, and in a sprint that is very hard because time just flies. But, of course, I wanted the final,” repeated the swimmer from Šiauliai.
Of course, there were also bright thoughts.
“I have no idea what helps me keep dropping time from the morning races. Maybe it’s the training load? I swim hard workouts so that I can sprint more during competitions,” she said.
E. Pociūtė’s performance pleased her mother Dovilė Pocienė, who supports her in Lithuania and coaches her at the Šiauliai pool.
“Mom was happy, congratulated me, and I’m proud to have reached the semifinal. I wanted the final myself, but probably need to work longer to be in the final next time,” said Emilija.
She herself is satisfied that the tension does not overwhelm her, although this European Championship is her debut.
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“I have less nervousness at these competitions than at the European Youth Championships, although the level here is different. Why is that? Maybe I matured? I reached a level where I can handle the nerves,” pondered E. Pociūtė.
In this European swimming championship, she will also swim the 100 m backstroke.
“I hope everything goes well. I prepared for it, worked hard, and I think the work will pay off,” said the young swimmer, the second youngest in the 19-member Lithuanian swimming team after 16-year-old Ieva Jurkūnaitė.
Thirteenth in his event – 200 m breaststroke – was Aleksas Savickas.
The 23-year-old from Panevėžys, studying at the University of Florida, was also thirteenth in the heats and swam 2 min. 10.90 in the semifinal.
He was 0.83 seconds short of the final eight.
“I wanted to swim a bit better, but on the other hand – everything went according to plan. First 50 meters, second 50 meters, third 50 meters – everything was planned, and the coach immediately said I did everything right. I lacked at the end. Maybe it was due to preparation – I needed to swim longer,” analyzed A. Savickas. “On the other hand, this is the first time in the past year and a half that I swam under 2 min. 11 sec. For that, I am happy, we are moving in the right direction. Although I wanted even better.”
The Lithuanian record in this event is the oldest of all Lithuanian swimming records, set back in 2009 at the European Championship in Rome, when during the era of long suits Giedrius Titenis, now among the coaches in Paris, swam 2 min. 7.80 sec.
Later, polyurethane suits, with which swimmers set many world records at that time, were banned.
A. Savickas believes it is possible to achieve such results without super suits.
“It is possible, but it still takes time, maybe not this year, maybe at the Olympic Games?” he said. “I’m not saying I plan a record, I don’t want to get ahead of events, but the world swims at such results, someone needs to break the ice, get out of 2 min. 9 sec., and then the gates will open.”
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