Lithuania in the News
5th August 2012
Outstanding Olympic Win by Young Lithuanian Swimmer Rūta Meilutytė
Rūta Meilutytė with her medal. Photo courtesy ltrytas.lt
The young Lithuanian swimmer Rūta Meilutytė has amazed the world with a magnificent performance in the London Olympics by winning the 100 metre breaststroke in her first ever Olympics. Just 15 years old, she is the youngest Olympics winner in 40 years and has become a sensation all over the world. In the heats she also bettered the European record for the event. For the Olympic Gold she won against USA’s Rebecca Soni (Silver) and Japan’s Satomi Suzuki (Bronze).
Rūta Meilutytė is congratulated by
President Dalia Grybauskaitė. Photo courtesy ltok.lt
Rūta’s win gave Lithuania its first Gold in this Olympics and the first Gold ever in a swimming Olympics event. Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė was in attendance to see her win and personally congratulated Rūta, who has become the darling not only of Lithuania, but also of Britain and of much of the world. As Rūta has been living and training in England with the Plymouth College, the British have adopted her as a favourite ‘step daughter’ and an ‘honorary Brit’. People in Kaunas, her home town in Lithuania, were ecstatic with her win and celebrated all through the night.
The whole school community at Plymouth College went wild after her win. Not only did she win Gold, but also a place in British and Lithuanian hearts. A great swimming career is being forecast for her. Australian Lithuanians have been thrilled by Rūta’s win, but also saddened that Australia’s outstanding swimmer Leisel Jones failed to win a medal in the same race.

Further information: www.lrytas.lt 29/07/12 – 02/08/12
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/9442587/London-2012-Olympics-Ruta-Meilutytes-rise-from-Little-Fish-to-Plymouth-school-hero-and-Lithuanias-golden-girl.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/lithuanian-gold-medallist-ruta-meilutyte-wins-a-place-in-british-hearts-7994250.html