Yuliya Yefimova

Yuliya Yefimova

Efimova in 2016
Personal information
Full name Yuliya Andreyevna Yefimova
National team  Russia
Born (1992-04-03) 3 April 1992
Grozny, Russia[1]
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Weight 64 kg (141 lb)[2]
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Breaststroke
Club Volgodonsk Swim Club
Coach Dave Salo

Yuliya Andreyevna Yefimova (Russian: Юлия Андреевна Ефимова), also romanized Efimova; born 3 April 1992) is a Russian competitive swimmer. A three-time Olympian, she made her Olympic debut in 2008, before going on to win the bronze medal in the 200 metres breaststroke in 2012, and silver medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres breaststroke in 2016.

Yefimova is a four-time World Champion, winning the 50 metres breaststroke at the 2009 World Championships, the 50 metres and 200 metres breaststroke events in 2013, and the 100 metres breaststroke in 2015. She is a former world record holder in the 50 metres breaststroke. In 2013, she failed a drug test and was suspended from competition for 16 months.[3]

Personal life

Yefimova was born in Grozny, but due to the First Chechen War her family moved to Volgodonsk. There she took up swimming aged six, coached by her father Andrey Yefimov.[4] Until 2011, she lived in Taganrog, where she trained under Irina Vyatchanina and studied at the Southern Federal University.[4] In March that year, she moved to California, United States, where she is coached by Dave Salo, the head coach of the University of Southern California swimming team.[5]

Swimming career

Yefimova in 2010.

Yefimova's first notable achievements were winning thrice at the Short Course Swimming Championships in 50 m, 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. At the 2008 European Aquatics Championships she was the gold medalist in 200 m breaststroke and silver medalist in 50 m. She participated at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, reaching fourth place in 100 m and fifth place in 200 m breaststroke.[1]

In 2010, Yefimova won gold medals at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships in 50 m and 100 m breaststroke. In 2012, Yefimova received bronze in 200 m at the 2012 Summer Olympics, with 2:20.92. A year later at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona she triumphed in 200 m with 2:19.41. In the 50 m heats event, the Russian achieved a new world record of 29.78 which was broken in the semifinals by Rūta Meilutytė. Yefimova won the finals with 29.52.[6]

Yefimova during the 100 m event at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships

After 16 months of disqualification due to a positive drug test, Yefimova in August 2015 for the first time won the gold medal in 100 m at the World Aquatics Championships, with 1:05.66. In 50 m she was third with 30.13. However, in 200 m she was eliminated in the semifinals; she was 17th.

In June 2016, Yefimova returned at the Los Angeles Invitational, winning in 200 m with 2:22.77.[7] Yefimova became silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200m breaststroke.[8][9]

Doping scandals

In January 2014, it was announced that Yefimova had failed an out of competition drug test in October 2013.[3] Her positive test was for DHEA, an endogenous steroid hormone banned in professional sports.[10] On 13 May 2014, she was disqualified for 16 months, from 31 October 2013, until 28 February 2015.[11] She was also stripped of her results and medals at the 2013 European Short Course Championships. Her four world short-course records (two relays and the 50 metres and 200 metres breaststroke set in November/December 2013) were also invalidated.[3][12][13][14]

Between 15 February and 30 March 2016, Yefimova tested positive for meldonium six times in total (1x by FINA and 5x by USADA).[15] She was provisionally suspended from international competition by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) on 14 March.[16] This suspension was later lifted[17] while the World Anti-Doping Agency investigated the drug.[18] On 15 July, FINA released a statement saying that Yefimova had "committed 'no fault or negligence' in this case."[19]

2016 Olympics controversy

Yefimova's participation in the 2016 Summer Olympics was controversial in light of an ongoing scandal of doping within the Russian Olympic Team.[18] She was initially banned from participation due to her previous doping suspension,[20] but this ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[21] allowing her to compete. During the Games, she was booed by spectators during each of her races. Yefimova was also criticized by other swimmers, including Lilly King, who won the gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke. Yefimova won the silver, and during the news conference afterwards, she was "on the verge of tears from the opening question about the boos directed at her."[22][23]

Awards and honors

Olympic and World Championship results

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Russia
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 4th 100 m breaststroke 1:07.43
5th 200 m breaststroke 2:23.76
5th 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:57.84
2009 World Championships Rome, Italy 1st 50 m breaststroke 30.09
2nd 100 m breaststroke 1:05.41
14th (sf) 200 m breaststroke 2:26.39
2011 World Championships Shanghai, China 2nd 50 m breaststroke 30.49
4th 100 m breaststroke 1:06.56
2nd 200 m breaststroke 2:22.22
4th 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:57.38
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 7th 100 m breaststroke 1:06.98
3rd 200 m breaststroke 2:20.92
4th 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:56.03
2013 World Championships Barcelona, Spain 1st 50 m breaststroke 29.52
2nd 100 m breaststroke 1:05.02
1st 200 m breaststroke 2:19.41
3rd 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:56.47
2015 World Championships Kazan, Russia 3rd 50 m breaststroke 30.13
1st 100 m breaststroke 1:05.66
17th (h) 200 m breaststroke 2:26.11
5th 4 × 100 m mixed medley relay 3:44.83
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 100 m breaststroke 1:05.50
2nd 200 m breaststroke 2:21.97
6th 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:55.66

(#) Indicates overall position achieved in the qualifying heats (h) or semifinals (sf).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Yuliya Yefimova". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
  2. 1 2 "Iuliia Efimova", London2012.com, archived from the original on 2013-04-26, retrieved 8 September 2016
  3. 1 2 3 "Yuliya Efimova Banned for 16 Months; Stripped of World Records". Swimming World. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Yulia Efimova. nbcolympics.com/
  5. "Ефимова уехала тренироваться в США" [Yefimova moved to USA for training] (in Russian). Sport-Express. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  6. Women's 50m Breaststroke Final. 5th FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Barcelona (ESP) 19 July – 4 August 2013. omegatiming.com
  7. "Yuliya Efimova Returns to Competition in Los Angeles". www.swimmingworldmagazine.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  8. Yeveny Slyusarenko (9 August 2016). "Одна капля сочувствия. Почему Юля Ефимова – повод для гордости" [A Mite of Consolation. Why Yuliya Yefimova is a Ground for Pride] (in Russian). Championat.com. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  9. "Rie Kaneto wins gold in women's 200m breaststroke". NBC Olympics. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  10. Russian Olympic Medal-Winning Swimmer Efimova Fails Doping Test – Report. En.ria.ru (17 January 2014). Retrieved on 8 September 2016.
  11. "Russian swimmer Yulia Yefimova disqualified for 1 year and 4 months for doping". ITAR-TASS. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  12. "Omega Timing – Results – FINA Swimming World Cup 2013 Tokyo 7/8 Tokyo Japan 11/9/2013 – 11/10/2013". OMEGA Timing. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  13. "2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships. Results Day 2" (PDF). LEN. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  14. "Yuliya Efimova Banned for 16 Months; Stripped of World Records". swimmingworldmagazine.com. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  15. FINA, Communications Department (15 July 2016). "July 15, 2016 FINA Statement on Yulia Efimova". FINA. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  16. Press, Associated (16 April 2016). "FINA maintain suspension of Russian breaststroke swimmer Yulia Efimova after testing positive for meldonium". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  17. FINA, Communications Department (16 July 2016). "May 15, 2016, PR 46 – FINA statement on Ms Yulia Efimova". FINA. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  18. 1 2 Press, Associated (6 August 2016). "Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova on 100m breaststroke start list". NBC. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  19. FINA, Communications Department (15 July 2016). "July 15, 1016 FINA Statement on Yulia Efimova". FINA. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  20. Baldwin, Alan (25 July 2016). "Efimova, six other Russians ruled out of Rio". Reuters. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  21. "Rio 2016 Olympics: Yulia Efimova cleared to compete after appeal". BBC Sport. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  22. Clarey, Christopher and Crouse, Karen (9 August 2016) "In the Olympic Pool, Contempt for Drug Cheats Rises to the Surface". NYTimes.
  23. "American Beats Russian Swimming Star Yefimova Amid Snipes Over Doping". Radio Free Europe. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  24. РЕШЕНИЕ № 84 от 4 июня 2008 года. gorduma.org (4 June 2008)
  25. Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 25 August 2016 № 429 «О награждении государственными наградами Российской Федерации». pravo.gov.ru (25 August 2016)
Records
Preceded by
Mirna Jukić
Women's 100 m breaststroke
European record holder
(long course)

27 July 2009 – 29 July 2012
Succeeded by
Rūta Meilutytė
Preceded by
Nađa Higl
Women's 200 m breaststroke
European record holder
(long course)

2 August 2012 – 29 March 2013
Succeeded by
Rikke Møller Pedersen
Preceded by
Amanda Reason
Jessica Hardy
Women's 50 m breaststroke
world record holder
(long course)

2 – 6 August 2009
3 August 2013
Succeeded by
Jessica Hardy
Rūta Meilutytė
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