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Anna Elendt, a 23-year-old swimmer from Germany, has made history by winning the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 2025 World Championships. This victory marks a significant milestone, as it is Germany's first women's World title in swimming since 2009.
Elendt's triumphant swim came from lane one, where she clocked an impressive time of 1:05.19, lowering her personal best from 1:05.58. Her improved performance is a testament to her focused training, particularly her work on the 200m breaststroke, which has helped her maintain stroke efficiency in the final 50 meters of the 100m event.
Training under coach Carol Capitani at the University of Texas in the U.S., Elendt approached the race with a determined mindset. She focused on executing the techniques practiced, such as her underwaters, and maintained a focus on her own race despite starting from an outside lane.
Elendt's victory comes after a challenging period, having finished a disappointing 20th at the 2024 Paris Olympics and not advancing past the heats. However, she has since rebounded strongly, indicating her resilience and determination to overcome earlier setbacks. There is no publicly available information suggesting that Elendt is considering retirement; rather, she appears motivated and focused on continuing her competitive career.
Elendt's win saw her finish ahead of Kate Douglass from the USA and bronze medalist Tang Qianting from China. She also set a new German record with her time of 1:05.19 minutes. The German team also has medal chances in the 800m freestyle final on Wednesday, with both Sven Schwarz and Lukas Maertens in contention.
Elendt seemed extremely calm before her race in Singapore, and she enjoyed the experience more than previous ones. She also brought the second title to the team of the German Swimming Federation in Singapore. For the first time since 2009, two Germans have won gold at a swimming World Championships in the pool. Melvin Imuoudu also reached the final in the 50m breaststroke event.
Elendt won silver in the 100m breaststroke at the World Championships in Budapest in 2022. However, this year, she has shown a strong finish in the last 15 meters of the race, securing her place at the top of the podium. Elendt no longer swims for college but for herself, and her hard work and dedication have paid off in a major way. If Elendt wanted to, she could say she'll quit swimming tomorrow. But for now, she is enjoying her success and looking forward to what the future holds.
Sports have been the focus of Anna Elendt's life, as she continues to excel in the swimming realm. Following her gold medal win in the 100m breaststroke at the 2025 World Championships, Germany now has a chance to secure additional medals in events like the 800m freestyle final.
