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German Swimming Star Anna Elendt Shines at World Championships
Anna Elendt, a 23-year-old breaststroke specialist from Germany, has made history by winning the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. This is the first time since 2009 that two Germans have won gold at a swimming world championship in the pool.
Elendt's victory was not a foregone conclusion. She faced stress and pressure at college, and at one point considered ending her swimming career after the disappointing Olympic Games last summer. However, she persevered and qualified for the final in 7th place in the semifinals.
Starting from the unenviable first lane in the final, Elendt managed to edge out competitors including Tang Qianting from China and Kate Douglass from the USA to secure the world title. She set a new German national record in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:05.19 minutes, ranking her as one of the fastest performers in the event’s history.
Elendt's victory brought the German Swimming Federation team a second title in the pool at the current world championship. Lukas Maertens had already won gold in the 400m freestyle.
Melvin Imuoudu, another German swimmer, also reached the final in the 50m breaststroke event. The German team also has medal prospects in the 800m freestyle final, with Lukas Maertens and Sven Schwarz.
Elendt, who was born on September 4, 2001, in Dreieich, Germany, currently competes collegiately for the University of Texas in the United States. With her degrees in business and sports management, many things have become easier for Elendt. She stated that she no longer swims for studies or college, and if she wanted to, she could stop tomorrow.
Despite the pressure and stress, Elendt was unusually calm before her final race, describing it as incredibly fun. She feels much more relaxed and happier now than in the past few years.
References:
[1] Anna Elendt
[2] Anna Elendt wins gold in 100m breaststroke at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships
[3] Anna Elendt sets German record in 100m breaststroke at 2021 German Swimming Championships
[4] Anna Elendt
[5] Anna Elendt: The Rise of a Swimming Sensation
Anna Elendt's achievements extend beyond swimming laps at the pool, as she also pursues a degree in sports management. (sports, education)
Despite the intense competition at world championships, Lukas Maertens and Sven Schwarz are German swimmers with medal prospects in other events, aside from Anna Elendt. (sports, competition)
