Veera Kivirinta sets new Finnish national record in 50m breaststroke

Finnish swimmer Veera Kivirinta set a new national record in the 50m breaststroke during the heats at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris. Kivirinta clocked a time of 30.17 seconds, breaking the previous record of 30.19 seconds set by Ida Aydin in 2021.

Kivirinta’s performance was the second fastest across all heats, trailing only Italy’s Benedetta Pilato, who recorded a time of 29.86 seconds. Kivirinta expressed significant emotion following the race, noting that achieving the record had been a goal for 13 years.

In other news from the competition, Laura Lahtinen qualified for the semifinals in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:13.88, placing 16th in the heats. Kivirinta is scheduled to compete in the semifinals later this evening.