Yuliya Yefimova

Yefimova was born in Grozny, but due to the First Chechen War her family moved to Volgodonsk. There she took up swimming at the age of six, coached by her father Andrey Yefimov.[6] Until 2011, she lived in Taganrog, where she trained under Irina Vyatchanina and studied at the Southern Federal University.[6] 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.[7]

Yefimova in 2010.

Yefimova's first notable achievement was winning the 50 m, 100 m and 200 m breaststroke titles at the 2007 European Short Course Swimming Championships. 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.[8]

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.[9] Yefimova became silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200m breaststroke.[10][11]

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.[4] On 13 May 2014, she was disqualified for 16 months, from 31 October 2013, until 28 February 2015.[5] 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][16][17][18]

Between 15 February and 30 March 2016, Yefimova tested positive for meldonium six times in total.[19] She was provisionally suspended from international competition by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) on 14 March.[20] With no research on how long the drug stayed in a person's system, she was not banned or given a suspension.[21][22][23]

• Russian Female Swimmer of the Year (2008 and 2015)[6]
• Honorary citizen of Volgodonsk (since 2008)[28]
• Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (2012)[6]
• Order of Friendship (2016)[29]

• World record progression 50 metres breaststroke

• Yuliya Yefimova at FINA
• Yuliya Yefimova at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Yuliya Yefimova at the International Olympic Committee