BARCELONA, Spain --- Texas A&M senior-to-be Breeja Larson advanced through two rounds of qualifying on Monday to advance to the women's 100-meter breaststroke final at the 2013 FINA World Championships.
Larson, from Mesa, Ariz., enters Tuesday's final as the No. 5 qualifier with a time of 1:06.61 in the semifinals. Lithuanian teenager and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Ruta Meilutyte was the top qualifier after breaking the world record in the semifinal with a time of 1:04.30.
Former A&M NCAA Champion Alia Atkinson, representing Jamaica, missed qualifying for the final by one spot with a time of 1:07.76. Fellow A&M senior-to-be Erica Dittmer, representing Mexico, finished 35th in the prelims with a time of 1:10.82 and did not advance.
In previous action, Dittmer broke the Mexican national record in the 200-meter IM with a time of 2:14.93 while finishing 23rd. Incoming freshman Sycerika McMahon, representing Ireland, finished 18th with a time of 2:14.38.