Facts and figures
28 sports, 222 events, 3579 athletes from 203 nations.
Most medals won (from a total of 87 teams) by: 1. China – 65 (38, 13, 14), 2. Russia – 57 (27, 19, 11), 3. USA – 22 (10, 5, 7), … 19. Lithuania – 7 (3, 2, 2).
Lithuania in the Games
In Nanjing Lithuania was represented by 21 athletes, who participated in basketball, swimming, track and field athletics, tennis, modern pentathlon, rowing, conoeing, beach volleyball, and cycling events.
Lithuanians won 8 medals. The most prominent among the athletes was swimmer Rūta Meilutytė who at the time had already won the titles of an Olympic and World champion.
In Nanjing Meilutytė won 2 gold medals in the 50 m and 100 m breaststroke events. She was 5th in the 100 m freestyle event.
Straight from China, the athlete flew to Berlin where the European Championship was taking place and there won the 50 m breaststroke event. After this victory, Meilutytė became the first and only athlete in the world to win all the major swimming championships – the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympics, World and European championships (short and long course), World Junior Swimming Championships, Swimming World Cup, and the Summer Olympic Festival.
The Lithuanian basketball 3×3 team also won gold. The team was coached by Dalius Lubys and consisted of Kristupas Žemaitis, Justas Vazalis, Martynas Sajus, and Jonas Lekšas. In the dramatic finals following an overtime match, the Lithuanians bested France with a score of 18:16.
Silver was won by swimmer Povilas Strazdas (200 m individual medley) and canoeist Vadimas Korobovas, while pentathlete Dovydas Vaivada and tennis player Akvilė Paražinskaitė both won bronze. The latter athlete also placed 3rd in the girls’ doubles event together with Jeļena Ostapenko. Medals for mixed teams have not been included in the medals table.
V. Korobovas won silver in the canoe sprint event, which was quite unusual in these Games. The athletes began rowing in pairs in opposite directions and circled buoys. The distance was about 450 meters long. The Lithuanian athlete also participated in the canoe slalom event, where he placed 9th.
4th places were won by rower Sonata Petrikaitė, hammer thrower Tomas Vasiliauskas, and pentathlete Aurelija Tamašauskaitė. The latter was also 4th in the mixed relay event where she participated together with Gabriel Cianelli of France.
The champion of the European Youth Olympic Festival track and field athlete Benediktas Mickus who carried the Lithuanian national flag during the ceremony placed 8th.
During mountain biking, BMX and road cycling events cyclists competed in teams and their points were summed up. The final rankings of the teams were decided after the mountain biking qualification and race, BMX race, and road cycling individual and team race. During the first four events, one representative per country was allowed to compete, as opposed to both athletes participating in the team race event. Lithuania’s representatives Ernesta Strainytė and Eva Manikaitė placed 7th.
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