Lana Pudar Serving as an Inspiration for a Country with a Limited History in the Pool
In 2021, a 15-year-old Lana Pudar made her senior international debut. Competing at the Tokyo Olympics, she finished 19th in the 100-meter butterfly. Her time of 58.32 was just .24 shy of earning a semifinals berth.
Just weeks before the Games, Pudar picked up significant hardware at the European Junior Championships. Gold in the 100 butterfly and silver in the 50 and 200 butterfly events cemented her status as a significant presence in the sport. Within the same year, the young Bosnia and Herzegovina swimmer fulfilled that promised potential. At the 2021 edition of the Short Course World Championships, she finished in bronze medal position in the 200 butterfly in a new national record of 2:04.88.
Two Breakout Years
The 2022 campaign served as the year Pudar made herself known to the world. At the World Championships, she made two finals, finishing eighth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 fly, which was rapidly becoming her signature event.
Lana Pudar: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi/LEN
Later in the year, she finished with three finals appearances and two medals at the Mediterranean Games. Her 57.55 in the 100 butterfly set a Games Record. She backed that up with a 2:09.18 in the 200 butterfly for gold.
Not content with two fantastic meets, the 16-year-old set her sights on the European Championships (LC). After finishing out of the medals in Budapest, Pudar came away with two national records and two medals from Rome. Her 2:06.81 for gold in the 200 butterfly represented a massive personal best, nearly a second faster than what she posted just weeks earlier. More importantly, it would have placed fifth at the Tokyo Games.
In the 100 butterfly, she set another national record, going 57.27 for a bronze medal.
At December’s Short Course Worlds, Pudar made another 200 butterfly final, finishing fifth.
The 2023 World Championships represented Pudar’s highest finish at a long course Worlds or Olympics. In the 100 butterfly, she finished 10th in 57.34, just hundredths off of her national record. In the 200, she came agonizingly close to a medal, finishing fourth in 2:07.75. Team USA’s Regan Smith was third in 2:06.58.
At the Short Course Europeans that fall, Pudar added more finals and another medal to her tally. In the 100 butterfly, she finished sixth in 56.91. The 200 earned her a European junior record and a bronze medal in 2:04.55.
A Second Olympics and More Medals
In 2024, a now 18-year-old Pudar broke out on the long course Worlds stage. In an albeit thinner but still strongly competitive field, she worked her way to the podium for bronze in the 200 butterfly. Out of Lane Eight, her 2:07.92 was just three tenths ahead of Rachel Klinker.
Just weeks out from the Paris Olympics, Pudar found more hardware at the European Championships. This time in Serbia, she left Belgrade with silver from the 200 butterfly, falling short of defending her title. She finished eighth in the 100 butterfly.
In Paris, she came up just short of making finals in both of her events. In the 100 butterfly, she finished .07 out of the semifinals at a 57.97. Her signature event came a few days later. Pudar advanced beyond the 200 butterfly prelims in 12th place, safely qualifying at a 2:09.32. The semifinals saw the young Pudar finish in 12th overall. Her 2:08.74 enabled Pudar to become the first athlete from her country to make an Olympic semifinal.
Turning 19 in January, Pudar’s future on the international swimming stage is undeniably bright. In 2028, she will be 22 and have the ability to inspire a new generation of athletes in a country that to date has not made much noise in the sport of swimming.