BARCELONA, Spain, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's 16-year-old swimming star, Ruta Meilutyte broke Jessica Hardy's world record in the women's 100 meter breast-stroke on Monday night.

Meilutyte set a new world record of 1.04,35 in the semi-final of the event in the World Swimming Championships currently being held in Barcelona.

The Olympic gold medalist from London 2012 had set a new championship record on Monday morning as she swam her first heat and went one better as she knocked a tenth of a second off Hardy' s record of 1:35.45, which was set in 2009.

If Meilutyte is able to win the gold medal in Tuesday's final she will become the youngest woman to win gold medals in the same event in a Olympic and World Championship level.