Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy broke the world record in the 50m freestyle on Friday in Shenzhen. With a time of 20.88 seconds, the 2024 Olympic champion improved the mark held since 2009 by Cesar Cielo by three hundredths of a second. At 31 years old, he became the first swimmer to break the 21-second barrier without a racing suit.
Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy made a big splash by breaking the long-standing world record in the 50m freestyle, which had belonged to Brazilian Cesar Cielo since 2009, on Friday at a competition in Shenzhen, China.
20.88 sec
With a time of 20.88 seconds, McEvoy, Olympic champion in the distance in 2024 in Paris, shaved 3/100ths off Cielo’s mark, which dated back to the era of polyurethane suits.
At 31, the Australian is the first to go under 21 seconds without the aid of these suits, which have been banned since 2010.
McEvoy shattered his previous best time (21.06 seconds) in the final of the China Swimming Open held Friday in Shenzhen. He dominated the race, finishing well ahead of American Jack Alexy (21.57 seconds) and fellow Australian Kyle Chalmers (22.01 seconds).
« Fast as lightning »
« Congratulations, Cam! A lightning-fast race! Incredible! » Cielo reacted on Instagram. « I read a while ago a quote that perfectly sums up what you’ve accomplished: ‘You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, you have to build a new model that makes the old one obsolete.’ Congratulations! »
To which McEvoy, also a two-time world champion in the event (2023 and 2025), replied: « Thank you @cesarcielof – If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants and you, my friend, are a giant in this sport. »
source : Europe 1
