Commonwealth Games, Day Three Finals: Cam McEvoy Flies To Games Record of 20.97 As Aussie Boys Sweep 50m Freestyle
The world’s fastest man, Cam McEvoy has turned his three Commonwealth Games silvers into his first individual gold in Glasgow today and he did it in a new Games record time of 20.97 in an Aussie sweep. McEvoy was just .09 outside his own world record of 20.88, his latest effort the fourth-fastest time ever in an awesome show of powerhouse swimming.
It was a race that saw fellow Aussie Dolphins teammates Flynn Southam clock a personal best time of 21.44 for silver with Games debutant Jamie Jack taking bronze, also in a personal best of 21.47. It was the first sweep since the first 50m freestyle was swum at the 1990 Auckland Games.
McEvoy’s time break the previous Games record of 21.30 – set in the semi-final by England’s Ben Proud in 2018 on the Gold Coast – with Proud winning the final ahead of McEvoy.
GLAS26 M50fr Flynn Southam, Cam McEvoy, Jamie Jack Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photos
The 32-year-old Brisbane father, who dedicated the win to one-year-old son Hartley, launched himself off the blocks at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre to add the title to a trophy cabinet that features an Olympic gold in 2024 and two World Championship golds in 2023 and 2025.
Hungry for more success as he plots and plans for continued improvement, McEvoy has thrown away the training rule book with his strength-based scientific approach to training. His program netted him the world record of 20.88 in China earlier this year, saying “this gold is the one that’s missing from my trophy cabinet…it was time to right the wrongs.”
And that’s just what the man they call “The Professor” did without taking a breath.
McEvoy, an eight-time Commonwealth Games medallist, added his first individual gold to his three silvers – the first one, won the last time the Games were here in Glasgow – in 2014.
GLAS 26 Coach Tim lane with Cam McEvoy Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photos
McEvoy made his Games debut in Glasgow 12 years ago when he finished second to England’s Proud in the 50m freestyle final with fellow Australian James Magnussen third. The 2014 meet marked the first of three consecutive gold medal wins for Proud, who went on to set a Games record of 21.30 (swum in the semi-final) on the Gold Coast in 2018 with McEvoy finishing third to Proud in the final – a record that now finally belongs to McEvoy.
Proud, who along with Magnussen, were two of the highest profile defectors to the Enhanced Games this year, wrapped up his three-peat in Birmingham in 2022 while McEvoy was on a break and weighing his future.
That future has seen the four-time Olympian unleash his power packed new lease of life on swimming’s one-lap-dash – the man who has re-written a specialised training program based around a scientific strength program at the QAS in Brisbane under the watchful eye of coach Tim Lane.
McEvoy said before the Games that he was excited to see what the experience is like, what the venue is like. “Now 12 years on…a lot has changed and a lot has changed for the better as well…,” said McEvoy.
“I just want to take a trip down memory lane …”