Denmark’s Pernille Blume qualified first for the women’s 50 free final with a monstrous time of 23.85. That broke the meet record of 24.07 set by Ranomi Kromowidjojo in 2016 and moved her into a tie with Kromowidjojo as the fifth-fastest performer ever in the event. Blume’s previous best was a seventh-ranked 23.92 from June.
Only Sarah Sjostrom (23.67), Britta Steffen (23.73) and Cate Campbell (23.78) have ever swum quicker.
But Sjostrom will be a threat to Blume in the final as the Swede qualified second in 23.92. Russia’s Mariia Kameneva finished third in 24.21, followed by the Dutch duo of Kromowidjojo (24.58) and Tamara Mariska Van Vliet (24.70).
Russia’s Rozaliya Nasretdinova (24.86) and Greece’s Theodora Drakou (24.96) also broke 25, and breaststroke specialist Ruta Meilutyte got into the final with an eighth-place time of 25.04.
