Who Won the First World Titles in 50 Stroke Events? How Do the Times Compare to Today’s World Records
When the Olympic Games feature 50-meter stroke events in 2028 in Los Angeles, it will have been 27 years since the World Championships first offered the one-lap dashes as medal events. The year was 2001 and Worlds were held in Fukuoka, Japan, marking their first appearance in Asia.
The decision by World Aquatics (then known as FINA) to include 50-meter events on the program demonstrated respect for sprinters and the specialization that can be found in the sport. As the World Champs return to Asia, action in Singapore will signify the 14th time that the sprints have been contested.
Here’s a look at who won medals in the inaugural 50-meter strokes, and where the current world record sits – almost a quarter-century later.
50 Backstroke (Men)
Gold: Randall Bal (United States) – 25.34
Silver: Thomas Rupprath (Germany) – 25.44
Bronze: Matt Welsh (Australia) – 25.49
Current WR: Kliment Kolesnikov (Russia) – 23.55
50 Backstroke (Women)
Gold: Haley Cope (United States) – 28.51
Silver: Antje Buschschulte (Germany) – 28.53
Bronze: Natalie Coughlin (United States) – 28.54
Current WR: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) 26.86
50 Breaststroke (Men)
Gold: Oleg Lisogor (Ukraine) – 27.52
Silver: Roman Sloudnov (Russia) – 27.60
Bronze: Domenico Fioravanti (Italy) – 27.72
Current WR: Adam Peaty (Great Britain) – 25.95
50 Breaststroke (Women)
Gold: Luo Xuejuan (China) – 30.84
Silver: Kristy Kowal (United States) – 31.37
Bronze: Zoe Baker (Great Britain) – 31.40
Current WR: Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) – 29.16
50 Butterfly (Men)
Gold: Geoff Huegill (Australia) – 23.50
Silver: Lars Frolander (Sweden) – 23.57
Bronze: Mark Foster (Great Britain) – 23.62
Current WR: Andriy Govorov (Ukraine) – 22.27
50 Butterfly (Women)
Gold: Inge de Bruijn (Netherlands) – 25.90
Silver: Therese Alshammar (Sweden) – 26.18
Bronze: Anna-Karin Kammerling (Sweden) – 26.45
Current WR: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) – 24.43