World Championships, Day Seven Finals: Cameron McEvoy Blasts 21.06 to Win 50 Free

Cameron McEvoy of Australia prepares to compete in the 50m Freestyle Men Semifinal during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 28th, 2023.

Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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World Championships, Day Seven Finals: Cameron McEvoy Blasts 21.06 to Win 50 Free

Cameron McEvoy may have his days as a 200 freestyler behind him. His days as a 50 free powerhouse may just be beginning.

At age 29, the Aussie is finding a faster gear than ever before, and Saturday in Fukuoka, it gleaned him a gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships.

McEvoy went 21.06 at Marine Messe Hall to take what looked for a bit like it would be a close final and turn it into a romp. Second place went to American Jack Alexy in 21.58, adding to his silver in the 100 free. Ben Proud, the reigning gold medalist, gained bronze in 21.58.

McEvoy’s time trims .13 seconds off the national record set by Ashley Callus way back in 2009. He’s the first Australian to win gold at Worlds in the 50 free since Michael Klim in 1998.

“That time was something that I didn’t even dream about doing,” McEvoy said. “It was just out of mind and to turn around and see that time alongside winning my first international gold medal, wow sums it up pretty good.”

Only Proud, the gold medalist last year, and Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev are holdovers from last year’s final. That group included Michael Andrew, the silver medalist who didn’t qualify for Fukuoka, bronze medalist Maxime Grousset (DNS) and Joshua Liendo, who scratched after semifinals. Crooks was 19th last year.

Gkolomeev and Proud are the only swimmers in this final to have made the Olympic final in the Tokyo Olympics, too, the pair tying for fifth in 21.72.

That consistency is a point of pride for Proud, who at age 28 is still a force in the sprint game.

“This is part of what I’m looking to be my legacy,” Proud said. “This is my sixth World Championships and I’m looking to be on here longer and longer, making myself more consistent in finals and making more podiums.”

They’ve remained strong even in the face of upstarts like Alexy. The 6-7, 20-year-old has announced himself as a global contender with a pair of medals, and he’s improved the little things all week since a slip off the block in the 100 nearly cost him a place in the final.

“Going through prelims and semifinals, just small things to adjust each race through,” Alexy said. “I wanted to really focus on getting a clean start and the legs, a better, square line and then get up and get going, get my stroke down and have a great finish.”

Ryan Held, who won a swimoff with Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov to get into the final, started fast and looked to be in medal contention for the first 35 meters but faded a touch. He landed fifth in 21.72, .02 behind Isaac Cooper of Australia.

“I was honestly just glad to get a second shot – well I guess a third shot – to make it into the finals,” Held said. “Just be appreciative. Every meet’s not going to be perfect. … I pride myself on the first 25. I just need to work on the second 25, especially the last 10. I feel like that’s where I slip and lose a lot of ground.”

The race for gold, Proud assessed, was over after about 20 meters. Then it became a battle for the podium, and the Brit was proud to have been in that.

“Racing right next to Cameron McEvoy, seeing how far ahead he was, I knew about 25 meters out, the race for first was over and it was simply a race to get on the podium,” Proud said. “Jack Alexy, he’s proven twice now that he’s the man to really put in a good race when it matters. I’m super happy. Bronze is one of those places where it’s just great to be on the podium and feeling this amazing support, but clearly there’s more work to do, and I’m excited to go back to the drawing board and put in some good work for the next 12 months.”

Jordan Crooks finished sixth in 21.73, continuing a massive week for him in which he started as the 40th seed with a seed time of 22.10. Gkolomeev was seventh in 21.82 with Italy’s Leonardo Deplano eighth.

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