Race Video is courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner.
As reported by SwimSwam’s Jared Anderson:
MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINALS
- 2012 World Champ: 23.04 – Robert Hurley – Australia
- 2010 World Champ: 22.93 – Stanislav Donets – Russia
Meet Record: 22.93 – Stanislav Donets – Russia – 2010World Record: 22.61 – Peter Marshall – United States
Another 50-meter world record for Florent Manaudou. The French bulldozer absolutely crushed the 50 back field, going 22.22 to erase yet another super-suited world record from 2009. Manaudou was about four tenths under the world record, a huge margin in a 50, and he took gold by over eight tenths.
American Eugene Godsoe just beat out meet record-holder Stanislav Donets of Russia, 23.05 to 23.10. They took home silver and bronze, respectively, with a whole wave of athletes behind them. Albert Subirats of Egypt (23.16) and 100 back gold medalist Mitch Larkin of Australia (23.18) were the closest, and American Matt Grevers took 6th in 23.32.
We often use the term Beast to describe an incredible swimmer. But Manaudou is the embodiment of Beast.
Did he really shake his head after that?
Seriously. For all the superlatives we can talk about this swim… he looked like his reaction was “What? No 21.9? Pffft.”
That has to be the swim of the meet so far for me. He crushed a supersuited record in a stroke he doesn’t even swim LC by 4 tenths of a second. He made mincemeat of backstroke specialists who have won World, European, and Olympic championships. .8 margin in a 50 meter race. Has that ever been done before? Incredible.
Has anyone ever simultaneously held a 50 backstroke WR and 50 freestyle WR at the same time (I’d allow any mix of long course and short course)? Wow.