2025 Worlds, Euro Recap Day 7: Grousset and Ponti Join The 49-Second Club In 100 Butterfly

2025 World Championships

• July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
• Singapore, Singapore
• World Aquatics Championships Arena
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
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• Live Results
• Euro Recap, Day 1: Lukas Märtens Earns First World Title, Completes Epic Year In 400 Free
• Euro Recap, Day 2: Roos Vanotterdijk Wins Belgium’s First World Championship Medal Since 1998
• Euro Recap, Day 3: Simona Quadarella Swims First 1500 Free PB In Six Years, Sets European Record 
• Euro Recap, Day 4: Sven Schwarz and Lukas Märtens’ 800 Free Medals Keep Germany Riding High
• Euro Recap, Day 5: David Popovici Completes 100/200 Free Double Gold After Nearly Not Swimming
• Euro Recap, Day 6: Duncan Scott Comes In Clutch Again, Team GB Extends Its Men’s 4×200 Free Relay Reign

What a difference a year has made for Maxime Grousset and Noe Ponti.

Last summer, when the two sprint specialists took to social media to reflect on the Paris Olympics, they each opened up about the mixed emotions they felt. Both expressed pride in their accomplishments but also disappointment that they did not live up to their expectations of medaling in their individual events.

Grousset had finished 5^th in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly (and was the 2023 world champion in the latter). He qualified for the 50 freestyle final but withdrew to focus on the 100 butterfly. Ponti won bronze in the 100 butterfly at the Tokyo Games, but finished a difficult 4^th in the Paris final, adding to a 5^th place finish in the 200 butterfly.

Their results began to turn quickly, though. On the final day in Paris, Grousset combined with Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, Leon Marchand, and Florent Manaudou to win bronze in the men’s 4×100 medley relay in front of a roaring French crowd, closing out the Games with his first Olympic medal. Ponti lit up the fall short-course meters season, which culminated two world records (50/100 butterfly) and three world titles at the 2024 Short Course World Championships (50/100 butterfly, 100 IM).

Both came into this year’s long-course season strong. Grousset clipped his 100 butterfly national record at the French Elite Championships (50.11), going faster than he did to win the world title in Fukuoka. Ponti fired off a 50.27 in April, which he backed up with two 50.4 performances at Sette Colli.

They showed off their form early in Singapore during the men’s 50 butterfly final. They pulled away from the rest of the field, with Grousset clipping Ponti by three-hundredths for the world title. Both swam national records, Grousset hitting 22.48 and Ponti 22.51. The effort marked Grousset’s second world title. For Ponti, it was the first long-course World Championship medal of his career.

“I go into the water wanting to win – not a medal, but to win,” said Ponti after the 50 butterfly final. “I used to be a bit nervous, and [get] nervous, but I think I have some experience now, and I need to try always to focus on my thing and on my race…that’s what I did, and what I’m doing in fact, so the results are coming.”

The results continued to come in Singapore. In tonight’s 100 butterfly final, the two’s sprinting ability was on full display. Grousset took the race out under world record pace with a blistering 22.80 split. Ponti was in medal position as well, turning third behind Thomas Ceccon, who had joined the two swimmers on the 50 butterfly podium.

Ponti out-split Grousset on the second 50 meters, 26.68 to 26.82. But Grousset held on to complete the sprint butterfly world title sweep. He hit the wall in 49.62, the third-fastest swim in history and under Kristof Milak’s 49.68 European record from the Tokyo Games. Ponti also cleared the 50-second barrier for the first time in his career, swimming a 49.83 for silver. They are the sixth and seventh men to get under that marker.

All-Time Men’s 100 Butterfly Performers (LCM)

1. Caeleb Dressel, United States – 49.45 (2021)
2. Maxime Grousset, France – 49.62 (2025) *New*
3. Kristof Milak, Hungary – 49.68 (2021)
4. Michael Phelps, United States – 49.82 (2009)
5. Noe Ponti, Switzerland – 49.83 (2025) *New*
6. Milorad Cavic, Serbia – 49.95 (2009)
7. Josh Liendo, Canada – 49.99 (2024)
8. Ilya Kharun, Canada – 50.07 (2025) *New*

On August 3, 2024, both Grousset and Ponti looked up after the Olympic men’s 100 butterfly and felt disappointment their block light—which indicates winning a medal—was not on. 364 days later, they made their second trip to the World Championship podium as the gold and silver medalists in a butterfly final.

When asked what changed for him this week, Grousset had a simple answer, “I found more strength and more power in the water, that’s all.”

The men’s 100 butterfly has become an increasingly competitive event over the last couple of years. Now, Grousset and Ponti have established themselves as the men to chase. A year after Olympic disappointment, they have fought back onto the podium and are two of the fastest 100 butterfliers actively racing.

Standing on the podium is a strong position to start a new Olympic cycle from. But Ponti especially was clear that the Singapore podium is not the finish line. He rated his performance this week “nine-and-a-half out of 10. Only because I won silvers and not golds. But otherwise, it was 10 out of 10.”

Ponti went on, “I’m happy to be a part of these fast races and be on the podium even if it wasn’t so easy to win a medal. I was expecting to swim sub-50s today. In LA, [you’ll need] pretty much the same. 49.9 to make the podium.”

The bar has been set and it’s clear these two swimmers will play a crucial role in continuing to raise it in the charge towards the 2028 Olympics.

Quick Hits

Simona Quadarella Swims European Record For 4th In Thrilling Women’s 800 Freestyle Final

Simona Quadarella by Nardia Mulkerrins

Behind the fireworks of the three-way race for gold between Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and Summer McIntosh, Simona Quadarella continued her exceptional meet. She swam 8:12.81, taking over the European record from Rebecca Adlington‘s super-suited 8:14.10 at the 2008 Olympics. The time breaks Quadarella’s previous best of 8:14.55 from last summer.

Quadarella moves up to the fifth-fastest performer of all time with the swim, just a half-second behind Ariarne Titmus‘s 8:12.29 from the Paris Games.

All-Time Top Performers, Women’s 800 Free (LCM) 

1. Katie Ledecky (United States) — 8:04.12 (2025)
2. Summer McIntosh (Canada) — 8:05.07 (2025)
3. Lani Pallister (Australia) — 8:05.98 (2025)
4. Ariarne Titmus (Australia) — 8:12.29 (2024)
5. Simona Quadarella (Italy) — 8:12.81 (2025)

Earlier in the meet, Quadarella earned silver in the 1500 freestyle with her first personal best in the event in six years. The 15:31.79 she swam for silver took down Lotte Friis‘ European record (15:38.88) from the 2013 World Championships. This 800 freestyle European record was five years older than Friis’ mark and Quadarella now owns the continental record in both women’s distance events.

Neutral Athletes – B Swim Second Mixed Relay European Record In Singapore

The Neutral Athletes – B committee, made up of the Russian swimmers approved for neutral status, has been on point in the mixed relays this week. After winning gold with a European record in the mixed 4×100 medley relay, the committee swam another European record in the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay, taking silver behind the U.S’s world record swim.

Kliment Kolesnikov (photo: Jack Spitser)

Egor Kornev led the team off in a 47.69 after placing 4th in the men’s 50 freestyle. Ivan Girev took over and put the team into second place with a 47.08. From there, the women took over. Daria Trofimova split 52.42, then Daria Klepikova brought the team home in 52.49. Klepikova has had an excellent meet so far, anchoring both medal-winning mixed relays and taking 4th in the women’s 100 freestyle with a Russian record.

They took down the European record Great Britain had held at 3:21.68 for the last two years, swimming 3:19.68.

The Neutral Athletes – B team also set themselves up for success in tomorrow evening’s 50 backstroke final. Kliment Kolesnikov and Pavel Samusenko are the top two qualifiers for that final. Kolesnikov, the world record holder, swam a 24.16 in the semifinal after a 24.06 warning shot in the heats. Samusenko qualified second in 24.31 and will face a tough fight with Pieter Coetze who added a third African record to his tally this week (24.32) in the semifinal.

Ben Proud Defends Olympic Silver, Swims 4th Fastest Time of His Career

Last night, Great Britian won its first medal in the pool at the 2025 World Aquatic Championships, striking gold in the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay. After the race, Matt Richards said “We really wanted to put in a performance tonight and not just get ourselves onto the medal table but get ourselves a gold and put us in a good position moving forward.”

Ben Proud (photo: Jack Spitser)

Tonight, Ben Proud took up that mantle and ran with it. He earned the men’s 50 freestyle silver medal from lane seven, swimming a 21.26 to touch seven-hundredths behind world champion Cameron McEvoy. The time is the fourth-fastest in his career, faster than he went to win the first Olympic medal of his career last summer in Paris. The only times he’s been faster are the 2018 European Championship semis (21.11), 2018 Sette Colli (21.16), and 2024 British Trials (21.25).

He did so even while recovering from the illness that’s spread through the World Championships. “I was still suffering from the viral bug that was going around,” he shared. “All expectations just went out the window. The only important thing was getting through the rounds, making it to the final, and enjoying that process. The less-than-ideal run-up almost took the pressure off. I just aimed to get through the rounds, hoping to sneak a podium spot.”

Since missing the podium at the Tokyo Games, Proud has been remarkably consistent at earning a podium spot at major championships in the 50 freestyle. He’s been on the 50 freestyle podium at his last three major international long-course competitions. In 2022, he swept the event across Worlds, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships. Then, he earned bronze at 2023 Worlds and 2024 Worlds. Last year, he got onto the Olympic podium with a silver medal, a medal position he repeated tonight.

National Records

Women’s 50 Butterfly

• Angelina Köhler took five-hundredths off her German record in the women’s 50 butterfly. She swam the previous record of 25.55 at the 2025 Sette Colli Trophy at the end of June. In the Singapore final she clocked 25.50 for 4th, seven-hundredths behind Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk.

Women’s 50 Freestyle

• Italy’s young sprint star Sara Curtis clipped her 50 freestyle national record during the heats. The Virginia commit swam 24.41, taking two-hundredths off the record she set in April at the Italian Championships.

Men’s 50 Backstroke

• Ksawery Masiuk, a World Championship medalist in this event, sliced three-hundredths off his Polish record during the men’s 50 backstroke semifinals. Masiuk, who is set to join Bob Bowman‘s Texas Longhorns this fall, swam 24.41 to break the record he set three years ago at the 2022 World Junior Championships.
• Yesterday, Hubert Kos was vomiting after his 200 backstroke European record effort. But he’s clearly recovered now. He took down his Hungarian record during the men’s 50 backstroke semifinal, swimming a 24.50. That lowers the record from the 24.62 he swam at April’s Hungarian Championships and in this morning’s heats. Kos has now reset the Hungarian record in the 50, 100, and 200 backstroke in Singapore.
• Miroslav Knedla popped a Czech record during the men’s 50 backstroke heats. He swam 24.52, chopping .12 seconds from the Czech record he set at the 2023 World Junior Championships. Between Knedla and Jan Cejka, all three Czech records in the men’s backstroke events have been broken at these championships.

Women’s 50 Breaststroke

• Barbara Mazurkiewicz took over the women’s 50 breaststroke Polish record from Dominika Sztandera this morning. Mazurkiewicz swam 30.22, taking .33 seconds off Sztandera’s mark from the 2024 European Championships.
• This morning, Silje Slyngstadli broke her Norwegian record in the women’s 50 breaststroke. Slyngstadli dropped .07 seconds from the record she set at the 2025 LEN European U23 Championships. She was a 30.55 in Slovakia, in Singapore, she clocked 30.48.
• Teya Nikolova lowered her women’s 50 breaststroke Bulgarian record by seven-hundredths during the heats. She swam 30.67, improving on the 30.73 she swam in May.
• Bulgaria’s Stella Gjoka lowered her women’s 50 breaststroke national record during the heats. She swam 33.61, dropping nine-hundredths from the time she posted at the 2024 European Champinships.

Mixed 4×100 Freestyle Relay

• France was able to overtake Italy in the closing meters for the final step on the podium, but the Italians held for 4th and a national record. Manuel Frigo (48.18), Carlos D’Ambrosio (47.34), Sara Curtis (52.40), and Emma Menicucci (53.56) swam 3:21.48, taking 1.16 seconds off the former record from the 2021 European Aquatic Championships.
• The Netherlands’ team of Sean Niewold (48.60), Renzo Tjon-A-Joe (47.87), Milou van Wijk (53.06), and Marrit Steenbergen (52.18) finished 5th in national record time. The quartet combined for a 3:21.77, taking four-hundredths off the former Dutch record of 3:21.81, swum at the 2017 World Championships.
• Spain’s Sergio de Celis (48.52), Luka Hoek le Guenedal (47.60), Maria Daza (54.63), and Carmen Weiler Sastre took down their national record in the heats. de Celis and Hoek le Guenedal have traded the men’s 100 free national record this week, and both Daza and Weiler Sastre were faster than the women’s splits from the former Spanish record, which was a 3:27.52 from 2022 European Championships. Together, the Singapore quartet swam 3:24.48, taking 3.04 seconds off the old record.
• Nandor Nemeth (48.25), Hubert Kos (48.82), Nikolett Padar (54.42), and Minna Abraham reset the Hungarian record in the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay this morning, the first of two national records for Kos today. The group swam 3:24.96, shaving six-hundredths from the old mark, swum at the 2017 World Championships.
• Frederik Lentz (49.08), Oliver Søgaard-Andersen (48.44), Elisabeth Ebbesen (54.72), Schastine Tabor (55.50) took down the Danish mixed 4×100 freestyle relay record during the heats. The team swam 3:27.74, bettering the four-year-old mark of 3:28.35.
• During the heats, Iceland’s quartet of Birnir Hálfdánarsson (51.54), Gudmundur Rafnsson (50.89), Snæfríður Jórunnardóttir (55.19), and Jóhanna Guðmundsdóttir (57.03) took 4.02 seconds off their national record. They swam 3:34.65, crushing the record of 3:38.67 that stood since the 2021 European Championships.

Continental Medal Table Through Day 7