Zac Stubblety-Cook Scorches World Record with 2:05.95 200 Breast

by Spencer Penland 73

May 19th, 2022 Australia, News

2022 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN 200 BREAST FINALS

Podium:

  1. Zac Stubblety-Cook (CHAND) – 2:05.95 (WORLD RECORD)
  2. Matthew Wilson (SOSC) – 2:10.14
  3. Adam Selwood (PROP) – 2:13.68

Coming into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as something of a breakout star last summer, Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook would lead the Olympic field in prelims, semifinals, and finals, ultimately breaking the Olympic Record en route to Gold in finals. Tonight, at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, Stubblety-Cook has reinforced himself as the top 200 breaststroker in the world, breaking the World Record in stunning fashion.

The 23-year-old put together a simply incredible race, getting out to a 29.43 on the first 50, then descending his splits on the final 3 50s. After a great turn into the final 50 of the race, Stubblety-Cook broke out with a fast tempo stroke to bring him home, splitting a sizzling 31.63 on the final 50 (the fastest split in the field by 2.5 seconds), putting him into the finish in a final time of 2:05.95.

With the swim, Stubblety-Cook not only broke the Australian Record, All Comers Record, Commonwealth Record, and World Record, he also became the first man in history to break 2:06 in the event. Swimmers have gone 2:06 16 times in swimming history, and now we finally have a 2:05.

Here is a split comparison between Stubblety-Cook’s swim tonight, his previous Australian Record of 2:06.28, his Olympic Record swim of 2:06.38, and the previous World Record of 2:06.12, which was held by Russia’s Anton Chupkov:

Split Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022 Australian Champs Finals (World Record) Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2021 Australian Trials (Former AUS Record) Zac Stubblety-Cook, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Final (Olympic Record) Anton Chupkov, 2019 World Champs Finals (Former World Record)
1st 50 29.43 29.40 29.35 29.73
2nd 50 32.46 (1:01.89) 32.33 (1:01.73) 32.37 (1:01.72) 32.49 (1:02.22)
3rd 50 32.43 (1:34.32) 32.51 (1:34.24) 32.45 (1:34.17) 32.01 (1:34.23)
4th 50 31.63 32.04 32.21 31.89
FINAL TIME 2:05.95 2:06.28 2:06.38 2:06.12

The difference in race strategy between Stubblety-Cook and Chupkov is interesting. Stubblety-Cook is consistently faster on the first 100, but Chupkov was exceptional on the 3rd 50 of his World Record performance, out-splitting Stubblety-Cook tonight by 0.42 seconds. Although Chupkov also came home in a 31-point on the final 50 in his WR race, Stubblety-Cook was faster tonight, splitting 31.63.

Here are the all-time top 5 performers in the LCM 200 breast:

Rank Time Swimmer Country Meet
1 2:05.95 Zac Stubblety-Cook AUS 2022 Australian Swimming Championships
2 2:06.12 Anton Chupkov RUS 2019 World Champs
3 2:06.40 Shoma Sato JPN 2021 Japan Swim (Olympic Trials)
T-4 2:06.67 Ippei Watanabe JPN 10th Tokyo Swimming Championships
T-4 2:06.67 Matthew Wilson AUS 2019 World Champs

Here are the top 10 all-time performances in the LCM 200 breast:

Rank Time Swimmer Country Meet
1 2:05.95 Zac Stubblety-Cook AUS 2022 Australian Swimming Championships
2 2:06.12 Anton Chupkov RUS 2019 World Champs
3 2:06.28 Zac Stubblety-Cook AUS 2021 Australian Olympic Trials
4 2:06.38 Zac Stubblety-Cook AUS 2020 Olympic Games
5 2:06.40 Shoma Sato JPN 2021 Japan Swim (Olympic Trials)
T-6 2:06.67 Ippei Watanabe JPN 10th Tokyo Swimming Championships
T-6 2:06.67 Matthew Wilson AUS 2019 World Champs
8 2:06.68 Matthew Wilson AUS 2019 World Champs
9 2:06.73 Ippei Watanabe JPN 2019 World Champs
10 2:06.74 Shoma Sato JPN 2021 JPN Open

As the all-time rankings show, Stubblety-Cook has very quickly become the premier men’s 200 breaststroker in the world, having swum 3 of the 4 fastest times in history just in the past 11 months.

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Sportinindc
2 years ago

Thanks for the splits breakdown. Love seeing the comparisons.

Fraser Thorpe
2 years ago

What’s more stacked at the moment – mens 200brst or women’s 100bk?

Fraser Thorpe
2 years ago

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Mike Barrowman’s 2:10.1 seemed just utterly out of reach, and now we’re sub 2:06…

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
2 years ago

A number of rule changes since then.

Hmmmm
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
2 years ago

When you factor everything in (suits, training, starts, turns/pullouts), that still remains one of the most incredible swims in history

Jason
2 years ago

Wow – lets go ZSC!!!

This swim is truly incredible, and given his age and point on a natural progress curve, I think he has more in him. He said as much after the swim to Giaan, it wasn’t the perfect race. I think he will better this PB/WR.

And, like most 200m WR’s, that 100m split time is the envy of many national finalist in the 100m event. be interesting to see how he and Matt go.

Well done to Matt Wilson too, I think he helped pace ZSC’s first 100m, and just made the FINA cut himself for worlds.

Dee
2 years ago

Quite incredible the way ZSC has taken an event that was as wide open as the Grand Canyon a year ago and made it well and truly his own. Congratulations!

flyguy4910
2 years ago

Anyone got a video link?

Tom
Reply to  flyguy4910
2 years ago

Had the privilege of watching it live https://youtu.be/XakYhyKL8RQ

jeff
Reply to  flyguy4910
2 years ago

If you have prime, you can watch the replay on prime video

Troyy
Reply to  flyguy4910
2 years ago
Sub13
2 years ago

‪His first and last leg combined is 1:01.06. That’s less than 1.4 slower than his 100 PB of 59.69. Surely he is capable of much faster in the 100‬. Someone having two legs of their 200 basically equivalent to their 100 PB is pretty much unheard of right?

Thomas
Reply to  Sub13
2 years ago

That’s some pure distance swimmer stuff. Someone who can’t sprint but can just consistently hold a fast pace.

jeff
Reply to  Sub13
2 years ago

in SCY at least, Douglass’ first 50 + last 50 of her AR setting 200 breast is 59.49 and the first 100 split of that was 58.98 while her 100 PB is just 58.64.

she’s clearly capable of much more in the 100 though

Last edited 2 years ago by jeff
THEO
Reply to  Sub13
2 years ago

See: Licon’s 200 breast SCY

Joel Lin
2 years ago

That last 50…wow, wow, wow.