Today, Ben Proud swam a 20.18 50m (SCM) freestyle, the #2 time ever behind Caeleb Dressel‘s world record of 20.16.
CE (25M) – 🏊♂️ 50M NAGE LIBRE
🥇 Benjamin Proud 🇬🇧 20.18 ER CR
🥈 Florent Manaudou 🇫🇷 20.74
🥈 Szebasztian Szabo 🇭🇺 20.74
7. Maxime Grousset 🇫🇷 21.08 #LENOtopeni2023 #Natationhttps://t.co/VD9OgjgjYY— MR.CARTER (@NelsonCarterJr) December 7, 2023
This begs the question:
Will we ever see a sub-20 50 freestyle? If so, what will it take?
Here is the All-Time performers list as it sits currently, all of which are technically still active:
All-Time Performers, Men’s 50 Freestyle (SCM)
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 20.16 – 2020 ISL Final
- Ben Proud (GBR), 20.18 – 2023 SC Euros
- Florent Manaudou (FRA), 20.26 – 2014 SC Worlds
- Roland Schoeman (RSA), 20.30 – 2009 South African Champs
- Jordan Crooks (CAY) / Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 20.31 – 2022 SC Worlds / 2017 SC Euros
However, I don’t think Morozov, Schoeman, or even Manaudou will approach their peak form again. Proud is obviously still going best times, but we don’t know how much longer he will keep swimming after Paris. Same with Dressel. Plus, you don’t get very many opportunities to race SCM fully tapered, especially the longer your career goes.
This is why I think Jordan Crooks has the best chance at becoming the first man to swim a sub-20 50 free. He has already been 17-point in the 50y free and we know he has speed, strength, endurance, and great underwater work. He’s very similar to Dressel in that regard, who I believe could have gone sub-20 if he was totally on form for a SCM meet (let’s say if 2018 NCAA’s had been SCM). Crooks not only has there skill, but has the best chance of a SCM meet lining up where he will go “All in” for – 2024 Short Course World Championships, where he would go in as the defending world champion in the 50 free.
What do you think? Is it possible to go a sub-20 50m free? Who has the best shot at becoming the first one to do so?
Isaac Cooper
To me it should just be assumed that dressel 2018 NCAAs was capable of 19. I also think he has time left and we may still see it. If santos can go PBS in 50fly at like 40, and dressel is motivated to go thru 2028, then maybe there’s a proper peak in SCM somewhere along the way.
Proud might swim the first leg of the mixed free relay tomorrow. He could break Dressel’s WR then.
Oh! I’ve just recalled that a record cannot be broken in a mixed relay.
IIRC the Fall 2020 ISL season was about the only major thing that happened in swimming in 2020. In addition, the swimmers were “interned” in Budapest for about a month while all of their meets took place there.
The result: no weekly travel, lots of intense weekly SCM competition, plus the “promise” of big $$$ payouts. These conditions helped hone Dressel’s speed that autumn three years ago. ‘Twas “a perfect storm.”
Liendo and Crooks seem like the best bet.
Proud seems like the best bet
It will be done I just hope I get to see it live .
Dressel’s 17.63 converts to 19.5 according to swim swam. I think 19 high is possible for Dressel, Crooks, or Proud
Swimswam SCY conversion is highly inaccurate.
Let’s forget about conversions.
I think Dressel at his peak probably could have hit 19.9 if he tried specifically for SCM like he did for SCY. 2020 ISL Dressel definitely prepared for the 25M pool but obviously not to the years of SCY training he did before his 17.63. If anyone currently around has the capability to do it it would probably be Crooks
I stated something similar to this on a different page and was not received well. I think it has to do with folks in the EU or Australia not understanding or respecting SCY, or willing to learn the background. We all should though, as well as Americans becoming more familiar with SCM.
I think Crooks will break 20, given how young he is in his career. Will have some opportunity for money meets in SCM post-college, and can train for it more.