Great Britain’s Eva Okaro Breaks World Junior Record In SCM 50 Free (23.66)

2024 SC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women’s 50 Freestyle — Final

  • World Record: 22.87 — Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
  • World Junior Record: 23.69 — Anastasiya Shkurdai, BLR (2020)
  • World Championship Record: 22.87 — Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
  • 2022 World Champion: Emma McKeon, AUS — 23.04

Final:

  1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) — 22.83 ***WORLD RECORD***
  2. Kate Douglass (USA) — 23.05
  3. Kasia Wasick (POL) — 23.37
  4. Eva Okaro (GBR) — 23.66 ***WORLD JUNIOR RECORD***
  5. Meg Harris (AUS) — 23.73
  6. Silvia di Pietro (ITA) — 23.85
  7. Sara Curtis (ITA) — 23.87
  8. Arina Surkova (NAB) — 23.95

In the finals of the women’s 50 freestyle at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, 18-year-old Eva Okaro took down the world junior record with a time of 23.66 en route to finishing in fourth place. Okaro, who represents Great Britain, broke Belarusian swimmer Anastasyia Shkurdai‘s previous mark of 23.69 set at the 2020 Belarusian Championships.

Okaro also becomes the second-fastest British swimmer of all-time in the 50 free, just 0.22 seconds off Fran Halsall‘s British Record time of 23.44 from 2009.

All-Time Top British Performers, Women’s 50-Meter Freestyle (SCM):

  1. Fran Halsall — 23.44 (2009)
  2. Eva Okaro — 23.66 (2024)
  3. Anna Hopkin — 23.68 (2022)
  4. Frey Anderson — 24.03 (2020)
  5. Alison Sheppard — 24.06 (2003)

Previously, Okaro’s best time was a 24.02, which she clocked during prelims and semifinals. That time had her ranked as the fourth-fastest Brit of all-time. Headed into this meet, her personal best was a 24.61 from November 2024.

This meet is Okaro’s third senior international meet, after the 2024 European Championships and Olympic Games. At the Olympics, she raced in the prelims and the finals of the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay.

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Dee
1 hour ago

Difficult to believe she is still a junior, I remember watching her blast a 25s 50 free as a 12 year old! A very serious back injury a few years ago stalled her progress for a good while, but it’s fantastic to see Eva back on track and fulfilling her enormous talent. Congratulations, sky is the limit.

cheese
1 hour ago

That discretionary selection to Team GB paid off big time. The Olympic experience absolutely launched her into the stratosphere and she’s going to be lethal the next few cycles.

swimfan
1 hour ago

she has improved so much since moving to Repton!

WhatAreTheirCocktails
3 hours ago

Hook Em!

Swimmer
Reply to  WhatAreTheirCocktails
2 hours ago

I don’t think there’s been a swimswam commitment article but this must be huge for Texas. She also split 56.1 on the fly leg of the medley relay tonight!

Alison England
Reply to  Swimmer
1 hour ago

She’s going to study in the US?

Scuncan Dott v2
Reply to  Alison England
1 hour ago

Yep, going to Texas. She announced it on Instagram a few months ago. Exciting for the future!

Alison England
Reply to  Scuncan Dott v2
42 minutes ago

Ah, I see. Makes sense.

Alison England
3 hours ago

Fantastic swim.

About Yanyan Li

Yanyan Li

Although Yanyan wasn't the greatest competitive swimmer, she learned more about the sport of swimming by being her high school swim team's manager for four years. She eventually ventured into the realm of writing and joined SwimSwam in January 2022, where she hopes to contribute to and learn more about …

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