Disclaimer: BlueSeventy Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The BlueSeventy Swim is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Cameron McEvoy is on fire.
The 22-year-old Australian tore up his home nation’s National Championships/Olympic Trials, tying for the win in the 200 free, winning the 100 outright and still contesting the 50 later this week.
But most impressive was that middle race, where McEvoy rattled a world record considered almost untouchable following the banning of full-body “supersuits.”
McEvoy went 47.04 in that race, moving him to the second-fastest of all-time and grabbing the Textile World Record, for the fastest swim done in a textile suit and not the rubberized bodysuits now banned in competition.
That time makes McEvoy one of just two men to jump onto the world’s top 10 list in the 100 free since the suit ban took effect. Beyond that, he’s one of just four men in the top 15 of and one of just six in the top 25 to hit their lifetime-best in the post-supersuit era.
A quick look at that list:
Top 10 Men’s 100 Freestyles – All-time
- Cesar Cielo – 46.91 – 2009
- Cameron McEvoy – 47.04 – 2016
- Eamon Sullivan – 47.05 – 2008
- James Magnussen – 47.10 – 2012
- Alain Bernard – 47.12 – 2009*
- Fred Bousquet – 47.15 – 2008
- Brent Hayden – 47.27 – 2009
- Dave Walters – 47.33 – 2009
- Stefan Nystrand – 47.37 – 2009
- Michael Phelps – 47.51 – 2008
*Note: Bernard went 46.94 in 2009, setting what was a world record at the time. FINA did not officially recognize his world record, though, because he swam the race in a non-approved swimsuit at the time. FINA still does not include Bernard’s 46.94 in its rankings, instead listing his 47.12 as his career-best.
McEvoy’s big swim also gives Australia three of the top four 100 freestylers of all-time. And despite what’s been viewed as a rough couple of years for the Aussies on the international level, they also have three different men – McEvoy, Magnussen and Roberts – who have etched their names among the worlds best since the banned suits.
Maybe more interesting is the list of the top 10 100 freestylers since the beginning of 2010, when the supersuit ban took effect:
Top 10 Men’s 100 Freestylers Since 2010
- Cameron McEvoy – 47.04 – 2016
- James Magnussen – 47.10 – 2012
- Nathan Adrian – 47.52 – 2012
- Vladimir Morozov – 47.62 – 2013
- James Roberts – 47.63 – 2012
- Ning Zetao – 47.65 – 2014
- Brent Hayden – 47.80 – 2012
- Jimmy Feigen – 47.82 – 2013
- T-9 Cesar Cielo – 47.84 – 2011
- T-9 Yannick Agnel – 47.84 – 2012
McEvoy is now the heavy favorite to win Olympic gold in this event, leading the world ranks by almost a second for the year 2016. Of course, 2012 Olympic champ Nathan Adrian may have something to say about that, as well as 2015 World Champ Ning Zetao and some other threats from across the globe. But for now, McEvoy has set a wider margin than anyone could have predicted between him and the rest of the world in one of swimming’s premiere events.
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This guy is at LEAST going to get a silver medal, I think only Nathan Adrian could take him down.
This guy is so ahead of the rest of the pack right now. They are still scratching their heads trying to figure out how to go out in 22-mid and come back in 24-high for a 47.4, and he stamps a 47.04. 47 flat is the new 47.4 …
Cameron mcEvoy is still 21, he was born in May 13, 1994
Hayden wore a Speedo LZR bodysuit. While it was not fully rubberized, it did have polyeurothene panels and is classified as a “super suit.” That said, he was the only swimmer in the field without a Jaked or Arena on.
Thought Brent Hayden’s 47.27 was without the rubber suit…can anyone confirm this? To me that is one of the great swims people don’t talk about very much.
Matterson – not sure what suit it was, but it was definitely a full-body. Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYU2nA7dK4U
Everyone in 2009 Rome was wearing supersuit, whether LZR, Jaked, Adidas Hydrofoil, Arena X-Glide etc. Some swimmers even wore layered swimsuits. Hayden was wearing Speedo LZR bodysuit, the same suit worn by all other top swimmers sponsored by Speedo, inclduing Phelps, Lochte, Trickett etc. Sure it’s not 100% poly, but it’s still poly rubber suit. It’s the same suit that Sullivan wore in 2008 Beijing to break WR or Bernard to win gold.
Hayden was the only one wearing LZR in that 100 free final, the rest wore Arena, Jaked or Adidas, which are 100% poly rubbersuit.
This is the “true” WR progression:
48.42 Matt Biondi 1988
48.21 Alexander Popov 1994
48.18 Michael Klim 2000
… Read more »
Nice job- thank you
Very informative! Thanks, and keep posting useful info!
Of course all were wearing bloody fast suits …fast times fell like christmas trees
There is one suit time missing. Bernard 46,94
Rafael – Bernard’s swim is a unique case in that FINA did not approve the swim as a world record at the time and doesn’t include it among its historical world ranks because it was swum in a non-approved swimsuit at the time. We’ll throw it on our list with an asterisk because of that odd wrinkle