Bulgaria’s 17-Yr-Old Miladinov Rips 51.08 100 Fly For #2 In The World

2020 BULGARIAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Friday, December 18th – Sunday, December 20th
  • Sofia, Bulgaria
  • LCM (50m)
  • Live Results

The 2020 Bulgarian Team Championships are taking place this weekend, with 17-year-old Josif Miladinov making some major noise once again in the men’s 100m fly.

En route to topping the podium, Miladinov fired off a massive 51.08 to check-in with a new national record, lifetime best, and #2 time in the world this season.

The teen was already knocking on the door of his own 51.55 national record in the morning heats, landing lane 4 with a stellar 51.57. Splits for his prelim swim included 24.03/27.54 to set himself up for success.

Come tonight’s final, Miladinov scorched the field and swam a lights-out 51.08 by opening in a wicked-fast 23.60 before closing 27.48. As such, the teen’s monster effort sliced .47 off of his aforementioned NR and falls just .01 shy of Hungarian Kristof Milak’s 51.07 world-leading time from just last week.

2020-2021 LCM Men 100 Fly

2Kristof
Milak
HUN49.6807/31
3Matthew
Temple
AUS50.4506/17
4Noe
Ponti
SUI50.7407/31
5Michael
Andrew
USA50.8005/14
View Top 26»

It was just this past August that Miladinov nailed a lifetime best and national standard of 51.55 in this LCM 100 fly, posting the mark at the Bulgarian Championships. That time itself overtook the 51.91 Miladinov nailed in the prelims of the 2019 World Junior Championships. Miladinov wound up finishing 4th in that Budapest final with another sub-52 second outing of 51.96.

A quick progression of the Miladinov’s 100m fly follows this impressive pattern:

56.24 2017
54.79 2018
51.91 2019
51.55 August 2020
51.08 December 2020

Miladinov’s outing here in Sofia ranks the teen as the world’s 25th fastest performer all-time. For perspective, the world’s most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps owns the United States’ National Age Group record for the men’s 17-18 category at 51.10. As such, this Bulgarian wavemaker is faster than the GOAT was at this same age.

The World Junior Record in the 100m fly remains at Milak’s 50.62 from the 2017 World Championships.

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Dan
3 years ago

My prediction, if you go 50.5 in the men’s 100m Fly you will not win a medal, 51.0-51.1 just to make the final.

Joe
3 years ago

Everyone be going 51 low these days.

That guy
Reply to  Joe
3 years ago

Fr 😔

Dudeman
3 years ago

Wow, him and Minakov may be the ones fighting it out for the minor medals at the olympics behind dresses. Le clos is certainly gonna have to better than the last couple of years to even medal

Brownish
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

Behind Dressel and Milák.

Dudeman
Reply to  Brownish
3 years ago

Milak didn’t even medal in 2019 in the 100 (which was surprising to say the least), if he’s really focusing on the 200 he might have a similar performance in Tokyo (world record in 200 fly but not quite enough speed to go 50.6 like he did in 2017)

Cookedlays
3 years ago

Speedy boi

monsterbasher
3 years ago

23.0??? Besides dressel I don’t know anyone else who has gone out that fast.

nuotofan
Reply to  monsterbasher
3 years ago

23.60 for Miladinov at 50m (23.60+27.48=51.08)

CRD
Reply to  monsterbasher
3 years ago

He mustve been dying the last 5-10 meters, like really dying

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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