Florent Manaudou breaks World Record in 50 free on Friday in Doha

The first two days of Short Course Worlds in Doha, Qatar saw three new world records each. Day 3 outdid both. The 4th world record went down in the 50 freestyle, where French fast-twitch specialist Florent Manaudou went 20.26 to break a super-suited mark set by South Africa’s Roland Schoeman.

Manaudou and Schoeman are actually very similar swimmers. Both specialize in the 50 free, but use unbelievable starts and turns to be major international factors in the 50s of other strokes as well.

Manaudou got under Schoeman’s mark by just .04. Here’s a quick splits comparison of the two 50s:

  • 2014 Manaudou: 20.26
  • 2009 Schoeman: 20.30

(That’s a joke, everyone. You can laugh now.)

That’ll stand up as Manaudou’s second gold medal of these championships, after he was the hero of the French 4×100 free relay that won gold on day 1. The individual 100 free goes off tomorrow morning with the final on Sunday.

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bobo gigi
10 years ago
Pvdh
10 years ago

He generates the most power for a swimmer I have ever seen.

bobo gigi
Reply to  Pvdh
10 years ago

Yes. A lot of work in the weight room, creatine and of course a big natural talent with a huge body built for sprint.

M Palota
10 years ago

He hammers the water, doesn’t he?

It looks like he’s pulverizing it!

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  M Palota
10 years ago

he must be one of the most powerfull muscular swimmers i have ever seen ! Bigger and stronger than most freestyle specialists . Adrian or Schneider are beasts too but Manaudou is on his own league now . Intersting to see see how he will do next year on LC 50 and 100 free .

wave rider
10 years ago

Unbelievable. 20.26 converts to a 18.25 in yards. In a shiny suit he would have gone sub 20 and possibly a 17.9 in yards. Absolutely ridiculous.

From watching the video, he is 9.7 to the feet if you pause it just right.

Steve Nolan
10 years ago

I wish we did have splits for these! Short course, brah.

25 splits are my favorite.

Lennart van Haaften
Reply to  Steve Nolan
10 years ago

I think I saw 25m splits at one of the world cup meets this year. I wouldn’t mind seeing a 25m free event.:P

10 years ago

As i posted in another thread, it was an awesome swim by Manaudou:Powerful start(i am salivating to see his 15meters mark time), great turn and straight arm finish.In 50free, the man who makes less mistakes win, and that man is MANAUDOU.
On another side, i think age is coming for Cielo.Terrible start(a bit too deep)and slugish finish.Detail:In semis, he made 20.80 breathing and looking for Manaudou side twice, that just shows how bad today swim was.
I will not be surprised if Manaudou destroys 50back WR tomorrow.

Jonathan
Reply to  DDias
10 years ago

you mean straight arm all the way

ITR
Reply to  DDias
10 years ago

it was a perfect swim that’s why 🙂 and yeah straight arm all the way.

Alec
10 years ago

What a swim. What is the 2nd fastest ever in a textile? Could be on WR watch for his 100 free considering how close he was last year.

Rafael
Reply to  Alec
10 years ago

2nd fastest is Cielo 20.51

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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