2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
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The men’s 100m freestyle event at any elite international meet is one of the most highly anticipated races and tonight’s semi-finals in Singapore were no exception.
We already saw two sub-47-second performances with the medal-contending main event still yet to come.
Leading the field was 22-year-old Jack Alexy of the United States, with the speedster firing off a new American Record of 46.81.
Alexy split 22.45/24.36 to grab the top spot ahead of the 200m free champion here David Popovici. The Romanian stopped the clock at 46.84 to set us up for a potentially history-making final tomorrow evening.
As for Alexy, his time erased his own former personal best of 46.99, the U.S. Open Record he posted at the U.S. National Championships in June. That performance rendered him the 6th-best performer of all time.
However, Alexy upped the ante here in Singapore, dropping .18 off that effort to overtake Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel‘s American Record of 46.96 established at the 2019 World Championships.
| Alexy’s New American Record – 46.81 | Dressel’s Old American Record – 46.96 | Alexy’s U.S. Open Record – 46.99 |
| 22.45 | 22.29 | 22.45 |
| 24.36 | 24.67 | 24.54 |
Aley’s effort checks the American in as the #3 performer in history, sitting only behind China’s reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Pan Zhanle of China and Popovici.
Of note, Zhanle missed the final here, hitting 47.81 for 10th place overall.
All-Time Performers, Men’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)
- Pan Zhanle (CHN), 46.40 – 2024 Olympic Games
- David Popovici (ROU), 46.71 – 2025 U23 Championships
- Jack Alexy (USA), 46.81 – 2025 World Championships
- Cesar Cielo (BRA), 46.91 – 2009 World Championships
- Alain Bernard (FRA), 46.94 – 2009 French National Championships
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 46.96 – 2019 World Championships
- Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 47.04 – 2016 Australian Olympic Trials
- Eamon Sullivan (AUS), 47.05 – 2008 Australian Olympic Trials
- Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 47.08 – 2019 World Championships
- James Magnussen (AUS) / Gui Caribe (BRA), 47.10 – 2012 Australian Olympic Trials / 20225 Brazilian Nationals
Tonight’s Top 10 Finishers
Alexy led off the Amerian men’s bronze medal-winning 4x100m freestyle relay on night one of these World Championships. He posted an opening split of 47.24.
At the 2024 Olympic Trials, after his record-breaking 47.08 prelim swim, Alexy went on to finish 2nd in the 100 free final (47.47) to earn an individual berth on his first Olympic team, ultimately placing 7th in the Paris final while winning Olympic medals in the men’s 4×100 free relay (gold) and the men’s 4×100 medley relay (silver).
This past March, Alexy wrapped up his college career at Cal, placing 4th in the 100 free and 5th in both the 50 and 200 free at the 2025 Men’s NCAA Championships.
nooo daddy dressel 😔
Can any nerds find how rare it is for 7/8 finalists to come from the same semi?
Awesome swim, Jack. Congrats!
What do you suppose he could do in a 200?
about tree fiddy
Slayyy
Wow, his back half was insane. He’s definitely improved that significantly.
Is that the first time there’s ever been two sub-47s in the same race?
idk if this is allowed but if anyone wants to speculate who wins tomorrow
World Aquatics Championships: Men’s 100 Freestyle Winner | Manifold
Uh, free money on Pan not winning?
Nvm it is fake money. Goofy ahh website
We’re on fire now yeah bro… 🙂