Kristof Milak Has Emergency Suit Change, Breaks Olympic Record in 200 Fly

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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Kristof Milak has collected his first-ever Olympic gold medal in the 200 butterfly in Olympic record fashion. Milak swam to a 1:51.25 to take gold in the final, taking out Michael Phelps‘ 1:52.03 Olympic record from the Beijing 2008 Games.

Split Comparison

In a post-race interview, Milak shared with reporters that just 10 minutes before the 200 fly final his suit ripped in the ready room and he needed to do make a quick last-minute change. He said the equipment malfunction threw him off and he knew before the race started that he wouldn’t be able to break his own World Record.

Milak’s record stands at a 1:50.73 from the 2019 World Championships. He swam that time roughly 10 years after Phelps delivered the former mark of 1:51.51 at 2009 Worlds which was an improvement upon his former world record and now-former Olympic record of 1:52.03 at Beijing 2008.

Milak’s 1:51.25 is the 3rd fastest swim on record in the event and gives him the 4 fastest 200 butterfly times in the history of the event. Milak delivered the now-8th fastest time ever in the event during the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020 when he hit a 1:52.22.

All-time 200 Butterfly Performances

1. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:50.73 (2019)
2. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:51.10 (2021)
3. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:51.25 (2021)
4. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:51.40 (2021)
5. Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:51.51 (2009)
6. Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:52.03 (2008)
7. Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:52.09 (2007)
8. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:52.22 (2021)

Kristof Milak had one of the most decisive wins we’ve seen so far at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, declaring victory by more than 2 seconds over Japan’s Tomoru Honda who was a 1:53.73 for silver. Following Honda, Italy’s Federico Burdisso threw down a 1:54.45 to take bronze.

Milak’s Hungarian teammate Tamas Kenderesi was just outside of the top 3 in the final, scoring 4th with a 1:54.45 while 2012 Olympic champion Chad le Clos fell to 5th place in a 1:54.93.

This gold medal performance for Milak represents the first time that Hungary has topped the Olympic podium in the event and marks just the 7th time in 17 editions of the Olympics that an American can hasn’t won gold. Hungary has, however, finished top 3 before as Gyorgy Tumpek actually won the first-ever Olympic bronze in the 200 butterfly back in 1956. Hungary also reached the podium in 2008 when Laszlo Cseh touched second to PhelpKristof Milak Has Emergency Suit Change, Breaks Olympic Record in 200 Flys in Beijing.