2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
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The men’s 100m backstroke semi-finals were among day two’s events at the 2025 World Championships, with Hungarian Hubert Kos capturing the top seed in 52.21.
Russian Kliment Kolesnikov, competing as a neutral athlete, produced 52.26 as the 2nd seed while South African World University Games champion Pieter Coetze hit 52.29 as the 3rd-seeded swimmer.
Further down the line in 12th was Czechia’s Miroslav Knedla and, although the man who just turned 20 years of age this month missed the final, he did register a new national record.
Knedla stopped the clock at 53.15, tying Frenchman Mewen Tomac in the process.
Knedla opened in 25.85 and closed in 27.30, with his new 53.15 PB erasing his former Czech national record of 53.28 logged during the semi-finals at the 2023 World Junior Championships. There in Israel, Knedla ultimately earned silver in a final mark of 54.01.
That same year, Knedla became European Junior champion in the 50m back and 200m IM events.
Knedla races for the Indiana Hoosiers in the United States’ NCAA.
MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Semifinals
- World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, Italy (2022)
- World Junior Record: 52.08 – Miron Lifintsev, Russia (2024)
- Championship Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, Italy (2022)
- 2023 World Champion: Ryan Murphy, United States – 52.22
- 2024 Olympic Champion: Thomas Ceccon, Italy – 52.00
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Hubert Kos (Hungary) — 52.21
- Kliment Kolesnikov (NAB) — 52.26
- Pieter Coetze (South Africa) — 52.29
- Thomas Ceccon (Italy) — 52.35
- Oliver Morgan (Great Britain) — 52.41
- Apostolos Christou (Greece) — 52.44
- Yohan Ndoye-Brouard (France) — 52.47
- Miron Lifintsev (NAB) — 52.27
