Nic Fink Breaks Americas, Championship Records With 25.38 50 Breast

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

American swimmer Nic Fink took home his second world title at the 2022 World Championships in the finals of the 50 breast, setting a new best time of 25.38 to break the Americas continental record and short course world championship meet record. The previous Americas record was Fink’s own 25.53 from winning the 50 breast title at last year’s short course worlds, and the previous championships record was Cameron Van der Burgh’s time of 25.41 from 2018.

In the same race, silver medalist Nicolo Martinenghi swam a time of 25.42 which was just 0.01 seconds off of the old championships record.

Fink is now the fifth-fastest performer of all time in the men’s short course 50-meter breast.

All-Time Top Performers, Men’s 50-Meter Breast (SCM):

  1. Emre Sacki, Turkey — 24.95 (2021)
  2. Cameron Van Der Burgh, South Africa (2009)/Ilya Shymanovich, Belarus (2021) — 25.25
  3. Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy — 25.37 (2021)
  4. Nic Fink, United States — 25.38 (2022)

The 50 breast is Fink’s second Americas record from this short course worlds meet, as he previously broke his own record in the 200 breast when he took silver in a time of 2:01.60.

Fink, who is 29 years old, is one of the few swimmers who have reached peak performance in the later parts of their career. This year, he set personal best times in the long course 50 and 100 breast, the short course 50 and 200 breast, and also turned into America’s primary breaststroker for medley relays.

Notably, Fink completed his masters degree at Georgia Tech just hours before winning gold in the 100 breast short course worlds earlier this week.

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Perserverance
1 year ago

Unbelievable dedication, work, dry land, focusing in on little things and coaches suggestions, life outside the pool, and momentum, confidence and working through the valleys of this sports- guess if you combine that and some luck ….create success late in career

Anonymous
1 year ago

With Adam Peaty out with injury the door was open in the 50 and 100. Also maybe having school to focus on outside of swimming may have brought more balance to his life that was refreshing.

Andrew
1 year ago

Can someone explain how Fink is having a late-career renaissance like this when he should be adding time across the board while guys like Michael Andrew plateaued off long ago?

Kachow
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

He’s changed his training from UGA to Georgia Tech while he gets his Masters Degree there. Whatever Norment has him doing is working for him!

Nigel
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Fink always used to prioritise the 200m earlier in his career. Since his move to Georgia Tech he has changed up his training to focus on the sprints as he has less training time in the water. We are now seeing the dividends of this new training focus

Ghost
Reply to  Nigel
1 year ago

He couldn’t do it without the years of training for the 200. He made his first LC World Championships 10 years ago and it was in the 100 so not mega distance but a solid base.

Last edited 1 year ago by Ghost
PFA
1 year ago

best all around SCM breaststroker in the world right now.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  PFA
1 year ago

Could make a case LCM, too. Medals in the 50/100 lc and finaled in the 200.

PFA
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

this is true as well. Fink is having the best latter career right now.

Andy
Reply to  PFA
1 year ago

LeClos too

Matthew
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Yeah Martinenghi must be sick of the sight of Fink this year!

Virtus
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Fink is prob the best all around breaststroker period bht kamminga makes a case

Reid
Reply to  Virtus
1 year ago

I mean if healthy it’s definitely Kamminga, but atm hard to argue with Fink

Ghost
1 year ago

How many athletes at this level are just as good at the 50 and 200? (Yes Murphy did it this time but not many can)

Mike
1 year ago

Clutch swim as per usual by Fink! Looks like we really are seeing a changing of the guard in men’s sprint breastroke

About Yanyan Li

Yanyan Li

Although Yanyan wasn't the greatest competitive swimmer, she learned more about the sport of swimming by being her high school swim team's manager for four years. She eventually ventured into the realm of writing and joined SwimSwam in January 2022, where she hopes to contribute to and learn more about …

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