van der Burgh Posts 5th Fastest Of All-Time, African Record In 50 BR

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Omega Results
• Pick ’em Contest
• Event-by-Event Previews

Records tumbled in the men’s 50 breast prelims on day 3. The most notable was the world record by Great Britain’s Adam Peaty in 26.10, but just a heat prior it was South African Cameron van der Burgh producing a record of his own.

van der Burgh threw down what was the 4th fastest swim in history at the time (it’s now 5th), breaking his own African and South African Records in 26.54. His swim breaks his old mark of 26.62, set at the last World Championships in the prelims.

van der Burgh has won a medal in this event at five consecutive World Championships, claiming titles in 2009 and 2013. This swim indicates he’s fell on his way to a 6th, though the field as a whole was fast, but the gold appears a long way off as Peaty toys with the 26-second barrier.

Along with the world record from Peaty and the African Record from van der Burgh, Joao Gomes Junior broke the South American Record in 26.67, and Kirill Prigoda (26.91) and Yan Zibei (27.25) broke their national Russian and Chinese records. Qualifying 4th, American Kevin Cordes (26.83) just missed his national record of 26.76.

Top 5 Performers of All-Time – Men’s 50 Breast

1. Adam Peaty, 26.10, 2017
2. Cameron van der Burgh, 26.54, 2017
3. Joao Gomes Junior, 26.67, 2017
4. Damir Dugonjic, 26.70, 2015
5. Christian Sprenger, 26.73, 2014