WATCH: Caeleb Dressel Breaks Michael Phelps’ World Record With 49.50 In 100 Fly

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reported by Lauren Neidigh.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

Finals Qualifiers:

  1. Caeleb Dressel (USA), 49.50
  2. Andrei Minakov (RUS), 50.94
  3. Kristof Milak (HUN), 50.95
  4. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 51.40
  5. Marius Kusch (GER), 51.50
  6. Mehdy Metella (FRA), 51.62
  7. James Guy (GBR), 51.69
  8. Matthew Temple (AUS), 51.70

The USA’s Caeleb Dressel set his first World Record tonight. Dressel, who missed the World Record last Worlds by only 4 hundredths, cracked the record by tenths tonight in 49.50. The former mark was a 49.82 done by Michael Phelps in 2009. Dressel leads the way into finals by nearly a second and a half and now owns 6 of the 10 fastest times in history in this event. He’ll return to the pool shortly for semifinals of the 50 free.

Finishing behind Dressel in heat 2 was Russia’s Andrei Minakov, who set a new Russian Record in 50.94. Hungary’s Kristof Milak won the first semifinal heat in 50.95 to qualify 3rd. Milak broke Phelps’ 200 fly World Record earlier in the meet to win his first Worlds gold. Also qualifying for the final were Olympic 200 fly champion Chad Le Clos (RSA) and 2017 bronze medalist James Guy (GBR). Le Clos used his front end speed to take 2nd in heat 1 with a 51.40 behind Milak.

Decorated butterfly veteran Laszlo Cseh of Hungary wound up 10th in 51.86. He was one spot ahead of the USA’s Jack Conger, who put up a 51.91 for 11th.

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Luigi
4 years ago

If Tokyo doesn’t happen, he is going to be one of the most affected. 2016 was just one year too early. 2020 would have been perfect, with him at his peak. 2024 would not be the same.
And yes, I just stated the obvious.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Luigi
4 years ago

Aside from losing out on potential historical achievements, I wonder what his Speedo deal includes, and how much of it’s loaded with performance bonuses tied to the Olympics. Basically, another year of anonymity in the sports world is not what Speedo was counting on.

Joe
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

Wow…

You really bringing COVID into the Dressel-bashing now? Cos that’s totally something he could control.

pvdh
4 years ago

i forgot he took it out in 22.8

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  pvdh
4 years ago

You would too with that pre-workout juice.

Mikeh
4 years ago

That never gets old! Thank you SwimSwam!

torchbearer
4 years ago

Is the full Womens 4x200m WR posted anywhere….I am Australian and I find that more interesting 🙂

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  torchbearer
4 years ago

Don’t worry, the aforementioned record will be short lived.

Irish Ringer
Reply to  torchbearer
4 years ago

That story wouldn’t age well since it will be taken back soon 🙂

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

As if Katie Ledecky will be ill for Tokyo 2021. As for a hint, check out the all-time relay splits in the women’s 200 meter freestyle on the USA Swimming website. The search feature was added June 2020.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

Manuel, Kedecky, McLaughlin are younger than McKeon, Throssell, Wilson.

Missed
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
4 years ago

Age doesn’t matter. We’ve already said that . There are many examples of female swimmers getting faster as they get older . But you won’t listen as always .

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Missed
4 years ago

The health of Katie Ledecky does matter.

Torchbearer
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

All the more reason to watch it now! 🙂

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Torchbearer
4 years ago

The women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay was more impressive. Two world records in one race.

https://youtu.be/YXOWdBpvrFY

Missed
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
4 years ago

Well so did the women’s 4×200 according to you – you keep claiming USA broke the world record in that even though Australia won it.

Justin Thompson
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

If a pandemic is what you are clinging to then that record is in jeopardy.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

So that’s what you’re counting on. LOL!

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Irish Ringer
4 years ago

Agree on that. Paris 2024, baby!

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  torchbearer
4 years ago

In the meantime, enjoy this flashback:

https://youtu.be/Nfp_V3vZfpg

Justin Thompson
4 years ago

Do you remember all the smack longhorn had been talking that summer leading up to WR? Was a humbling day for the ol boy.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Justin Thompson
4 years ago

Speaking of former Texas Longhorns, what ever happened to Joseph Schooling? LOL!

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
4 years ago

He’s just lounging on a pile of money and shining that Olympic gold that Dressel doesn’t have.

Blackflag82
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

this made me chuckle

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Blackflag82
4 years ago

I wonder what will be the next caveat.

Ryan Jacobsen
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

He may have made his money, but something tells me he would have liked to at least be competitive on that stage after Rio. Dude won’t even final at the next Olympics.

swimfan210_
Reply to  Justin Thompson
4 years ago

“I like my heroes with WRs.”-Ol’ Longhorn. Back at “Ranking the most anticipated Trials races” I had asked if there were any specific comments that had a large impact. That one sure did in 2019 WC’s…everyone was talking about it

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  swimfan210_
4 years ago

If you count the relays, ten of men’s supersuit world records are still intact.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  swimfan210_
4 years ago

Yeah, and I still like my heroes with individual Olympic gold. There are literally 13 guys with WRs. Do you have 13 recent/active men’s swim heroes? He’s one of them and, more importantly, just in one event. Three guys (Cielo, Biedermann, Peaty) hold 2 WRs each. And one guy (Peaty) holds two records in his stroke. And don’t give me the supersuit crap, because Peaty has burst that bubble in two events. As for the “in a class by himself,” that only applies to Peaty. And that dude can’t swim a 200 breast for sh*t, so that’s a knock.

Mr Piano
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

Dressel with his 49.5 is easily in a class of his own. Nobody has been within .89 of it textile. He won Worlds by 1.17 seconds. Literally would be a body length ahead of Schooling.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Mr Piano
4 years ago

Unfortunately, it’s yeah but, yeah but, yeah but from Ol’ Longhorn.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

I thought you liked your heroes with world records? Keep moving those goal posts.

Barry
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

Hasn’t Peaty been like 2:08? Not in medal contention, but has a decent shot at finaling.

Snarky
4 years ago

22.83 is just so dirty.

Eouai
4 years ago

Confirmed. He’s a pretty good swimmer. 🙂

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
4 years ago

The man who will have to carry the male contingent of Team USA in calendar year 2021.

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Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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