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

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
• Meet site
• Competition Schedule
• FinaTV Live Stream
• Entry Lists
• Results

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Michael Phelps (United States), 2009, 49.82
• World Junior Record: Kristof Milak (Hungary), 50.62
• World Championships Record: Michael Phelps (United States), 2009, 49.82
• 2017 Defending World Champion: Caeleb Dressel (United States), 49.86

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.