Australian McEvoy breaks 17-year-old 50m freestyle world record

Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy broke the world record in the men's 50m freestyle, set by Cesar Cielo 17 years ago, at a competition in Shenzhen, China on Friday.

With a time of 20.88sec, McEvoy, the Olympic champion in the event at the 2024 Paris Games, shaved three-hundredths of a second off Cielo's mark achieved in the era of polyurethane bodysuits in December 2009.

"Congrats, Cam! Lightning fast swim! Incredible!," Brazilian Cielo said in a social media post.

"I saw a phrase a while ago that perfectly captures what you've been doing. You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. Congratulations!"

McEvoy, 31, replied to Cielo's message, saying: "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants and you my friend are a giant in this sport full respect for your 17 years. I will do my best to uphold your example!"

McEvoy, also a two-time world champion over the distance, won the China Open race ahead of American Jack Alexy, in 21.57, while his fellow Australian Kyle Chalmers was third in 22.01.

McEvoy had entered the meet with a long-course best of 21.06 from the 2023 world championships, which had put him fifth on the all-time list.