Cameron McEvoy Breaks Men’s 50m Freestyle World Record | Olympics News

March 20, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

Cameron McEvoy shattered the men’s 50m freestyle world record Friday, clocking a time of 20.88 seconds at the China Swimming Open in Shenzhen. The Australian’s performance eclipsed the previous mark of 20.91 seconds, set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo in December 2009.

The victory marks a significant achievement for McEvoy, who finished well ahead of his competitors. The USA’s Jack Alexy secured second place with a time of 21.57, even as Australia’s Kyle Chalmers finished third in 22.01.

McEvoy’s record-breaking swim adds to a distinguished career that includes a gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a world championship title in 2025. Prior to Friday’s competition, his personal best in the long course event was 21.06 seconds, achieved at the 2023 World Championships.

“Ecstatic,” McEvoy said after the race, according to NBC Sports. “I had that target for a very long time.”

The previous world record, set by Cielo, was achieved during an era when polyurethane swimsuits were permitted. Those suits, later banned in 2010, were widely credited with contributing to a surge in record-breaking performances. As of Friday, only six world records from 2008 or 2009 remain on the books in Olympic swimming events: the men’s 200m and 800m frees, 200m backstroke and the 4x100m and 4x200m free relays, as well as the women’s 200m butterfly.

McEvoy attributed his success to a focused training regimen. “I had an insane season of training after the world champs last year,” he said. “I was doing some pretty special stuff in training coming into this, so I knew I had a chance to maybe move a PB, maybe go 20.99, but I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The 31-year-old McEvoy as well discussed the impact of becoming a father, noting a shift in his relationship with the sport. He has an 8-month-old son, and now balances training with family life. “I train hard, but I come home, and I’m straight into ‘dad mode,’” he said. “Whether I have a good or lousy session, it doesn’t matter.”

Looking ahead, McEvoy intends to continue competing in the 50m freestyle and refine his technique. “I’ll continue focusing on the 50 meters,” he explained. “I knew my first 25 would be really quick, but maybe I didn’t have the fitness for the last 25. Now that I’ve done such a good time, I still have work to do, but I’m excited, and maybe I can do another world record or PB later in the year.”