Cameron McEvoy Targeting Sub-21 Performance in 50 Freestyle, Cielo’s World Record
The resume of Cameron McEvoy reveals a sprint star who has achieved two of the three elements of the sport’s Triple Crown. He is the reigning Olympic champion in the 50-meter freestyle, having secured that title at last summer’s Games in Paris. He is a world champion in the event, ticking off that accomplishment at the 2023 World Champs in Fukuoka. Now, the Australian is targeting the world record in the one-lap sprint.
The global standard in the 50 freestyle has stood to Cesar Cielo since 2009, when the Brazilian recorded a time of 20.91 during the last stages of the super-suit era. McEvoy owns a personal-best effort of 21.06, which leaves him as the No. 4 performer in history. But McEvoy is confident he has a sub-21 marker in his arsensal, one that could bring down the longstanding record of Cielo.
“I’d love to be the first person to go under 21 seconds without one of the super suits,” McEvoy said in a recent interview with the Courier Mail. “That’s my biggest goal right now.”
En route to his gold medal at the Paris Games, McEvoy is known for reinventing himself. The four-time Olympian was originally a 100 and 200 freestyler, but McEvoy altered his approach and relied on his mathematics and scientific background to become a sprint maven. He drastically cut the amount of training he logged in the pool, moving from high-volume meters to primarily race-pace work.
McEvoy will compete at next month’s Australian Trials for the World Championships, where he’ll try to nail down a bid to this summer’s global showcase in Singapore. The meet will also offer the 30-year-old his next chance at cracking the 21-second barrier, the goal the Aussie feels is within reach.
