Ben Proud On 50 Fly Semi-Final: I Could Feel Caeleb’s Splashing

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
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• Pick ’em Contest
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Tonight’s 50m butterfly semi-finals were each less than 24 seconds of pure fury, as the field was narrowed down to the top 8 speedsters in Budapest. Among them was British national record holder Ben Proud, who notched a swift mark of 22.92 for the 4th seed headed into tomorrow’s final. The 22-year-old Energy Standard swimmer was one of 5 swimmers to delve into the sub-23 second territory in the two semi races tonight.

“I’m happy with that swim because it wasn’t perfect,” says Proud in the interview below. “My start was a little bit off.”

Proud holds the British national record in this event with the 22.80 clocked at his national championships this past April. With tonight’s outing, Proud is within record-breaking territory sitting just .12 off that mark.

“In a 50, you keep your head down and you swim your own swim. My focus is just keeping on my own race.”

He’ll face top seeded American Caeleb Dressel in tomorrow’s final, along with 100m butterfly Olympic champion Joseph Schooling and the top-ranked 50 flyer in the world, Nicholas Santos of Brazil.

Hear what @BenProud had to say to @BBCSport after qualifying 4️⃣th fastest for tomorrow's Men's 50m Butterfly Finalpic.twitter.com/xsvsz948zJ

— Aquatics GB (@Aquatics_GB) July 23, 2017