2018 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 11th – Sunday, December 16th
- Hangzhou, China
- Tennis Centre, Hangzhou Olympic & International Expo Center
- Live Results (Omega)
While competing in tonight’s final of the men’s 100m butterfly, Frenchman Mehdy Metella crushed a new National Record en route to 4th place. The 26-year-old has been steadily knocking the national standard down with almost every swim this short course meters season, starting with the FINA World Cup stop in Budapest.
At that meet, Metella became the first French swimmer ever under 50 seconds in the event when he notched a time of 49.71. That mark took over the previous record of 50.04 held by Jeremy Stravius.
Just 6 weeks later, Metella cranked up the heat once again, busting out an even faster NR of 49.58 while competing at the French National Short Course Championships last month. Splitting 23.51/26.03, Metella produced a time of 49.58 to take gold and the national title.
Tonight, although he finished off the SC World Championships podium in 4th, Metella lowered his lifetime best even further, registering a mark of 49.45. His splits this evening included 23.02/26.43, so the Frenchman’s early speed led to his being able to ultimately hack off .23 from his weeks-old French record.
Winning the men’s 100m fly world title this evening was South Africa’s Chad Le Clos, who touched in 48.50, while American Caeleb Dressel took silver in 48.71.