2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- Competition Schedule
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
- Results
Originally reported by Reid Carlson
MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL
World Record: Michael Phelps (United States), 2009, 1:51.51- World Junior Record: Kristof Milak (Hungary), 2017, 1:53.89
World Championships Record: Michael Phelps (United States), 2009, 1:51.51- 2017 Defending World Champion: Chad le Clos (South Africa), 1:53.33
Chad le Clos took the race out fast in a blazing 24.13, pursued by Milak. Le Clos was still under World Record pace at 100, turning in 52.55. Milak turned in 52.88 at the 100, matching Michael Phelps’ World Record split to the hundredth. Milak is ahead of World Record pace at 150, turning in 1:21.57, overtaking le Clos.
Milak buried the field and Phelps’ World Record to touch in an incredible 1:50.73. Milak is now the first swimmer in history to break the 1:51 barrier.
Japan’s Daiya Seto crushed his best time and slipped under 1:54 for the first time to win silver in 1:53.86, while Chad le Clos won bronze in 1:54.15, just ahead of young Italian Federico Burdisso, who touched 4th in 1:54.39.
Milak’s splits were 24.66, 28.22 (52.88), 28.69 (1:21.57), and 29.16 for a total time of 1:50.73. No other swimmer in the field cracked 30 on the final 50 meters with the second-fastest split being a 30.11 from Ukrain’s Denys Kesil who finished 5th in 1:54.79.
American Zach Harting finished 5th in 1:55.69. Brazilian Leonardo de Deus was 7th in 1:55.96, and Hungarian Tamas Kenderesi, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, finished 8th in 1:57.10.
MEDALISTS:
- GOLD: Kristof Milak, Hungary, 1:50.73 — WORLD RECORD
- SILVER: Daiya Seto, Japan, 1:53.86
- BRONZE: Chad le Clos, South Africa, 1:54.15
The other thing that makes it more impressive is that the 1:50.73 is also in textile, while Phelps 1:51 was in a shiny suit, and Milak has a lot for improvement
Phelps was in a shiny suit – but it was not the ‘most shiny’ of suits, so to speak. He only had the legskin, for example.
Still a banned suit after 2009, Milak shattered a Phelps record, just because he is not from the USA it’s not a reason to give him all the recognition he deserves
FANTASTIC
This race is so much better without NBC’s awful commentary…
“Milak is losing some ground” on the third lap as Milak begins to overtake Le Clos
“Milak of Hungria”
Australia has some brilliant commentators who should be used on all coverages – Nicole Livingston and Kurt Hanson . And the British lady was good on ISL last year too
Oh yes! Great knowledge . No obvious mistakes . Adds to the coverage . Like the Aussies .
2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp_V3vZfpg
Lachy Reid & Nicole Livingston
When you have won Olympic gold medals and world records like Gaines then you can talk smack about him sir.
Great swimmer ! Brilliant .
Terrible commentator in so many ways .
Unfortunately very partial as a commentator
Ah, a return to simpler times when people complained about the commentary.
Still crazy
I remember watching him at European juniors about two or three years ago and anyone who watched the way he swam and dominated knew that it was only a matter of time until he broke the record. His schedule was so varied with other events (200 free, 100 back even) that only having the fly events to worry about allowed this master of a swim.
I’d love to see what this guy could go in a poly suit.
I remember a few weeks before the world championships, there was a series about “Which supersuited world records are most in danger?” There were 4 tiers, with 1 being most likely and 4 being least likely. 1:51.51 was in Tier 3. We weren’t expecting Milak to break it in 2019, maybe in 2020. Nothing like proving expectations wrong. And the “SS hype machine” article “Can Milak get the WR?” I doubted it at first, predicting 1:52 low, but he got it. I wonder where the SS hype machine went after just 2 articles.
Also, it’s not this race, but I remember the swim-off. “150 easy, 50 hard”. Both swimmers in the swim-off closed under 29. That was, well…weird.
No expectations because he is not from the USA, his semifinal swim made it clear Phelps record was done
It’s still hard for me to believe he swam a 1:50.73. All those years watching Phelps gradually lower that 200m fly record to 1:51.51 and to see Milak smash it like that at such a young age. That back half was insane.
The craziest part is, he showed clear room for improvement. Milak’s last turn wasn’t all that great, yet he still dominated that last 50.