2022 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, May 18 – Sunday, May 22, 2022
- SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Entry List
- Live Results
- Live Stream (Amazon Prime)
- World Championships Qualifying Criteria
MEN 200 BREAST FINALS
World Record: 2:06.12 – Anton Chupkov (2019)- World Junior Record: 2:09.39 – Qin Haiyang (2017)
Australian Record: 2:06.28 – Zac Stubblety-Cook (2021)Commonwealth Record: 2:06.28 – Zac Stubblety-Cook (2021)- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:10.32
Podium:
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (CHAND) – 2:05.95 (WORLD RECORD)
- Matthew Wilson (SOSC) – 2:10.14
- Adam Selwood (PROP) – 2:13.68
Coming into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as something of a breakout star last summer, Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook would lead the Olympic field in prelims, semifinals, and finals, ultimately breaking the Olympic Record en route to Gold in finals. Tonight, at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, Stubblety-Cook has reinforced himself as the top 200 breaststroker in the world, breaking the World Record in stunning fashion.
The 23-year-old put together a simply incredible race, getting out to a 29.43 on the first 50, then descending his splits on the final 3 50s. After a great turn into the final 50 of the race, Stubblety-Cook broke out with a fast tempo stroke to bring him home, splitting a sizzling 31.63 on the final 50 (the fastest split in the field by 2.5 seconds), putting him into the finish in a final time of 2:05.95.
With the swim, Stubblety-Cook not only broke the Australian Record, All Comers Record, Commonwealth Record, and World Record, he also became the first man in history to break 2:06 in the event. Swimmers have gone 2:06 16 times in swimming history, and now we finally have a 2:05.
Here is a split comparison between Stubblety-Cook’s swim tonight, his previous Australian Record of 2:06.28, his Olympic Record swim of 2:06.38, and the previous World Record of 2:06.12, which was held by Russia’s Anton Chupkov:
| Split | Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022 Australian Champs Finals (World Record) | Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2021 Australian Trials (Former AUS Record) | Zac Stubblety-Cook, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Final (Olympic Record) | Anton Chupkov, 2019 World Champs Finals (Former World Record) |
| 1st 50 | 29.43 | 29.40 | 29.35 | 29.73 |
| 2nd 50 | 32.46 (1:01.89) | 32.33 (1:01.73) | 32.37 (1:01.72) | 32.49 (1:02.22) |
| 3rd 50 | 32.43 (1:34.32) | 32.51 (1:34.24) | 32.45 (1:34.17) | 32.01 (1:34.23) |
| 4th 50 | 31.63 | 32.04 | 32.21 | 31.89 |
| FINAL TIME | 2:05.95 | 2:06.28 | 2:06.38 | 2:06.12 |
The difference in race strategy between Stubblety-Cook and Chupkov is interesting. Stubblety-Cook is consistently faster on the first 100, but Chupkov was exceptional on the 3rd 50 of his World Record performance, out-splitting Stubblety-Cook tonight by 0.42 seconds. Although Chupkov also came home in a 31-point on the final 50 in his WR race, Stubblety-Cook was faster tonight, splitting 31.63.
Here are the all-time top 5 performers in the LCM 200 breast:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer | Country | Meet |
| 1 | 2:05.95 | Zac Stubblety-Cook | AUS | 2022 Australian Swimming Championships |
| 2 | 2:06.12 | Anton Chupkov | RUS | 2019 World Champs |
| 3 | 2:06.40 | Shoma Sato | JPN | 2021 Japan Swim (Olympic Trials) |
| T-4 | 2:06.67 | Ippei Watanabe | JPN | 10th Tokyo Swimming Championships |
| T-4 | 2:06.67 | Matthew Wilson | AUS | 2019 World Champs |
Here are the top 10 all-time performances in the LCM 200 breast:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer | Country | Meet |
| 1 | 2:05.95 | Zac Stubblety-Cook | AUS | 2022 Australian Swimming Championships |
| 2 | 2:06.12 | Anton Chupkov | RUS | 2019 World Champs |
| 3 | 2:06.28 | Zac Stubblety-Cook | AUS | 2021 Australian Olympic Trials |
| 4 | 2:06.38 | Zac Stubblety-Cook | AUS | 2020 Olympic Games |
| 5 | 2:06.40 | Shoma Sato | JPN | 2021 Japan Swim (Olympic Trials) |
| T-6 | 2:06.67 | Ippei Watanabe | JPN | 10th Tokyo Swimming Championships |
| T-6 | 2:06.67 | Matthew Wilson | AUS | 2019 World Champs |
| 8 | 2:06.68 | Matthew Wilson | AUS | 2019 World Champs |
| 9 | 2:06.73 | Ippei Watanabe | JPN | 2019 World Champs |
| 10 | 2:06.74 | Shoma Sato | JPN | 2021 JPN Open |
As the all-time rankings show, Stubblety-Cook has very quickly become the premier men’s 200 breaststroker in the world, having swum 3 of the 4 fastest times in history just in the past 11 months.
Thanks for the splits breakdown. Love seeing the comparisons.
What’s more stacked at the moment – mens 200brst or women’s 100bk?
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Mike Barrowman’s 2:10.1 seemed just utterly out of reach, and now we’re sub 2:06…
A number of rule changes since then.
When you factor everything in (suits, training, starts, turns/pullouts), that still remains one of the most incredible swims in history
Wow – lets go ZSC!!!
This swim is truly incredible, and given his age and point on a natural progress curve, I think he has more in him. He said as much after the swim to Giaan, it wasn’t the perfect race. I think he will better this PB/WR.
And, like most 200m WR’s, that 100m split time is the envy of many national finalist in the 100m event. be interesting to see how he and Matt go.
Well done to Matt Wilson too, I think he helped pace ZSC’s first 100m, and just made the FINA cut himself for worlds.
Quite incredible the way ZSC has taken an event that was as wide open as the Grand Canyon a year ago and made it well and truly his own. Congratulations!
Anyone got a video link?
Had the privilege of watching it live https://youtu.be/XakYhyKL8RQ
If you have prime, you can watch the replay on prime video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEeXXijKO8Q
His first and last leg combined is 1:01.06. That’s less than 1.4 slower than his 100 PB of 59.69. Surely he is capable of much faster in the 100. Someone having two legs of their 200 basically equivalent to their 100 PB is pretty much unheard of right?
That’s some pure distance swimmer stuff. Someone who can’t sprint but can just consistently hold a fast pace.
in SCY at least, Douglass’ first 50 + last 50 of her AR setting 200 breast is 59.49 and the first 100 split of that was 58.98 while her 100 PB is just 58.64.
she’s clearly capable of much more in the 100 though
See: Licon’s 200 breast SCY
That last 50…wow, wow, wow.