SHENZHEN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Cameron McEvoy broke the world record of the men's 50m freestyle at the 2026 China Open Swimming Championships here on Friday.
He clocked a time of 20.88 seconds in the final, surpassing the previous record of 20.91 seconds set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in December 2009. Although the new mark is yet to be officially ratified, McEvoy's feat of breaking one of the longest-standing world records represents a significant milestone in his career.
McEvoy expressed his excitement about the performance. "It feels crazy," he said after the race. "I've been putting a lot of effort into training to go under 21 seconds. My initial goal was 20-point-anything, even if it was 20.99, I would have been very happy. But to get 20.88 is very exciting."
Reflecting on his preparation, McEvoy attributed his success to the new training methods he has been developing. "This year was the first time from the start I was able to do it properly," he noted. "I put a lot of effort into my strength, and my numbers went through the roof. I knew I had a chance to do a personal best, and I did."
Looking ahead, McEvoy plans to continue focusing on the 50m freestyle and intends to refine his technique. "I'll continue focusing on the 50 meters. I knew my first 25 would be really quick, but maybe I didn't have the fitness for the last 25," he explained. "Now that I've done such a good time, I still have work to do, but I'm excited, and maybe I can do another world record or PB later in the year."
McEvoy, who won gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 Singapore World Championships, also discussed his evolving relationship with the sport, especially after becoming a father.
"I have an 8-month-old son, and now my relationship with swimming is very different," he said. "I train hard, but I come home, and I'm straight into 'dad mode.' Whether I have a good or bad session, it doesn't matter. I go home, I play with my son, and that's brought a lot of balance to my life."
When asked about future goals, McEvoy spoke about the challenges from younger swimmers and the importance of both his personal growth and the scientific exploration of training methods.
"There will always be pressure to defend my medal, but I'm in a spot now where there are two games being played. The first is the individual race for medals, and the second is exploring and teaching others about the training methods I've developed."
Regarding the growing competition in the pool, McEvoy added, "We call that 'swim inflation.' As the years go on, the younger and younger swimmers are swimming faster and faster. So I have my work cut out for me, being older, but I'm excited for it."
Looking ahead to future competitions, McEvoy is focused on the upcoming World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "I'm excited about the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) 2026 in December in Beijing," he said. "There's tough competition, but I'm excited for it." ■
