Kyle Chalmers went third all-time as he blasted a shuddering 45.03 100 free at the World Cup stop in Doha.
That was just 0.09secs off the world record of 44.94 held by Amaury Leveaux since 2008 amid the shiny-suit chaos and demolished the Australian mark of 45.46 set by Matt Abood in 2009.
As well as Leveaux, only Vladimir Morozov has ever gone faster with a time of 44.95 from the World Cup in 2018.
There were also scorching performances by Ranomi Kromowidjojo in the 50 fly and Kira Toussaint in the 100 back while Madi Wilson got a third win in the 200 free.
Daiya Seto and Matthew Sates shone in the 200 fly and 200IM respectively.
Women’s 400IM
Zsuzsanna Jakabos led from the off to claim her second victory – and third podium – in 4:31.78.
Maria Ugolkova is having a fine series and she was second in 4:35.81, a fortnight after bronze at the Budapest.
Jung Haeun was next home in 4:37.53, the South Korean swimmer the youngest of the top three at 28 with Jakabos and Ugolkova both 32.
Men’s 1500 Free
Only three men lined up for the race and it was Kim Woomin who claimed the win, leading throughout to touch in 14:44.58.
Akos Kalmar was next home in 14:52.51 with Kim’s fellow South Korean Lee Hojoon taking third in 15:16.11.
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Pieter Coetze stopped the clock at 23.13 ahead of Szebasztian Szabo (23.55) and Won Youngjun (23.70).
Women’s 200 Free
Madi Wilson won the eight-length event in Berlin and Budapest and she made it a hat-trick of wins on Friday.
The Australian was joint first at 50 before stretching away to reach halfway in 55.74, the only sub-56 in the field.
She stopped the clock at 1:53.54 ahead of Katja Fain who touched in 1:54.51 as the pair replicated their one-two of Budapest.
Annika Bruhn got third in 1:56.29.
Men’s 200IM
Matthew Sates has emerged as one of the stars of the series and set a WJR of 1:51.45 in Berlin.
The 18-year-old followed that up with victory in Budapest before resuming his now customary tussles with Danas Rapsys.
Sates led at 50 before Rapsys took over on the backstroke to turn 0.02 ahead.
A breaststroke blast of 32.22 to the Lithuanian’s 33.96 propelled the South African to a lead of 1.72secs and he came home for his third victory in as many races in 1:52.32.
Rapsys was second in 1:54.29 with Yakov Toumarkin next home in 1:55.56.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Kira Toussaint was just 0.33secs off her world record in the 50 back on Thursday and she once more delivered a sizzling performance.
Splitting 27.23/28.56, the Netherlands swimmer came home in 55.79 – 0.9secs off Minna Atherton‘s world record.
Michelle Coleman was next home in 57.23 with Madi Wilson back in the water once more to touch third in 58.64.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
Arno Kamminga claimed his third win in as many races in the 100 breaststroke on Thursday.
He won the 50 in Berlin before touching second behind Slovenian Peter Stevens in Budapest and the pair tied on Friday in 26.10.
Fabian Schwingenschlogl – second behind Kamminga in the 100 – was third in 26.17.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
Holly Barratt beat Emma McKeon in Berlin before trading places last time out.
But it was Ranomi Kromowidjojo who produced a thundering performance of 24.74 for the fastest time of 2021 and one that was just 0.36 off Therese Alshammar‘s world record of 24.38 from the 2009 World Cup.
Barratt edged McKeon out by 0.01 in 25.06 to 25.07.
Men’s 100 Free
Kyle Chalmers claimed the title in Berlin and Budapest, where he was 0.04 outside Matt Abood’s Australian record that has stood since the super-suited era of 2009.
Vlad Morozov sizzled to 20.89 in the 50 on Thursday and this promised to be a thrilling race – but rather because of Chalmers’ shuddering performance rather than any tussle.
Chalmers destroyed Abood’s national mark in 45.03, just 0.09 off the world record of 44.94 – set by Frenchman Amaury Leveaux in 2008 – to go third all-time.
Splits: 21.64/23.39
Morozov was second in 46.31 with Hwang Sunwoo next home in 46.46.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Yulia Efimova won the 200 on Thursday and she returned to win the shorter race in 1:06.08.
Emily Visagie (1:06.92) and Back Suyeon (1:07.35) were next home as the trio replicated their finishing positions from the 200.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Tom Shields has been Mr Consistent during this World Cup and on Thursday claimed his third win in as many races in the 100 fly.
Chad Le Clos won the 200 in Berlin, with Shields second, with the American taking pole in Budapest where the South African didn’t compete.
The American led until 150, tracked by Seto who then unleashed a 28.45 final 50 to come home in 1:49.76.
Kregor Zirk took second in 1:53.06 ahead of Shields in 1:53.11.