Kyle Chalmers Blasts 21.78 PB In 50 Free To Clinch Double At Bergen Swim Festival
Nine-time Olympic medallist Kyle Chalmers fired off a 21.78 PB in the 50 free to clinch the freestyle double at the Bergen Swim Festival.
Chalmers’ previous PB stood at 21.98 set at the 2024 Australian Open Championships but he sliced 0.20 from that mark in Norway to follow up his scorching 47.27 100 free on the opening night. It’s a huge improvement for Chalmers and elevated him to second in the 2025 world rankings behind Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud’s 21.73 at the Edinburgh International Meet last month.
The 26-year-old was crowned world junior champion in the 50 free back in 2015 but his subsequent individual success has mainly come in the 100. Instead, the 50 has seen Australia teammate Cam McEvoy win the Olympic title in Paris in 21.25, a year after world gold in Fukuoka in 21.06.
Sean Niewold of the Netherlands was second in 22.07 with Bjørnar Grytnes Laskerud third in 22.23 to leave the likes of Kenzo Simons and Dylan Carter locked out of the medals.
Niewold returned for the 100 fly a little over half an hour later. There Nyls Korstanje led a Dutch clean sweep with a clear victory in 51.13 ahead of Thomas Verhoeven (52.71) and Niewold (52.87).
Glittering Meet For Giele; Slyngstadli Downs Supersuit Record
Tessa Giele has had a fine meet in Bergen and added two more golds to her tally on Sunday. First up was the 50 free in which she enjoyed a clear victory in 25.11 ahead of Jóhanna Elín Guðmundsdóttir who clinched second by a sliver ahead of Sara Junevik in 25.84 to 24.85.
The Netherlands swimmer returned 12 minutes later for the 200 fly where she reached the first turn with a lead of more than two seconds. She was thoroughly dominant, coming home in 2:13.57 ahead of Aliz Szilvási-Hazag (2:25.25) and Kine Emilie K. Måseide (2:25.68).
Giele leaves Bergen with five titles as she adds her Sunday double to the 50 and 100 fly (25.98/57.17) and 50 back (27.67).
Silje Rongevær Slyngstadli lowered the Norwegian record in the women’s 100m breaststroke that had stood since the supersuited era of 2009. Slyngstadli split 31.57/35.96 to stop the clock in 1:07.53 and in the process slice 0.31 from the previous standard of 1:07.84 set by Katharina Stiberg at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Slyngstadli – who turned 21 on 1 April – was five when that record was set and she added the 100 title to her gold in the 50m breaststroke.
Silja Malin Vert-Mönig was second in 1:12.68 with June Selin third in 1:12.75.
Sander Sørensen clinched the freestyle treble with victory in the 400 free. The 17-year-old has had a huge impact in Bergen with national records in both the 100 and 200 free in 48.86 and 1:46.48 respectively. He was in control throughout to win in 3:52.26 ahead of Birk Lee Johansen, who edged out two-time European silver medallist Henrik Christiansen by 0.01 in 3:57.75 to 3:57.76.