Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment. World Championships, Day Six Prelims: Cameron McEvoy Puts On Early Speed Show in 50 Freestyle The most speed from the prelims of the 50-meter freestyle at the World Championships came from the final heat at the Marine Messe Hall. The top-four seeds for the semifinals raced in the 13th heat, which was headlined by Australian Cameron McEvoy in 21.35. McEvoy entered the meet as the top seed in the event, thanks to his world-leading mark of 21.27 at the Australian Trials. Obviously, the veteran has carried that speed to Fukuoka. Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo advanced as the second seed, on the strength of a 21.67 outing. He was followed in third and fourth, respectively, by Frenchman Florent Manaudou (21.72) and American Jack Alexy (21.73). Manaudou is a three-time Olympic medalist in the event, including the gold medal at the 2012 Games in London. Meanwhile, Alexy is coming off a silver medal in the 100 freestyle from Thursday night. There were 14 sub-22 performances in the session and Aussie Isaac Cooper made it two athletes from his homeland in the semifinals. Cooper touched the wall in 21.82, and was followed by Israel’s Meiron Cheruti (21.85) and Jordan Crooks (Cayman Islands) and Ben Proud (Great Britain). Crooks and Proud tied in 21.90. The other American in the field, Ryan Held, moved on with a time of 21.91, which was matched by Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev. Crooks jumped up from the 40th seed entering the meet to a tie for seventh, from an outside lane, no less. He’s one of the few swimmers to make even a semifinal from the non-circle-seeded heats. He also dropped three tenths off his best to 21.90. “I’m just trying to stay in process and not allow outside factors to influence the swims,” he said of the less-than-ideal lane placement. “You could take it as motivation of what you will, but I just try to stay focused on my goals and try my best to get them done.”
