Nicholas Santos wins men's 50m butterfly gold at FINA World Swimming Championships 2018

Nicholas Santos wins men’s 50m butterfly gold at FINA World Swimming Championships 2018

38-year-old Brazilian swimmer Nicholas Santos lived up to expectations by winning the men’s 50m Butterfly gold medal at the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships 2018 in Hangzhou, China.

2018 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships

Having posted the best time both in the heats and in the semifinal, Nicholas Santos recorded a time of 21.81 seconds to run South Africa’s Chad Le Clos, the two time defending champion.

Nicholas Santos Butterfly Swimming, Nicholas Santos Swimmer, www.swim.by, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Championships, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Record, Swim.by

Photo: © Satiro Sodre/SS Press

Nicholas Santos had broken the super-suited swimming world record of 21.80 from 2009 back in October in 21.75, and backs it up here as he swims the 3rd fastest time ever. That old record belonged to German athlete Steffen Deibler.

After also going 21.96 in the semi-finals, Santos now owns three of the fastest six butterfly swims in history, while Le Clos joins him as the only men ever to break 22 seconds more than once. Le Clos owns five of the top-10 swims ever.

Nicholas Santos Butterfly Swimming, Nicholas Santos Swimmer, www.swim.by, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Championships, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Record, Swim.by

All-time performances, Men’s 50 butterfly swimming:

Short Course (25m competition pool)

1. Nicholas Santos (BRA), 21.75 (WR)
2. Steffen Deibler (GER), 21.80
3. Nicholas Santos (BRA), 21.81
4. Roland Schoeman (RSA), 21.87
5. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.95
6. Nicholas Santos (BRA), 21.96
7. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.97
8. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.98
9. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.98
10. Chad Le Clos (RSA), 22.02

Nicholas Araújo Dias dos Santos (born 14 February 1980) is a Brazilian competitive swimmer (1.91 m / 87 kg) who specializes in freestyle and butterfly sprint events.

Nicholas Santos the most famous and oldest athlete in history to win a gold medal in the World Swimming Championships.

Nicholas Santos Butterfly Swimming, Nicholas Santos Swimmer, www.swim.by, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Championships, Nicholas Santos World Swimming Record, Swim.by