Ben Proud Blasts 21.54 50 Free to Set New British Record in Rio

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Swimming: August 6-13
• Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
• Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
• SwimSwam previews 
• Rio Schedule & Results
• Live Stream (NBC)

On day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, British sprinter Ben Proud impressed with a new British Record in the men’s 50 free semifinals. Proud swam the race in 21.54 seconds to qualify 5th for the final.

That time broke his previous record of 21.65 that he set at the 2016 British Championships in April.

Proud has been on the rise since he won the 50 free and 50 fly at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at just 19 years of age. Last summer, he placed 8th in the 50 free at the 2015 FINA World Championships, and now he’s headed to his first Olympic final.

Proud is now in contention for a medal in this race, with the 2nd through 4th place finishers all bunched into the 21.4-range, just a tenth ahead of him. Leading the way into the final is the defending Olympic champion, France’s Florent Manaudou, who posted a 21.32 in tonight’s semis.