Naoki Mizunuma Hits 50.81 100 Fly Japanese Record, Qualifies In 2nd For Finals

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• LCM (50-meter format)
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During the semi-finals round of the 100 butterfly, Naoki Mizunuma delivered a new Japanese record of 50.81 to place second overall. That swim is an improvement upon the 50.86 national record that he established at Japanese World Trials in March 2022.

At that meet his 50.86 made him the 20th-fastest man in the history of the event and with a 50.81 he moves up to 17th. He replaced Andrei Minakov who was previously #17 with his 50.83 from 2019.

Mizunuma is the only man from Japan to ever swim under 51 seconds in this event as Takeshi Kawamoto is #2 in the nation with a 51.00. He swam that time in 2021 at the Japanese National Championships.

Naoki Mizunuma holds two Japanese record as he, Ryosuke Irie, Ryuya Mura, and Katsumi Nakamura broke the 4×100 medley relay record at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Mizunuma also raced the 100 butterfly at the Tokyo Games and placed 10th in the semi-finals with a 51.46.

Mizunuma will enter the final in the #2 position to Kristof Milak who swam a 50.68, trailing his lifetime best of 49.68. Milak is the second-fastest swimmer in history behind Caeleb Dressel‘s 49.45 world record. Dressel was the favorite in the 100 fly heading into this meet but pulled out of the meet altogether for medical reasons.

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Kristof Milak (HUN), 50.14
2. Naoki Mizunuma (JPN), 50.81
3. Josh Liendo (CAN), 51.14
4. Noe Ponti (SUI), 51.18
5. Simon Bucher (AUT), 51.22
6. Jakub Majerski (POL) / Matthew Temple (AUS), 51.24
7. –
8. Michael Andrew (USA), 51.28

If Mizunuma manages to get into the top 3 and snags a medal he will be the first Japanese man in history to do so in this event.