2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Final Live Recap
MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL
- World Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 1:50.34 (2022)
- World Junior Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 1:53.79 (2017)
- Championship Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 1:50.34 (2022)
- 2022 World Champion: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 1:50.34
- 2022 Time to Medal: 1:53.61
Top 8:
- Leon Marchand (FRA) –1:52.43
- Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) — 1:53.62
- Tomoru Honda (JPN) — 1:53.66
- Thomas Heilman (USA)/Ilya Kharun (CAN) — 1:53.82
- (tie)
- Carson Foster (USA) — 1:54.74
- Richard Marton (HUN) — 1:55.02
- Wang Kuan-Hung (TPE) — 1:55.43
The men’s 200 fly final in Fukuoka saw France’s Leon Marchand claim victory in 1:52.43. Meanwhile, American 16-year-old Thomas Heilman finished just off the podium, clocking a huge new lifetime best of 1:53.82. The swim marks a new 15-16 National Age Group Record (NAG) for the U.S. 15-16 boys age group.
Back at the U.S. Trials about a month ago, Heilman cracked Michael Phelps‘ NAG, bringing the mark down to 1:54.54. With his performance tonight, Heilman has now taken well over half a second off his previous NAG. Here is a split comparison between the two performances:
| Splits | Heilman – World Champs Finals | Heilman – U.S. Trials Finals |
| 50m | 25.31 | 25.46 |
| 100m | 54.38 (29.07) | 54.20 (28.74) |
| 150m | 1:24.12 (29.74) | 1:24.50 (30.30) |
| 200m | 1:53.82 (29.70) | 1:54.54 (30.04) |
| FINAL TIME | 1:53.82 | 1:54.54 |
The biggest difference between his two races is that Heilman held his pace better tonight than he did at U.S. Trials. He was actually out a little bit slower, splitting 54.38 on the opening 100m, which was 0.18 seconds off the 54.20 he split last month. The 3rd and 4th 50s were critical, however, as Heilman split 29.74 and 29.70 respectively tonight, compared to 30.30 and 30.04 at Trials. That means Heilman came home in 59.44 on the final 100 tonight, nearly a full second faster than the 1:00.34 he closed in at Trials.
Additionally, Heilman’s time tonight makes him the fastest 18-and-under performer in U.S. history in the event. Though he can’t break the 17-18 boys record yet because he’s still 16, Heilman’s 1:53.82 tonight comes in just under the U.S. 17-18 NAG of 1:53.84, which is held by Luca Urlando.
Here are the 3 fastest American 18-and-unders in the LCM 200 fly:
- Thomas Heilman, 16 – 1:53.82
- Luca Urlando, 18 – 1:53.84
- Michael Phelps, 18 – 1:54.28
Moreover, Heilman’s performance tonight makes him the #5 performer in the world this year, marking the first time this young rising star has been in the top 5 in the world in an event.
2022-2023 LCM Men 200 Fly
Marchand
1:52.43
| 2 | Kristof Milak | HUN | 1:52.58 | 04/20 |
| 3 | Tomoru Honda | JPN | 1:52.70 | 12/03 |
| 4 | Krzysztof Chmielewski | POL | 1:53.62 | 07/26 |
| 5 | Thomas Heilman | USA | 1:53.82 | 07/26 |
#Legend
He’s just 16, yet he knows how to pace the 200 fly like a veteran.
Milak is the gold standard, but Thomas gives the USA a great chance for a medal 🥇 in Paris.
THE MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY IS THE MOST WIDE OPEN AND AVAILABLE EVENT IN THE MEET.
Marchand won 200 Fly but is not in the 100 Fly; Ceccon won the 50 Fly but is not in the 100 Fly.
Neither Milak nor Dressel is in the meet.
Heilman butterfly swims in LCM rest meets over the last 11 months:
Jr. Pan Pacs (:51.98/1:56.52),
US Nats (:51.19/1:54.54),
Worlds ( ? /1:53.82)
Just an equivalent simple mathmatecal progression puts him at ~:50.80.
Entries show 6 swimmers under :51.00
Liendo: :50.36 (he was 0.48 off PB in his 100 free here ~:50.84; also off 50 Fly PB; ended 15th)
Groussett: :50.61 (He had a 50 fly PB,… Read more »
Amazingly, I pretty much agree… you might add Kharun to that group. fwiw, I think Liendo is a longshot right now, the way he’s swimming. Nowhere close to his best 100 free, on either the relay or the individual.
No mention that he was only .03 off the World junior record?
Of none other than Kristof?
At age 16?
Oh wow. Did not know that. Awesome!
Only because the actual fastest time Kristof went as a junior wasn’t recognized
That time isn’t lasting much longer either.
Young Thomas Heilman, just sixteen,
In the 200 fly, a sight to be seen,
With wings of skill, he soared,
To new heights he roared,
Fastest 18&U American, a swimming dream!
no more ai poems
Is Heilman the next Phelps!??? Out of podium in first int debut?
Phelps was 5th in 2000
But at 15.
I believe MP went 1:53.93 in semis at 2003 WC, at 18 – finals time was 1:54.35.
Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men’s 200 metre butterfly – Wikipedia
Milak went like 156 at 16 I believe
He is definitely the future.
I was impressed how he managed the three rounds and swam his best in the final unlike foster who wasted his effort in the semi and got trampled by a piano in the final