By Retta Race on SwimSwam
World Aquatics World Cup #1 – Baku
October 1-3, 2026 Baku Aquatic Palace, Baku, Azerbaijan SCM (25 meters) Meet Central Results Psych Sheet How To Watch Recaps: Prelims: Day 1 Finals: Day 1The 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup kicked off today from Baku, and the men’s 50m freestyle final lived up to its billing and then some.
This morning, LCM 50 free World Record holder and Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy of Australia earned the 2nd seed, hitting a mark of 20.96 to stake his claim on the event over another one of the fastest men on the planet, Egor Kornev of Russia. Kornev delivered a morning effort of 20.73 to land the middle lane for tonight’s main event.
The pair went head-to-head in a brutal battle to the wall this evening, one which saw the Aussie deliver a lifetime best, Australian national record and Oceanian record of 20.22. McEvoy’s performance also checked in as a new World Cup record.
Kornev settled for silver, merely a hair behind in 20.26 but produced a new Russian record as the runner-up.
Dutchman Sean Niewold rounded out the podium in 20.82.
As for McEvoy, his lifetime best in this SCM 50 free entering this competition rested at the 20.75 he established way back in 2015. He’s been almost as fast in long course, breaking the world record earlier this year in 20.88.
His monster 20.22 gold medal-winning effort this evening laid waste to not only that prior PB, but also the former Australian and Oceanian record of 20.68 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers put on the books in 2021.
What’s more, McEvoy’s performance overtook the former World Cup record of 20.31 Canadian Olympic medalist Jordan Crooks established last year.
Kornev, too, hit a new lifetime best, with his time of 20.26 slicing .13 off his previous PB of 20.39 notched last year.
His outing here also eliminated the former Russian benchmark of 20.31 retired Olympian Vlad Morozov put up nearly nine years ago at the 2017 European Short Course Championshps.
As fast as Kornev was, the European record remains at the 20.18 British Olympic medalist Ben Proud nabbed at the 2023 European SC Championships.
Men’s 50 Free
World Record: 19.90 – Jordan Crooks (CAY), 2024 World Cup Record: 20.31 – Josh Liendo (CAN), 2025GOLD: Cam McEvoy (AUS) – 20.22 *World Cup Record
SILVER: Egor Kornev (RUS) – 20.26
BRONZE: Sean Niewold (NED) – 20.82
This is the marquee event, featuring two of the fastest swimmers ever to put on a pair of goggles.
Cam McEvoy and Egor Kornev were superstars all summer, and that status remains in short course.
Off the blocks, it was McEvoy off the blocks in .57. McEvoy was blisteringly fast, turning in 9.55, the only other swimmer under 10 seconds to the feet was Kornev in 9.66.
McEvoy’s pure hammer-and-nail speed propelled him to the touch in 20.22, marking a new World Cup record for his first short course race in several years.
Kornev was right there with him the entire race, actually outsplitting him on the 2nd 25 bu .07 second to finish with the silver in 20.26.
Rounding out the possum was Seas Niewold in 20.82.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 World Cup – Baku: McEvoy Destroys Oceanian Record, Kornev Hits Russian Mark In 50 Free
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