McEvoy Smashes World Record, Highlights Stark Contrast in Swimming
A “dumbfounded” Cam McEvoy has not only shattered the 50-metre freestyle world record but has also brought to light the stark and “ludicrous” irony present in the current swimming landscape. The 31-year-old Australian achieved a blistering time of 20.88 seconds at the China Open on March 20, eclipsing the seemingly untouchable 20.91 mark set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo back in 2009. Crucially, McEvoy’s record was set without the aid of the now-banned “super-suits” that were prevalent during Cielo’s era.
Back in Brisbane, McEvoy confessed that the record arrived earlier in his season than anticipated, admitting he hadn’t even swum more than 25 metres in training leading up to the event. This remarkable achievement comes after a significant overhaul of his training regimen, a move that has revitalised his career. The four-time Olympian has dramatically increased his strength training while slashing his weekly pool mileage from a colossal 70km down to a mere 1.5km.
The irony McEvoy speaks of is profound. His world-record-breaking swim earned him precisely zero dollars, as the China Open did not offer any prize money for such an achievement. He contrasted this with the lucrative, albeit controversial, Enhanced Games, a professional exhibition event offering a staggering $US1 million ($A1.4 million) prize for a 50m freestyle win. McEvoy noted that participating in such an event, which he believes “holds no weight” due to the use of performance-enhancing drugs and specialised suits, could have netted him approximately $2 million.
“With this world record, I got $0 for that,” McEvoy stated, highlighting the disparity. He elaborated on the potential earnings from the Enhanced Games, estimating a first prize of $US250,000 ($A357,000) plus a world title bonus, totalling around $2 million. This, he pointed out, was achievable by taking what he termed the “easier route.”
“I put on a suit which can easily drop half a second, then there’s the performance-enhancing drug side of things, which I have no idea what happens there, but I’m sure it’s an improvement,” McEvoy explained. “We’re talking in the order of $2 million plus, compared to $0 and the $0 pathway is the much harder pathway to do something like this as well.”
He expressed his disbelief at the current valuation of a clean world record. “It’s pretty ludicrous, a bit unfortunate that the value placed on (a clean world record) is deemed, from that perspective, very low or worth nothing,” he remarked. “I’m dumbfounded in terms of the stark contrast that exists currently in the landscape of swimming.”
Despite this financial reality, McEvoy’s enthusiasm remains undimmed. As a new father with his sights set on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, he is convinced he can continue to improve and get even faster in his mid-thirties.
“I’ve got the scientific side of (me saying), ‘OK, there’s a little bit of low-hanging fruit there, maybe I can go quicker’,” McEvoy said. “And then the other side, which is kind of the realisation of a childhood dream. I’ve been knocked back from a sponsorship, being told that I was too old. They wanted someone younger, so hopefully the result in China proves that people in their 30s can definitely sprint and continue to sprint.”
A New Training Paradigm: Is it a Blueprint for the Future?
Australian head coach Rohan Taylor acknowledged McEvoy’s groundbreaking approach, describing his “venture” as charting new territory for the sport. However, Taylor cautioned that this radical training method might not be universally applicable.
“If you’re going to be a concert pianist you don’t practice the trumpet,” Taylor said, drawing an analogy to illustrate that specialised training is key. He added that McEvoy’s exceptional technical ability is a significant factor in his success. “He’s technically really, really superior, so that adds to what he’s doing.”
Taylor remains circumspect about whether younger swimmers could replicate McEvoy’s results by adopting such a drastically different training philosophy from the outset. “The jury’s out on whether a young kid can start training from that perspective and get to where he is.” This suggests that while McEvoy’s achievement is monumental, the path he has forged may be unique to his experience, talent, and the specific adaptations he has made in his career. The swimming world will undoubtedly be watching closely to see if his revolutionary methods can be emulated, or if he remains a singular outlier in the pursuit of swimming excellence.
