Noe Ponti Breaks His 50 Butterfly World Record With A 21.43 In Semifinals

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (25M)

Noe Ponti took down the third world record in three events during the first finals session of the 2024 Short Course World Championships, shaving time off his 50 butterfly standard. He ripped a 21.43, taking seven-hundredths off his world record from the Singapore stop of the World Cup.

Ponti was electric during the 2024 Swimming World Cup, particularly in this event, where he reset the world record multiple times during the three-stop tour. He chose to focus on this event over the 200 IM, where he was also in contention for a medal, and it looks like a strong choice through two rounds of the 50 butterfly. Should he win tomorrow night’s final, he’s in line for another bonus from World Aquatics for winning the world title after claiming the same event’s Triple Crown at the World Cup.

Ponti has helped rewrite the all-time top performances in this event. He now owns the top three performances in history and six of the top ten.

Top Men’s 50 Butterfly Performances All-Time (SCM)

1. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.43 (Dec. 10, 2024)
2. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.50 (Nov. 2, 2024)
3. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.53 (Dec. 10, 2024)
4. Nyls Korstanje, Netherlands — 21.62 (Dec. 10, 2024)
5. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.64 (Nov. 2, 2024)
6. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.67 (Oct. 20, 2024)
7. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 21.68 (Oct. 20, 2024)
8. Nyls Korstanje, Netherlands — 21.74 (Nov. 2, 2024)
9. Nicholas Santos, Brazil/Sebasztian Szabo, Hungary — 21.75 (Oct. 6, 2018/Nov. 6, 2021)
10. (Tie)

While he’s reaffirmed himself as the favorite for tomorrow night’s final, he’ll have strong competition pushing him. Nyls Korstanje qualified second for the final (21.81) after breaking his Dutch record in the heats with a 21.62. Korstanje has helped Ponti take over the all-time top performances list; he’s now gotten under 21.75—which was the world record heading into this short-course season—twice, first in Singapore and now in Budapest.

Korstanje had a faster opening split than Ponti, making the turn in 9.85 to Ponti’s 9.87. However, Ponti powered home with an 11.56 on the second 25 meters to get his hands on the wall for his world record.