Ready for a splash of unexpected news? Australian sprint sensation Cameron McEvoy, a name synonymous with speed in the pool, has sparked some serious interest with a recent comment. It all started with a simple chat after a press conference for the Australia versus World team meet. Someone mentioned a Masters SCM meet, and it immediately grabbed McEvoy's attention.
"You know I'm 31 now and eligible to swim in Masters competition," McEvoy revealed. "They have 25m events in all strokes in short course events in Australia, so I was thinking about giving it a go."
And this is where it gets interesting...
The Australian Masters Swimming Championships are scheduled for next year at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, running from April 28th to May 3rd. However, here's a crucial detail: World Aquatics doesn't recognize 25m distances as official world records in Masters competitions.
McEvoy's performance is already making waves. He clocked an incredible 9.36 seconds in a time trial at the Australian Short Course Championships in October, even though these races aren't officially recorded or recognized by World Aquatics. Surprisingly, he didn't compete in the 50m freestyle at that time. His personal best in the 50m freestyle is 20.75, achieved back in November 2015. For context, the current Australian record is held by Kyle Chalmers, with a time of 20.68 set in 2021.
To give you an idea of the competition, the current Australian National Masters record for 30-34 year-old men in the 25m freestyle is 10.78, and for the 50m freestyle, it's 23.21.
At the Australia vs The World meet, McEvoy was undeniably the fastest man in every round of the 25m freestyle, even though official times weren't published.
But here's where it gets controversial... If McEvoy does indeed participate in Brisbane, it's almost guaranteed to bring a significant boost in publicity and excitement to Masters Swimming in Australia.
What do you think about McEvoy potentially competing in Masters? Will it elevate the sport, or is it just a fun side project for a swimming legend? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
