What to Expect From Cam McEvoy in the 100 Freestyle
Australian Cam McEvoy, the world-record holder in the 50-meter freestyle, will be looking for a new test this upcoming season, as he is scheduled to swim the 100 freestyle during the Silk Road World Cup Tour. The 32-year-old from Australia has not swum this event since 2023, where he posted a time of 49.78, almost three seconds slower than his best of 47.04. With a new training program, the result of his 100 free is almost unpredictable, but one thing that is for sure is he will have more front-end speed than anyone in the world.
Training Program
McEvoy has become famous for his limited meters swum per practice. During his 50 free training, McEvoy only swam four times per week and did not reach 1500 meters total, as shown in a video with TheSwimsuitGuy. Most of his endurance training came from gym training with exercises like pullups.
With the 100 free being much more demanding than the 50, McEvoy will likely have to change this program, and according to his Instagram, he has. His focus seems to have shifted from doing considerable amounts of 25-meter efforts in practice to doing 50-meter efforts in practice. Changing his training is an important step toward showing that he is serious about swimming this event. Doing longer efforts in practice is key to building endurance. Trying to build all the endurance only in the gym is something that will not be successful for the 100 freestyle.
If he can pull off an incredible 100 as he did in the 50, then he could change the way coaches look at sprint training yet again. McEvoy has already started a revolution in the 50 free by training far fewer meters than what most people do. Proving it in the 100 would take the swimming world by storm.
Previous 100 Freestyles
In his younger years, McEvoy was one of the world’s best in this event. His top time of 47.04 puts him as the ninth-fastest performer in history. He still owns the Australian record, one that not even Kyle Chalmers has beaten. In 2016, McEvoy entered the Olympic Games as one of, if not the favorite, in the 100 free. He ultimately finished seventh in a time of 48.12. After a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, he hasn’t seen another international podium in the 100 free.
McEvoy’s stroke at the time of his 47.04 was much different than it is now. At that time, he had more of a gallop stroke where it looks like he bounces up and down in the water. After his change in focus to the 50 free, he made significant adjustments to his stroke. Now, he looks more powerful and flatter in the water. This is a helpful change when it comes to the 100 free. The fewer strokes McEvoy can take while maintaining a fast speed, the more energy he’ll have at the end of the race. McEvoy will already have a speed advantage on everyone. The last 50 is the biggest concern.
What to Expect
Expectations to start should be low for McEvoy. This will be his first 100 free in more than three years. As time goes on and he swims more 100 freestyles, the expectations will change depending on how fast he goes. McEvoy will be a great test as to whether less training equals faster times in the 100, as it does in the 50.
At the age of 32, the 100 will only get harder as we get closer to the 2028 Olympic Games. The 100 free at the Olympics is definitely something on his mind. Otherwise, he would not be doing this. The competition in the 100 is as deep as ever. Winning a gold medal means defeating the likes of David Popovici, Pan Zhanle and Jack Alexy. It will also be hard to make the Australian team in the 100, where he will have to defeat Kyle Chalmers and Flynn Southam, who went a 47.09 at the most recent Commonwealth Games. His 50 free has shown that he is capable of anything. He is one of the best swimmers in history and could become only the fourth person ever to complete the 50 and 100 Olympic sweep.
