42-year-old Nicholas Santos beats own world record as oldest world champion
Nicholas Santos won the 50-meter butterfly event at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships and became the oldest world champion. He is also responsible for the top 5 men's short course 50-meter butterfly performances in history.
This was his 10th World Swimming Championships. The heats for the 50-meter butterfly event was held on December 13. Nicholas started in lane four of the ninth heats and finished with a time of 22.46, thus earning qualification for the semifinals. In the semifinals, he started in lane one and finished fourth with a time of 22.08 and qualified for the finals.
The finals were held yesterday, in which Santos started in lane six and completed 50-meters with a time of 21.78 to clinch the gold medal. His time of 21.78 at the 50-meter butterfly was a championship record. With this victory, Santos has become the oldest world champion in history.
Switzerland's Noe Ponti finished second with a time of 21.96, while Hungary's Szebasztián Szabó finished third with a time of 21.98. The Brazilian swimmer was just .03 short of his own world record mark of 21.75.
He completed the 50-meter butterfly with a world record time of 21.75 at the 2018 FINA Swimming World Cup in Budapest. He shares this world record with bronze medallist Szabó. The Hungarian matched Santos' world record at the 2021 European Short Course Championships in Kazan.
In 2021, Santos became the oldest champion at 41 years of age when he won the gold medal in the 50-meter butterfly at the 2021 FINA World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi. The Brazilian swimmer has aged like fine wine as he dropped 0.15 from last year's 50-meter butterfly victory in Abu Dhabi.
This was also Nicholas Santos' last race of his career. Earlier this year, Santos had indicated that the Jose Finkel Trophy in September would be his final competition in Brazil. With the sport of swimming dominated by youngsters in recent times, Santos has shown the world that age is not a barrier to achieve success.
Nicholas Santos opened up after his victory in the 50-meter butterfly
According to Swimming World Magazine, Santos had spoken to Channel 9 after his gold medal ceremony. The Brazilian swimmer said,
"This is my last one, my last world championships. For me this was amazing, my fourth world championship gold and I felt really good, especially in this final and the second 25m was amazing and it was pretty close in the end..the boys are getting fast."
When asked about the secret to his success, Santos said,
"I’ve been doing this for 25 years so it is repetition..repetition and resilience as well, competing around the world is really good and you get pushed all the time. These kids are swimming so fast now.”
How many World Championship (short course) medals does Nicholas Santos have?
Nicholas Santos has six gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals at the short course World Championships. His first two World Championship (short course) medals came at the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships in Indianapolis when he claimed a silver medal and bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter freestyle.
At the 2010 World Championships in Dubai, he won a bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle. Nicholas Santos won his first 50-meter butterfly gold medal during the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Istanbul.
The Brazilian swimmer clinched two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2014 World Championships. He emerged victorious in the 4x50-meter medley and 4x50-meter mixed medley events and finished as a runner-up in the 50-meter butterfly event.
At the 2016 World Championships in Windsor, he won a lone silver medal in the 4x50-meter mixed medley event. Santos clinched a gold medal and a bronze medal in the 50-meter butterfly and 4x50-meter medley during the 2018 World Championships in Hangzhou.
He won a lone gold medal in the 50-meter butterfly during the 2021 World Championships in Abu Dhabi. Nicholas Santos won his final gold medal at the World Championships in the 50-meter butterfly event during this year's championships in Melbourne.