Hold onto your swim caps, because Egor Kornev just made waves in the swimming world! The 21-year-old Russian phenom has shattered expectations, clocking a jaw-dropping 44.99 in the 100m short course freestyle at the 2025 Russian Short Course Nationals. This isn't just a personal best—it's the fifth-fastest time ever recorded in this event, propelling Kornev into the elite ranks of swimming's all-time greats. But here's where it gets controversial: Can Kornev maintain this momentum and challenge the legendary Kyle Chalmers for the top spot?
The competition, held from November 7th to 12th in Kazan, Russia, has been nothing short of electrifying. On day three, Kornev didn't just win—he dominated. His time was over a second and a half faster than silver medalist Ivan Girev (46.55) and bronze medalist Dmitry Zhavoronkov (46.59). To put this in perspective, Kornev's split times (10.09/11.41/11.80/11.69) obliterated his previous personal best of 45.52 from last year's Short Course World Championships in Budapest, where he finished 5th overall. And this is the part most people miss: He came within a mere .05 seconds of breaking the Russian national record set by retired Olympian Vlad Morozov in 2018.
Kornev's achievement is even more remarkable when you consider the historical context. He’s now the fifth man in history to break the 45-second barrier in the SCM 100 freestyle, joining an exclusive club that includes Kyle Chalmers (AUS), Amaury Leveaux (FRA), Jordan Crooks (CAY), and Vlad Morozov (RUS). Here’s the updated all-time top 10 list for the men’s SCM 100 freestyle:
- Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 44.84, 2021
- Amaury Leveaux (FRA) – 44.94, 2008
- Jordan Crooks (CAY) – 44.95, 2024 & Vlad Morozov (RUS) – 44.95, 2018
- Egor Kornev (RUS) – 44.99, 2025
- Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 45.04, 2013
- Jack Alexy (USA) – 45.05, 2024
- Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 45.08, 2020 & Nathan Adrian (USA) – 45.08, 2009
- Josh Liendo (CAN) – 45.30, 2025
With this performance, Kornev now ranks #1 in the world for the 2025-2026 SCM season, ahead of Josh Liendo (CAN, 45.30), Jack Alexy (USA, 45.32), Chris Guiliano (USA, 45.50), and Maxime Grousset (FRA, 45.66). But the question remains: Is this the beginning of a new era in men’s sprinting, or will the established stars reclaim their throne?
What do you think? Is Egor Kornev the future of the 100m freestyle, or will someone else rise to challenge him? Let us know in the comments below! For more insights, check out the full rankings here and dive into the world of swimming with Retta Race, a former Masters swimmer and coach who now balances an MBA, a full-time IT career, and ownership of French 75 Boutique while providing expert swimming analysis for BBC. Learn more about Retta.
