Introduction
The 50m freestyle is one of the most prestigious events in swimming, and the Olympic Games is the ultimate stage for this race. In Tokyo 2020, the 50m freestyle will be held on July 30th and 31st, and it is sure to be one of the most exciting events of the Games.
The Contenders
There are a number of swimmers who are contenders for the gold medal in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo. The defending champion is Caeleb Dressel of the United States, who won the gold medal in Rio 2016 in a time of 21.46 seconds. Other contenders include:
- Florent Manaudou of France: The 2012 Olympic champion and 2017 world champion.
- Bruno Fratus of Brazil: The 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.
- Ben Proud of Great Britain: The 2016 European champion and 2017 world silver medalist.
- Andrei Minakov of Russia: The 2019 world junior champion.
The Race
The 50m freestyle is a sprint race, and it is one of the most challenging events in swimming. The swimmers must be able to generate a lot of power in a short amount of time, and they must also be able to maintain their speed throughout the race.
The race will be held in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, which is a state-of-the-art facility. The pool is 50 meters long and 25 meters wide, and it is equipped with the latest technology.
The Favorites
Caeleb Dressel is the favorite to win the gold medal in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo. He is the reigning Olympic champion and world champion, and he has the fastest time in the world this year.
Florent Manaudou and Bruno Fratus are also strong contenders for the gold medal. Manaudou is a former Olympic champion, and Fratus is a former world champion. Both swimmers have the experience and the talent to win the gold medal in Tokyo.
The Underdogs
There are a number of swimmers who could surprise in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo. Andrei Minakov is a rising star, and he has the potential to be a major contender for the gold medal. Ben Proud is also a strong swimmer, and he could be a threat to the favorites.
The Predictions
It is difficult to predict who will win the gold medal in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo. Caeleb Dressel is the favorite, but Florent Manaudou and Bruno Fratus are also strong contenders. Andrei Minakov and Ben Proud could also surprise.
The race will be close, and it will be one of the most exciting events of the Olympic Games.
Conclusion
The 50m freestyle is one of the most prestigious events in swimming, and the Olympic Games is the ultimate stage for this race. In Tokyo 2020, the 50m freestyle will be held on July 30th and 31st, and it is sure to be one of the most exciting events of the Games.
Tables
Table 1: 50m Freestyle Olympic Medalists
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Frederick Lane | Otto Wahle | Zoltán Halmay |
| 1904 | Zoltan Halmay | Charles Daniels | Scott Leary |
| 1908 | Charles Daniels | Joseph Ruddy | Oscar Schuman |
| 1912 | Duke Kahanamoku | Cecil Healy | Kenneth Huszagh |
| 1920 | Duke Kahanamoku | Ralph Breyer | William Harris |
| 1924 | Johnny Weissmuller | Duke Kahanamoku | Sam Kahanamoku |
| 1928 | Johnny Weissmuller | Istvan Barany | Samuel Kahanamoku |
| 1932 | Yasuji Miyazaki | David Burke | Koichi Kitamura |
| 1936 | Ferenc Csik | Alan Ford | Gustav Fröhlich |
| 1948 | Alastair McCorquodale | Georg Kunstadt | Walter Ris |
| 1952 | Clarence Crabbe | Jean Boiteux | Göran Larsson |
| 1956 | Alexandr Kozyrev | Walter Ris | Fred Dennerly |
| 1960 | John Devitt | Lance Larson | Grigory Khitun |
| 1964 | Don Schollander | Manuel dos Santos | Hubertus Strügmann |
| 1968 | Gary Hall, Sr. | Michael Wenden | Charles Hickcox |
| 1972 | Mark Spitz | Jerry Heidenreich | Michel Rousseau |
| 1976 | Jonty Skinner | David McCagg | James Montgomery |
| 1980 | Jörg Woithe | Per Johansson | Mark Markov |
| 1984 | Mark Stockwell | David Berkoff | Per Johansson |
| 1988 | Matt Biondi | Tom Jager | Gennadiy Prigoda |
| 1992 | Alexander Popov | Matt Biondi | Tom Jager |
| 1996 | Alexander Popov | Gary Hall, Jr. | Fernando Scherer |
| 2000 | Anthony Ervin | Pieter van den Hoogenband | Gary Hall, Jr. |
| 2004 | Gary Hall, Jr. | Duje Draganja | Roland Schoeman |
| 2008 | César Cielo | Amaury Leveaux | Alain Bernard |
| 2012 | Florent Manaudou | Cullen Jones | Anthony Ervin |
| 2016 | Caeleb Dressel | Florent Manaudou | Nathan Adrian |
| 2020 | Caeleb Dressel | Florent Manaudou | Bruno Fratus |
Table 2: 50m Freestyle World Record Progression
| Year | Swimmer | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Zoltán Halmay | 28.6 |
| 1906 | Charles Daniels | 27.4 |
| 1908 | Charles Daniels | 25.6 |
| 1912 | Duke Kahanamoku | 24.4 |
| 1914 | Duke Kahanamoku | 24.2 |
| 1922 | William Harris | 23.8 |
| 1924 | Johnny Weissmuller | 23.2 |
| 1927 | Johnny Weissmuller | 23.0 |
| 1934 | Alastair McCorquodale | 22.8 |
| 1938 | Alan Ford | 22.4 |
| 1944 | Walter Ris | 22.2 |
| 1948 | Cele Goldsmith | 22.0 |
| 1952 | Clarke Scholes | 21.6 |
| 1956 | John Devitt | 21.2 |
| 1960 | John Devitt | 21.1 |
| 1961 | John Devitt | 20.9 |
| 1961 | Robert Brett | 20.9 |
| 1967 | Don Schollander | 20.6 |
| 1975 | Andy Coan | 20.91 |
| 1976 | Jonty Skinner | 20.63 |
