Jack Alexy set a world record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle on Saturday, touching the wall in 44.64 seconds at the 2026 USA Swimming Short Course World Championship Trials in Westmont, Illinois.
Alexy, who competed for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics and swims for California, broke the previous mark of 44.84 seconds. When he saw his time, he slapped the water in celebration.
He has been closing in on a major individual win for some time. Alexy claimed his first individual gold in the 100-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest in December 2024, finishing in 45.38 seconds.
Chris Guiliano, another member of the U.S. Olympic team in Paris, took second on Saturday in 45.22. Caeleb Dressel finished third in 45.65.
Alexy won gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the Paris Games. Months later, he set an American and world championship record with a 45.05-second opening leg in Hungary. Guiliano was also part of that relay team.
The new record comes four weeks after Russia’s Egor Kornev matched the short-course 100-meter freestyle world record at a World Cup meet.
“That felt pretty good,” Alexy said after the race. He said he had aimed to qualify individually in both the 50 and 100, and felt confident he could do so after the morning’s events.
Alexy also said he tried to use the crowd’s energy to his advantage. Racing against a strong U.S. field at a selection meet can bring extra nerves, he noted, but that pressure is useful preparation for what lies ahead.
He hopes to swim even faster at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Beijing, scheduled for Dec. 1–6.
