Rome 2009

Men's 100m butterfly

Milorad Cavic (SRB) and his X-Glide body laid down the gauntlet to Olympic nemesis Michael Phelps (USA) and his LZR pants with a 50.56 100m 'fly heats sprint. The time was precisely that in which Phelps won the Olympic crown by 0.01sec. Phelps, 9th at the turn in his 10-lane heat, shared second-place through, on 50.90, with teammate Tyler McGill. Andrew Lauterstein (AUS) was the fourth man under 51 in heats, on 50.93. 

A wave of folk who sported a best time beyond 52sec last year swept through to semi-finals. The 51.44 that took Ian Crocker (USA) into lane four of the second semi in Melbourne 2007 would have placed him 11th in Rome heats, while Phelps, on 51.95 in 2007, would have missed the cut and placed 19th. 

Rome 2009

• Top 16 through: 50.56 - 51.76
• Inside 51: 4
• Inside 51.5: 11
• Inside 52: 22
• Inside 52.5: 37
• Inside 53: 52

Melbourne 2007:

• Top 16 through: 51.44 - 53.10
• Inside 51: 0
• Inside 51.5: 1
• Inside 52: 3
• Inside 52.5: 10
• Inside 53: 15