Andrei Minakov Clocks 50.82 100 Butterfly To Break Own Russian Record From 2019

By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam

2025 RUSSIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 13-18, 2025
• Kazan, Russia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Livestream

The 2025 Russian Swimming Championships continued today in Kazan, Russia, serving as the sole qualifying opportunity for Russians aiming to compete at the World Championships in Singapore this July. The men’s 100 butterfly final was a highlight of the session, where we saw a national record bite the dust.

After notching his fastest 100 fly performance since the Tokyo Olympics at this meet last year, Andrei Minakov did one better this year. The 23-year-old stopped the clock in 50.82 to win the event, not only clearing the 51.51 Russian qualifying time for Singapore this July, but also clipping his own national record from 2019 by 0.01.

All of Minakov’s improvement stemmed from the back half of tonight’s swim, as he opened the race 0.31 seconds slower through the first 50m but closed 0.32 faster than his previous record pace.

While he’s typically been known as a front-half swimmer dating back to his junior years in 2017, his recent focus on the 200 fly—both in the NCAA system and at the recent Short Course Worlds this past December, where he swam it internationally for the first time and finished 4th in 1:50.39—has seemed to shift his 100 approach.

See a full split comparison between his new record and his previous mark below.

Splits Comparison:

Minakov now also moves up to 4th in the world so far this season, tying Shaine Casas’ time of 50.82 from the Pro Swim Series in Westmont in early March. He sits behind Noe Ponti’s world-leading 50.27, Hubert Kos’ 50.55, and Kristof Milak’s 50.67.

Current World Rankings:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 50.27 (04/05)
2. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 50.55 (04/13)
3. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 50.67 (04/13)
4. Andrei Minakov (RUS) – 50.82 (04/16) & Shaine Casas (USA) – 50.82 (03/08)
5. N/A

For reference, here is a list of Minakov’s fastest-ever performances in the 100 fly.

Minakov’s Top 5 Fastest 100 Butterfly Performances:

1. 50.82 — April 2025, Russian Championships*
2. 50.83 — July 2019, Gwangju World Championships
3. 50.86 — April 2024, Russian Championships
4. 50.88 — July 2021, Tokyo Olympic Games
5. 50.94 — July 2019, Gwangju World Championships

At just 19, Minakov burst onto the senior international stage by winning silver in the 100 fly at the 2019 World Championships, which is where his former Russian record was set. He added a bronze in the men’s 4×100 medley relay at that same competition.

Later that summer, he dominated the World Junior Championships with seven total medals, including golds in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 4×100 medley relay. He followed that success by placing 4th in both the 100 fly and 4×100 medley relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and helped Russia to 7th in the 4×100 free relay while also reaching the semifinals of the 100 free.

Following the Tokyo Olympics, Minakov made the decision to train full-time in the United States and represent the Stanford Cardinal collegiately. He claimed the 2022 NCAA title in the 100 fly.

Minakov did not compete at the Paris Olympics last July due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Only 15 Russians competed as neutrals across all sports at the Paris Games.

However, the country’s stance on this status has shifted, with a recent presidential press release encouraging athletes to compete as neutrals where allowed. Following this, Russia sent 28 swimmers to compete at the 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest under a neutral flag, and they plan to do the same for the World Championships this July. As a result, we should see Minakov back in action on the long-course international stage.

Race Video:

Courtesy: SC PlayZ ROBLOX

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