| Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
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Hungary’s Olympic 200m butterfly champion Kristof Milak said he knew a world record attempt was gone after his trunks ripped shortly before the final.
Milak broke American Michael Phelps’ 13-year-old Olympic record as he took gold in one minute 51.25 seconds.
The 21-year-old’s own world record, achieved in July 2019, is 1:50.73.
“They split 10 minutes before I entered the pool and in that moment I knew the world record was gone. I lost my focus and knew I couldn’t do it,” Milak said.
Milak, who switched his damaged swimwear for a spare just before the final, finished four metres clear of Japan’s silver medallist Tomoru Honda as he posted the third-fastest swim of his career.
“It was a problem for me. I have a routine, a rhythm, a focus. This broke my focus and that problem impacted my time,” he added.
“I wasn’t swimming for the medal, I was swimming for the time. I said earlier I wanted a personal best. And my personal best is a world record.”
Milak broke 23-time Olympic champion Phelps’ 10-year-old world record in the event at the age of 19 at the 2019 World Championships.