Alexy, racing for the California Golden Bears in the 2026 USA Swimming Short Course World Championship Trials in Westmont, Illinois, came down the final stretch in the pool with a chance to break the previous 44.84-second record.Reaching for the wall, Alexy got his hand on it at 44.64.As he looked up at the final time, he slapped the water in elation, understanding that he is in the record books now.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEJack Alexy competes in the men's 100m freestyle final, setting a world record, on Day 3 of the Short Course World Championship Trials at FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Ill., on Oct.
30, 2026.(Getty Images)Alexy has flirted with the world record in the past, winning his first individual gold medal in the men’s 100-meter free final at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest in December 2024.
He had an official time of 45.38 seconds.AMERICAN JACK ALEXY WINS FIRST INDIVIDUAL GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S 100M FREE FINAL AT WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPSAlexy’s Team USA teammate from Paris, Chris Guiliano, swimming for the University of Notre Dame, finished second in this race with a final time of 45.22.And another Olympian, Caeleb Dressel, came in third at 45.65.Alexy took home his first gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Then, he broke the American and world championship record with a lead-off time of 45.05 seconds in Hungary months later.Guiliano was also on that relay squad.Jack Alexy competes in the Men's 100m freestyle final, setting a world record, on Day 3 of the Short Course World Championship Trials at FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Ill., on Oct.
30, 2026.(Getty Images)This world record comes four weeks after Russia’s Egor Kornev equaled the world record in the short-course version of the 100-meter freestyle during the World Cup competition."That felt pretty good," Alexy said after his race, per Swimming World Magazine.
"The goal was to qualify for the 50 and 100 individually.I ...