Cameron McEvoy (born 13 May 1994) is an Australian competitive swimmer who represented his country at the 2012,[6] 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. He is the reigning Olympic champion in the men's 50m freestyle, and also the first Australian man to win a gold at this event.[7]

Cameron McEvoy
Personal information
Nickname(s)"The Professor"[1][2]
"Big Boy McEvoy"[3]
National teamAustralia
Born (1994-05-13) 13 May 1994 (age 30)[4]
Benowa, Queensland, Australia
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[5]
Weight75 kg (165 lb)[5]
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubSomerville
CoachTim Lane
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2023 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kazan 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2024 Doha 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Kazan 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Doha 50 m butterfly
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Gold Coast 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Gold Coast 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Gold Coast 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow 4×200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Glasgow 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Glasgow 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Glasgow 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast 50 m freestyle
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Lima 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Lima 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Lima 200 m freestyle

Career

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Junior

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At the 2011 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, McEvoy won gold medals in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, and a bronze in the 200 m freestyle.[8]

Senior

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McEvoy swam in the heats of the 4 × 100 m freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays at the 2012 Olympics in London. Australia went on to finish in fourth and fifth place, respectively.[9] At the 2013 and 2015 World Aquatics Championships he has won a total of four medals, including the silver medal in the 100-metre freestyle in 2015.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won six medals. A month later at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, he won five medals including the gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle. He also won national titles in the 100- and 200-metre freestyle in 2014 and 2015.

At the 2016 National Championships and Olympic trials, McEvoy qualified for the Olympics in the 200-metre freestyle, by finishing first, tied with Thomas Fraser-Holmes.[10] He also qualified in the 100-metre freestyle by winning the race. His time of 47.04 broke the Australian and Commonwealth records and was the fastest time ever in a textile swimsuit, until Caeleb Dressel's performance at the 2019 World Championships.[11] He qualified for a third individual event when he won the 50-metre freestyle in a new personal best of 21.44.[12]

In addition, McEvoy also qualified for the Olympic team in the 4× 100 m, 4× 200 m freestyle relays & 4× 100 m medley relay. Leading up to the games, he dropped the 200m freestyle to focus on being his freshest for the relays.[13]

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, McEvoy made it through the final of the 100m freestyle finishing 7th, but failed to make it past the semi finals of the 50m freestyle. He won two bronze medals as part of the 4x 100m freestyle relay and 4x 100m medley relay teams.

He was then knocked out in the heats of the 50m and 100m freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and again won another bronze medal in the 4x 100m freestyle relay.

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships he won gold in the men's 50m freestyle beating out Jack Alexy and Benjamin Proud.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, McEvoy won the gold medal in the men's 50m freestyle with a time of 21.25 seconds, once again narrowly edging out Benjamin Proud who took the silver, and Florent Manaudou who claimed the bronze.[14]

Personal life

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McEvoy studied physics and mathematics at Griffith University.[15] At the 2016 Olympic trials he gained attention by wearing a swim cap with the signal of two merging black holes to celebrate the first observation of gravitational waves that had been announced two months earlier.[15][16][17] The year before he wore a cap showing a Feynman diagram of a positron and an electron annihilating.[17]

McEvoy is the grandson of Barney McEvoy who played rugby league for New South Wales in 1960 and who played club rugby league for the North Sydney and Manly Warringah clubs.[18][19]

In May 2021, McEvoy offered his house for A$1.5 million or the equivalent in bitcoin.[20] It's unclear if the house was sold.

Career best times

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Event Time Record Meet
Long course
50 m freestyle 21.06 CR, OC 2023 World Aquatics Championships
100 m freestyle 47.04[11] CR, OC 2016 Australian Championships
200 m freestyle 1:45.46 2014 Australian Championships
Short course
50 m freestyle 20.75 2015 Australian Short Course Championships
100 m freestyle 46.19 2016 Australian Short Course Championships
200 m freestyle 1:40.80 OC 2015 Australian Short Course Championships

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cooke, Richard (28 March 2015). "The professor: Cameron McEvoy, 20, swimmer". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  2. ^ Homfray, Reece (9 April 2016). "Kyle Chalmers, James Magnussen, Cameron McEvoy set for intriguing pre-Rio 100m freestyle battle". The Advertiser. The Advertiser (Adelaide). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ^ Healy, Jon (14 August 2016). "Rio 2016: Australian swimming team's up-and-down campaign". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Cameron McEvoy". Swimwam. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Cameron McEvoy". rio2016.olympics.com.au/. Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Cameron McEvoy's profile for the London 2012 Olympics". Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  7. ^ Decent, Tom (2 August 2024). "Cameron McEvoy strikes gold in men's 50m freestyle final". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Cameron McEvoy Biography". Speedo. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Cameron McEvoy". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  10. ^ Homfray, Reece (9 April 2016). "Cameron McEvoy dead heats with Thomas Fraser-Holmes to win 200m freestyle final". The Advertiser. The Advertiser (Adelaide). Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  11. ^ a b Jeffrey, Nicole (11 April 2016). "Swimming trials 2016: Cameron McEvoy wins men's 100m freestyle". The Australian. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  12. ^ Lord, Craig (13 April 2016). "Space-Time Rippler Cameron McEvoy Is Fastest Dolphin On A Dash Ever: 21.44 (Tex)". Swimvortex. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  13. ^ "2016 Australian Olympic Swimming Team selected". Australian Olympic Committee. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  14. ^ Decent, Tom (2 August 2024). "Cameron McEvoy strikes gold in men's 50m freestyle final". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b Elsom, Dan (13 April 2016). "The story behind signature on Cameron McEvoy's swimming cap". News.com.au. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  16. ^ Jeffrey, Nicole (11 April 2016). "Cameron McEvoy wears his passion on his swimming cap". The Australian. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  17. ^ a b Lutton, Phil (10 April 2016). "Kyle Chalmers overshadows Cameron McEvoy and James Magnussen in 100m freestyle heats". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  18. ^ "Cameron MCEVOY | Profile | FINA Official".
  19. ^ "Barney McEvoy - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project".
  20. ^ "Properties you can buy with bitcoin - realestate.com.au". www.realestate.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
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