Noè Ponti won his second short course world title on Friday evening in Budapest. Crowned two days earlier in the 50m butterfly, the Ticino native took gold in the 100m medley. Author of a new world record in the final of the 50 pa’ (21”32), this time he had to be content with a world championship record, which of course has the weight of a record of Switzerland – 50”33, 0”06 less than its national record established on October 31 at the World Cup in Singapore.
The 2021 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100m butterfly flew through the proceedings in this final to set the 9th time in history in the 100m medley, still 0”41 behind Léon Marchand’s European record. He was 78 hundredths ahead of his runner-up, the Austrian Bernhard Reitshammer.
His harvest is probably not finished. Ponti had won his ticket 20 minutes earlier for the 100m butterfly final, of which he will be the favorite on Saturday. The Ticino – who will also try his luck in the 50m freestyle on Saturday – set the best time in the semi-finals (48”89) by producing his effort on the last length.
