FLASH! Caspar Corbeau Blazes World Record in 200 Breaststroke with Sub-2:00 Effort; Shin Ohashi Sets WJR
Over multiple distances during the World Cup circuit, the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau excelled in the breaststroke. There were victories in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter distances, and stellar times from Carmel (Ind.) to Westmont (Ill.) to Toronto. But Corbeau saved his finest performance for his last race, where he clocked a world record in the 200 breaststroke and broke a special barrier.
The former University of Texas and Indiana University standout won the 200 breaststroke in 1:59.52, marking the first time an athlete has cracked the two-minute barrier in the event. Corbeau’s time crushed the previous world record, which was set at 2:00.16 by Russian Kirill Prigoda in 2018. As soon as Corbeau surged to the front of the field, a world record looked probable. It was one of five on Saturday night.
Corbeau went out in 26.66 to secure a comfortable lead over Japanese 16-year-old Shin Ohashi, who finished second in the race and established a world junior record of 2:02.03. Corbeau split 56.80 at the halfway point of the race, with Ohashi at 57.98. From that point forward, the Dutchman pulled away and erased Prigoda’s record from the books. The win also capped a Triple Crown for Corbeau in the 200 breaststroke, which earned him a $10,000 bonus.
Ohashi’s time destroyed the world junior record of 2:03.23, formerly held by Japan’s Akihiro Yamaguchi.
