Canada's Josh Liendo wins record-tying 4th straight NCAA swimming title in 100-yard freestyle

Canadian Olympian Josh Liendo capped an historic week of swimming at the NCAA championships on Saturday in Atlanta.

The University of Florida Gators senior from Toronto posted a wire-to-wire victory in the 100-yard freestyle for a record-tying fourth consecutive title in the event and ninth overall.

Liendo, who entered the race as the third seed, recorded the second-fastest start and was first after 25 metres in 8.93 seconds, 14-100ths ahead of his closest competitor. He went on to win in 39.91, the third-fastest time in history and first man to break the 40-second barrier more than once.

In celebration, Liendo climbed the lane rope, flexed and slapped his chest.

Liendo’s winning time was 8-100ths off the NCAA mark established by Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks last season when the Canadian beat Crooks in the final with the first sub-40 performance of his career.

On Thursday, Liendo went 42.51 in the 100m butterfly preliminaries to break American Caeleb Dressel’s 2018 record. He lowered the mark to 42.49 a few hours later in the final.

In winning four 100 free titles, Liendo joins Michigan’s Gustavo Borges as the only swimmers to do so at the college level. Liendo is also the first male swimmer to four-peat in any event since former Gator Dressel won the 50 free each season from 2015 through 2018.

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