Kristof Milak Going Shorter on Path to European Championships
The talent and accomplishments of Kristof Milak cannot be debated. As a four-time Olympic medalist, including two-time champion, the Hungarian is eventually bound for induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He owns the world record in the 200-meter butterfly, Milak’s time of 1:50.34 an astounding .87 faster than anyone else in history. More, he sits No. 3 in the all-time rankings of the 100 butterfly, and is the former European-record holder.
But Milak is one of the biggest enigmas in the sport, in and out of the pool on his terms. He has gone extended periods without adhering to a training regimen, with Hungarian officials routinely uncertain of his status. While Milak raced at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, winning gold in the 100 butterfly and silver in the 200 butterfly, he has missed the past three editions of the World Championships.
A little more than a month away from the European Championships in Paris, Milak appears set to compete in the French capital. He has been relatively busy of late, competing at the Sette Colli International Trophy and the Mare Nostrum Series. Before that, the 26-year-old contested a handful of events at the Hungarian Championships. During this stretch, Milak has focused on 50- and 100-meter events, while shunning the 200s.
Milak’s recent attention on shorter events has produced great success. He has been under the 51-second barrier in the 100 butterfly on multiple occasions, topped by a 50.22 marker at the Hungarian Champs. More, he has shown the best speed of his career in the 50 butterfly, highlighted by a 22.86 national record last weekend in Rome. The previous Hungarian record was held by Szebasztian Szabo at 22.90.
Beyond the fly events that have long been his prime domain, Milak has also looked solid in the sprint-freestyle disciplines. He owns a season best of 21.76 in the 50 freestyle (also a personal best) and has clocked 48.13 in the 100 freestyle. Milak’s top career time in the 100 free is 47.47, from the 2022 World Champs.
There was a time when Milak was viewed as a contender to cover the 200 butterfly in under 1:50. Maybe that day will still arrive. If not, enjoy what he’s doing in the shorter events. Milak has demonstrated he can be a speedster, and based on the results from his tuneup meets, big performances appear to be on the horizon.