Italy’s Ceccon sets world record in men’s 100 backstroke

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Italy’s Thomas Ceccon has set a world record in the men’s 100 backstroke at the swimming world championships.

Ceccon clocked 51.60 seconds on Monday in Budapest to shave 0.15 seconds off the previous best mark set by American Ryan Murphy at the 2016 Olympics.

Ceccon is the second Italian man to set a world record in long course swimming after Giorgio Lambert. Lambert held the record in the men’s 200 freestyle from 1989-99.

Ceccon is also the youngest gold medalist at 21 in the men’s 100 backstroke at a worlds since the then-19-year-old Aaron Piersol of the United States won in 2003.

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