Nigerian Swimmer Abdul Adama Breaks His Own National Record in 50m Butterfly

Abdul Adama, a 17-year-old swimmer from Nigeria, has broken his own national record in the 50m butterfly for the second time in one day. He swam a time of 23.48 seconds during the semi-finals at the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania. This new record improves his previous best of 23.61 seconds, which he set earlier the same day.

Adama’s performance earned him second place in the semi-finals, securing his spot in the final. His rapid improvement is impressive, especially as he only turned 17 recently. He trains with Mount Kelly Swimming in the United Kingdom and is seen as a rising star for Nigeria.

A medal at the World Junior Championships would be a significant achievement for Adama and could mark the beginning of a promising career. Nigeria has never won an Olympic swimming medal, and Adama’s progress could change that in the future. His time is very close to the World Aquatics “A” cut of 23.36 seconds, which is the standard needed to compete at the highest senior level.

Top 8 Results from the Semi-Finals:

1. Dean Fearn (Great Britain) – 23.36 seconds
2. Abdul Jabar Adama (Nigeria) – 23.48 seconds
3. Jan Foltyn (Czech Republic) – 23.60 seconds
4. Lucio Flavio de Paula Filho (Brazil) – 23.63 seconds
5. Maxim Skazobtsov (Kazakhstan) / Evgenii Shilovskii (Neutral Athletes) – 23.89 seconds
6. Szymon Mroz (Poland) – 23.91 seconds
7. Rishat Zhumagulov (Kazakhstan) – 23.93 seconds

Adama won his semi-final heat by a clear margin, finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Lucio Flavio de Paula Filho. Dean Fearn from Great Britain recorded the fastest time of the semi-finals, with a swim of 23.36 seconds.

The final will take place soon, and Adama will be one of the swimmers to watch as he aims for a medal.