Kristóf Milák (born 20 February 2000) is a Hungarian professional swimmer. He is the current holder of the world record in the long course 200 metre butterfly and the European record in the long course 100 metre butterfly. At his first Olympic Games, the 2020 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 200 metre butterfly and a silver medal in the 100 metre butterfly. He has also won three gold medals and one silver at the World Aquatic Championships, as well as three gold medals at the European Aquatics Championships. He was the gold medalist in the 400 metre freestyle, 200 metre freestyle, and 200 metre butterfly events at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.

Career 2016 When he was 16 years old, Milák competed at the 2016 European Junior Swimming Championships in Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary in July, winning the gold medal in the 200 meter butterfly with a time of 1:56.77, placing fifth in the 100 metre butterfly at 52.98 seconds, and placing seventh with a time of 24.42 seconds in the 50 metre butterfly."European Junior Swimming Championships 2016 Participant - Details: Milak Kristof". MSECM myResults. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

2017: Butterfly lift-off 2017 European Junior Championships At the 2017 European Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, Milák swam a 1:53.79 in the 200 metre butterfly, winning the gold medal and setting a new world junior record and a new Championships record in the event.Race, Retta (30 June 2017). "Faster Than Phelps: Kristof Milak Breaks True World Junior Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 7 October 2021.

2017 World Championships

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Milák set a new world junior record and a new Hungarian national record of 50.77 seconds in the semifinals of the 100 metre butterfly.Brien, Taylor (28 July 2017). "Hungary's Kristof Milak Posts New 100 Fly World Junior Record". Swimming World. Retrieved 6 October 2021. Earlier the same day, in the prelims of the same event, he broke his first world junior record of the Championships with a time of 51.23 seconds.Gibbs, Robert (29 July 2017). "Kristof Milak Breaks 100 Fly WJR 3rd Time At Worlds, Now 8th All-Time". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 October 2021. In the final he swam a 50.62 and won the silver medal, setting a his third world junior record and second national record in the event. In addition to his national records in the 100 metre butterfly, Milák helped the Hungary 4x100 metre medley relay place seventh in the final and set a new national record of 3:32.13.FINA (30 July 2017). "17th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Men's 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 8 October 2021.

2017 World Junior Championships On 26 August 2017, at the 2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, United States, Milák helped set a new world junior record and Championships record of 7:10.95 in the final of the 4x200 metre freestyle relay.FINA (26 August 2017). "6th FINA World Junior Championships 2017 Indianapolis (USA): Men's 4x200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 7 October 2021.

2018: A year golden in fly and free 2018 Spring National and European Junior Championships At the 2018 Hungarian Spring National Championships, Milák, who was just 18 years of age, lowered his own world junior record in the 200 metre butterfly to a 1:52.71.Ross, Andy (28 March 2018). "Kristof Milak Swims Monster 1:52 in LCM 200 Fly; Moves To Third All-Time". Swimming World. Retrieved 7 October 2021.Perez, Marta (5 August 2018). "Milak, oro en 200 mariposa tras otear durante parte de la final el récord del mundo de Phelps" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 7 October 2021. In July, at the 2018 European Junior Swimming Championships, Milák competed in 10 individual and relay events, reaching the semifinal or final in all 10 events, swimming in the final of 9 events, and winning medals in 5 events, of which four were gold medals and one was a bronze medal.LEN (8 July 2018). "2018 LEN European Junior Championships Swimming: Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

2018 European Championships

At the 2018 European Aquatics Championships held in Glasgow, Scotland in August, he won the gold medal in the 200 metre butterfly event with a time of 1:52.79. In the mixed 4x200 metre freestyle relay, he led-off the relay swimming a 1:48.04 for the first leg and helping the relay place fourth with a Hungarian national record time of 7:31.19.LEN (4 August 2018). "LEN European Aquatics Championships Glasgow 2018: Results 4x200m Freestyle Relay Mixed Final". microplustiming.com. Retrieved 8 October 2021.

2018 Summer Youth Olympics

Milák won a total of four medals at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October 2018, three of which were gold medals and one of which was a silver medal."Buenos Aires 2018: Where are they now?". International Olympic Committee. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2021. In the 400 metre freestyle Milák won his first gold medal with a time of 3:48.08, finishing almost half a second before silver medalist Marco De Tullio of Italy and splitting under 30 seconds at every 50 meter mark of the race."Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018: Results Men 400m Freestyle: Final". FINA. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2021.Sica, James (8 October 2018). "Y2018 Youth Olympic Games Night Two Recap: Milak Grabs Second Gold Medal In 200 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved 21 September 2021. His second gold medal of the Youth Olympic Games came in the 200 metre freestyle where he was the only swimmer under 1:48.00, winning in a time of 1:47.73."Kolesnikov and Milak at the double in the pool". International Olympic Committee. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2021. He won his third gold medal in a butterfly event, the 200 metre butterfly, where he finished exactly 1.00 seconds ahead of second place finisher Denys Kesil of Ukraine with a time of 1:54.89.Sutherland, James (12 October 2018). "2018 Youth Olympic Games: Day 6 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 21 September 2021. In the 100 metre butterfly, Milák won his only silver medal of the meet, ranking second in the final behind Andrei Minakov of Russia with a time of 51.50 seconds.Pimer, Diana (9 October 2018). "2018 Youth Olympic Games Night Three Recap: Andrei Minakov Climbs World Ranks". Swimming World. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

2018 Winter National Championships Once back to Hungary from the Summer Youth Olympics, Milák set a new national record in the short course 50 metre backstroke with a time of 23.49 seconds on 10 November 2018 at the 2018 Hungarian Winter National Championships conducted in short course metres.

2019: Toppling a decade-old world record 2019 World Championships

At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea in July 2019, Milák won the gold medal and set a new world record of 1:50.73 in the 200 metre butterfly on 24 July, breaking Michael Phelps' 10-year-old world record by 0.78 seconds. In addition to breaking the world record set by Phelps in 2009, Milák became the first person to hold the world record in the men's long course 200 metre butterfly event other than Phelps in an 18 year period.Torres, Ella (24 July 2019). "19-year-old Kristof Milak breaks Michael Phelps' 200m fly world record". ABC News. Retrieved 19 September 2021. It was also the first time in almost a decade that any swimmer had a long course world record in a butterfly event at either the 100 metre or 200 metre distance other than Phelps, with the last swimmer being Milorad Čavić of Serbia in the 100 metre butterfly in 2009.Cancian, Dan (24 July 2019). "Who Is Kristof Milak? 19-year-old Hungarian Swimmer Breaks Michael Phelps' World Record". Newsweek. Retrieved 19 September 2021.

International Swimming League In 2019, Milák was member of the 2019 International Swimming League representing Team Iron. He won the 200m butterfly in both matches he participated in. (Lewisville, Budapest)

2020: COVID-19 sidelines Milák International Swimming League Due to a positive test of having COVID-19, Milák was unable to participate in the 2020 International Swimming League at full capacity, he was on the roster of Team Iron though was out of the season.Byrnes, Liz (14 October 2020). "Kristof Milak To Miss Start Of ISL Season After Positive Test For Covid-19 In September". Swimming World. Retrieved 1 August 2021.Zaccardi, Nick (3 November 2020). "Chad le Clos, thankfully reunited with his ISL team, flies toward a third Olympics". NBC Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2021.

2021: Milák springs back 2021 Spring National Championships At the long course 2021 Hungarian Spring National Championships in Budapest, Milák set his first national record of the Championships in the 100 metre freestyle by dropping over eight tenths of a second off his best time to set the new record at 48.00 seconds, which was eight hundredths of a second faster than the previous record.Byrnes, Liz (26 March 2021). "Milak Sets Hungarian 100 Free Record Of 48.00 As Gold Rush Continues". Swimming World. Retrieved 6 October 2021.Dornan, Ben (26 March 2021). "Kristóf Milák Delivers 48.00 National Record At Hungarian Spring Nationals". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 October 2021. Milák also broke the 100 metre butterfly national record he set in 2017 at 50.62 seconds with a new personal best time of 50.47 seconds.Dornan, Ben (27 March 2021). "Milák Hits 50.47 Hungarian Record In 100 Fly, Within A Second Of Dressel". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 October 2021. He also anchored the 4x200 metre freestyle relay with a split of 1:44.86, helping the relay set a new national record of 7:07.67 in the event.Ortegon, Karl (24 March 2021). "Hungary Breaks 800 Free Relay National Record With Milak's 1:44 Anchor". Omega Timing. Retrieved 8 October 2021.

2020 European Championships

At the 2020 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Milák won his first gold medal in Championships record time in the 200 metre butterfly, which was the second gold medal for Hungary and first gold medal for a male Hungarian in any sport at the Championships.Vaski, Tamás (20 May 2021). "Hungary Wins Second Gold in European Aquatics Championships" . Hungary Today. Retrieved 19 September 2021. He also won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly with a national record and Championships record time of 50.18 seconds in the final after achieving Championships records in both the prelims and semifinals of the event.Byrnes, Liz (23 May 2021). "European Championships, Day 7 Finals: Kristof Milak Goes 50.18 For 100 Fly Gold; Liukkonen Wins 50 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved 6 October 2021.Penland, Spencer (23 May 2021). "Kristof Milak Roars To Victory With 50.18 100 Fly, #9 Performance All-Time". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 October 2021."Kristof Milak completes butterfly double at European Aquatics Championships". Olympics.com. May 24, 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.

2020 Summer Olympics