Andrea Becali breaks Cuban national record in 50m freestyle at the 2026 Australian Open

April 8, 2026

Cuban swimmer Andrea Becali set a new national record in the 50-meter freestyle on Tuesday, April 7, clocking 25.87 seconds at the 2026 Australian Open in Gold Coast, Australia.

The 21-year-old Becali improved her own personal best twice on the same day: she swam 26.28 in the preliminaries and then lowered it again in the B Final, becoming the first Cuban female swimmer to break the 26-second barrier in that event. The previous national record of 26.00 had been held by Elisbet Gámez since March 2023.

The Havana-born swimmer, also a backstroke specialist, has represented Cuba at junior and senior world championships. In 2023 she won two gold and three bronze medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador. She currently trains at the World Aquatics Development Centre at Bond University in Australia. Her performance at Gold Coast positions her as a key figure in Cuban swimming ahead of the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo and the Olympic cycle toward Los Angeles 2028.