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Zain Ali wins 50m butterfly gold at Dakar 2026 in 24.06
Egypt’s Zain Ali took his second Dakar 2026 butterfly title, winning the 50m final in 24.06 to finish 0.48 seconds ahead of Serbia’s Aleksej Kalanj.
Egypt’s Zain Ali added a second Dakar 2026 butterfly title on 4 November, winning the men’s 50m final in 24.06 seconds. The official final ranking put him 0.48 seconds clear of Serbia’s Aleksej Kalanj.
A 0.48-second decision
In a one-length race, the margin was decisive but compact. Ali touched first for Egypt in Dakar, with Kalanj second in 24.54 and Cyprus’s Andrew Marcus Laghoutis third in 24.57.
| Place | Swimmer | NOC | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zain Ali | EGY | 24.06 |
| 2 | Aleksej Kalanj | SRB | 24.54 |
| 3 | Andrew Marcus Laghoutis | CYP | 24.57 |
The 24.06 swim was 0.48 seconds ahead of silver and 0.51 ahead of bronze. Those margins come directly from the official final times.
Another butterfly title for Egypt
Ali had already won the men’s 100m butterfly at the Games on 1 November. The 50m result gives him a second individual butterfly gold in Dakar, achieved over a race that leaves no time to recover from a single mistake.
World Aquatics lists Ali as representing Egypt. For a clear record of this result, the Dakar organiser’s final-ranking page and official results report are the primary references.
What the final confirms
This was a final ranking, not a heat placing. Ali’s first place and gold medal are confirmed by the Dakar results provider, while the table above keeps the podium and the clock in the same view.
Sources
Verified 5 November 2026.