Kristof Milak is a now a world record holder, and he did so by eclipsing the time of a swimming legend.

The 19-year-old swimmer broke Michael Phelps 200m fly record on Wednesday at the world championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

The Hungarian swimmer ended with a final time of 1:50.73, 0.78 seconds faster than the record Phelps -- the most decorated Olympian in history -- set at the 2009 World Championships when he was 15. 

Milak was noticeably excited as he looked up to see "WR" sitting next to his time, and hyped up the crowd in celebration.

"It's a tremendous honor to beat such a great men's world record. When I turned back and I saw the time, 1:50.73? All the pressure and tension just went off my back and all the joy came out." Milak said after the event.

Phelps' record stood for 18 years, marking the longest record for a men's swimming event. Before Milak's latest race, Phelps held the four fastest 200m times. This long held record may be gone for Phelps, but the 28-time Olympic medalist still has plenty to his name and continues to hold the 400m record after 17 years. 

The 34-year-old announced his retirement in 2016 after 24 years in the sport, 23 gold medals and a record eight medals at a single Olympic Games. The swimming world has room for a young star since Phelps' retirement, and Milak could fill that role in the sport.

Milak had a lot of buzz going into Wednesday's events and now gains even more attention as he enters the 100m fly event before Saturday's final.