After making a loose start with his legs splayed apart as he dove into the pool, le Clos powered into the lead and stayed out in front with brilliantly executed turns before finishing the race in a record 48.08 seconds.
His time shattered the previous short course mark of 48.44 which he set at the 2014 world championships in Doha, and the 24-year-old let out a bellow of delight when his time was flashed up on the screen.
American Tom Shields took the silver in 49.04 with Australia's David Morgan settling for bronze in 49.31.
