The world records in swimming are ratified by World Aquatics (formerly known as FINA), the international governing body of swimming. Records can be set in long course (50 metres) or short course (25 metres) swimming pools. World Aquatics recognizes world records in the following events for both men and women,[1] [2] except for the mixed relays, where teams consist of two men and two women, in any order.
The ratification process is described in FINA Rule SW12, and involves submission of paperwork certifying the accuracy of the timing system and the length of the pool, satisfaction of FINA rules regarding swimwear and a negative doping test by the swimmer(s) involved. Records can be set at intermediate distances in an individual race and for the first leg of a relay race. Records which have not yet been fully ratified are marked with a '#' symbol in these lists.
Some of the records below were established by swimmers wearing bodysuits or suits made of polyurethane or other non-textile materials allowed in the race pool from February 2008 until December 2009. On the eve of the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome, the international governing body for five Olympic aquatic sports voted to ban the use of bodysuits and all suits made of non-textile materials starting 1 January 2010.[3] [4] The suits seemed to improve the performance in those with larger physiques, boosting performance in some athletes more than others, depending on morphology and physiology.[5] Since then, best times set by swimmers wearing textile materials have once again overtaken more than half of the world records recognized by World Aquatics.
On 25 July 2013, FINA Technical Swimming Congress voted to allow world records in the long course mixed 400 free relay and mixed 400 medley relay, as well as in six events in short course meters: the mixed 200 medley and 200 free relays, as well as the men's and women's 200 free relays and the men's and women's 200 medley relays.[6] In October 2013, FINA decided to establish "standards" before something can be recognized as the first World Record in these events.[7] But later on 13 March 2014 FINA has officially ratified the eight world records set by Indiana University swimmers at the IU Relay Rally held on 26 September 2013 in Bloomington.[8]
ss – supersuited/non-textile world record
ss – supersuited/non-textile world record
ss – supersuited/non-textile world record
WB - world best time swam that will not be ratified by FINA.
ss – supersuited/non-textile world record
| Nation | Record tally | LC | SC | Total | LC | SC | Total | LC | SC | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Mixed | |||||||||
| 26 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total | 93 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Record count | Name (last record) | Nationality | Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Caeleb Dressel (2021) | 100m butterfly LC 4 × 100m medley relay LC 50m freestyle SC 100m butterfly SC 100m individual medley SC 4 × 50m freestyle relay SC | |
| 4 | Ryan Murphy (2024) | 4 × 100m medley relay LC Mixed 4 × 100m medley relay LC 4 × 100m medley relay SC Mixed 4 × 50m medley relay SC | |
| 3 | Nic Fink (2024) | Mixed 4 × 100m medley relay LC 4 × 100m medley relay SC Mixed 4 × 50m medley relay SC | |
| Kyle Chalmers (2023) | Mixed 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 100m freestyle SC 4 × 100m medley relay SC | ||
| Ryan Lochte (2012) | 200m individual medley LC 4 × 200m freestyle relay LC 200m individual medley SC | ||
| Paul Biedermann (2009) | 200m freestyle LC 400m freestyle LC 200m freestyle SC | ||
| 2 | Kliment Kolesnikov (2023) | 50m backstroke LC 50m backstroke SC | |
| Thomas Ceccon (2022) | 100m backstroke LC 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC | ||
| Leonardo Deplano (2022) | 4 × 50m medley relay SC 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC | ||
| Trenton Julian (2022) | 4 × 200m freestyle relay SC 4 × 100m medley relay SC | ||
| Kieran Smith (2022) | 4 × 200m freestyle relay SC 4 × 100m medley relay SC | ||
| Adam Peaty (2019) | 50m breaststroke LC 100m breaststroke LC | ||
| Michael Phelps (2009) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 200m freestyle relay LC |
| Record count | Name (last record) | Nationality | Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Mollie O'Callaghan (2023) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 200m freestyle relay LC Mixed 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC 4 × 200m freestyle relay SC 4 × 50m medley relay SC | |
| 4 | Torri Huske (2024) | 4 × 100m medley relay LC Mixed 4 × 100m medley relay LC 4 × 100m medley relay SC Mixed 4 × 50m medley relay SC | |
| Katie Ledecky (2022) | 800m freestyle LC 1500m freestyle LC 800m freestyle SC 1500m freestyle SC | ||
| 3 | Ariarne Titmus (2024) | 200m freestyle LC 400m freestyle LC 4 × 200m freestyle relay LC | |
| Lilly King (2024) | 100m breaststroke LC 4 × 100m medley relay LC 4 × 100m medley relay SC | ||
| Gretchen Walsh (2024) | 100m butterfly LC 4 × 100m medley relay LC Mixed 4 × 100m medley relay LC | ||
| Kaylee McKeown (2023) | 50m backstroke LC 200m backstroke LC 200m backstroke SC | ||
| Sarah Sjöström (2023) | 50m freestyle LC 100m freestyle LC 50m butterfly LC | ||
| Rūta Meilutytė (2023) | 50m breaststroke LC 50m breaststroke SC 100m breaststroke SC | ||
| Shayna Jack (2023) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 200m freestyle relay LC Mixed 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC | ||
| Emma McKeon (2023) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC 4 × 50m medley relay SC | ||
| Madison Wilson (2022) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC 4 × 200m freestyle relay SC 4 × 50m medley relay SC | ||
| Katinka Hosszú (2017) | 200m individual medley LC 100m individual medley SC 200m individual medley SC | ||
| 2 | Regan Smith (2024) | 100m backstroke LC 4 × 100m medley relay LC | |
| Meg Harris (2023) | 4 × 100m freestyle relay LC 4 × 100m freestyle relay SC | ||
| Maggie Mac Neil (2022) | 50m backstroke SC 100m butterfly SC | ||
| Kate Douglass (2022) | 4 × 100m medley relay SC Mixed 4 × 50m medley relay SC | ||
| Ranomi Kromowidjojo (2020) | 50m freestyle SC 4 × 50m freestyle relay SC | ||
| Mireia Belmonte (2017) | 200m butterfly SC 400m individual medley SC | ||