World record progression 100 metres freestyle


The first world record in the 100 metres freestyle in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1905. In the short course swimming events, the world's governing body recognizes world records since 3 March 1991.
Times have consistently dropped over the years due to better training techniques, new developments in the sport and swimwear changes.
In the first four Olympics, competitions were not held in pools, but rather in open water. The 1904 Olympics freestyle race was the only one ever measured at 100 yards, instead of the usual 100 metres. A 100-metre pool was built for the 1908 Olympics and sat in the centre of the main stadium's track and field oval. The 1912 Olympics, held in the Stockholm harbour, marked the beginning of electronic timing.
Male swimmers wore full body suits up until the 1940s, which caused more drag in the water than their modern swim-wear counterparts. Also, over the years, pool designs have lessened the drag. Some design considerations allow for the reduction of swimming resistance making the pool faster. Namely, proper pool depth, elimination of currents, increased lane width, energy absorbing racing lane lines and gutters, and the use of other innovative hydraulic, acoustic and illumination designs.
In 2008, leading up to the Olympics, Speedo introduced a 50% Polyurethane suit dubbed LZR. Pure polyurethane suits from Arena, Adidas and Italian suit manufacturer, Jaked were thought to be largely responsible for the multiple World Records in 2009 including at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships. FINA announced a ban on non-textile suits that took effect in January 2010.
The 1924 Summer Olympics were the first to use the standard 50 metre pool with marked lanes. In the freestyle, swimmers originally dived from the pool walls, but diving blocks were eventually incorporated at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The tumble turn was developed by the 1950s.

Men

Long course

Swim was never ratified by FINA as a world record since Bernard wore an unapproved swimsuit.

All-time top 25

Men long course

  • Correct as of October 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1146.40Pan Zhanle31 July 2024Paris
2246.51David Popovici31 July 2025Singapore
346.71Popovici #228 June 2025Šamorín
446.80Pan #211 February 2024Doha
3546.81Jack Alexy30 July 2025Singapore
646.84Popovici #330 July 2025Singapore
746.86Popovici #413 August 2022Rome
846.88Popovici #519 June 2024Belgrade
4946.91César Cielo30 July 2009Rome
946.91Alexy #22 August 2025Singapore
1146.92Pan #327 July 2024Paris
1146.92Alexy #331 July 2025Singapore
51346.94Alain Bernard23 April 2009Montpellier
61446.96Caeleb Dressel25 July 2019Gwangju
1546.97Pan #424 September 2023Hangzhou
1546.97Pan #523 April 2024Shenzhen
1746.98Popovici #612 August 2022Rome
1846.99Alexy #43 June 2025Indianapolis
1947.02Dressel #229 July 2021Tokyo
72047.04Cameron McEvoy10 April 2016Adelaide
82147.05Eamon Sullivan13 August 2008Beijing
2247.06Pan #628 September 2023Hangzhou
2347.07Popovici #730 August 2022Lima
92447.08Kyle Chalmers25 July 2019Gwangju
92447.08Kyle Chalmers29 July 2021Tokyo
2447.08Alexy #518 June 2024Indianapolis
1047.10James Magnussen19 March 2012Adelaide
1047.10Guilherme Caribé23 April 2025Rio de Janeiro
1247.11Kliment Kolesnikov28 July 2021Tokyo
1347.15Frédérick Bousquet24 April 2009Montpellier
1447.25Chris Guiliano18 June 2024Indianapolis
1547.27Brent Hayden30 July 2009Rome
1647.29Egor Kornev30 July 2025Singapore
1747.33David Walters30 July 2009Rome
1747.33Maxime Grousset18 June 2024Chartres
1947.37Stefan Nystrand30 July 2009Rome
2047.39Ryan Held31 July 2019Stanford
2047.39Kim Youngbeom22 October 2025Busan
2247.43Vladislav Grinev9 April 2019Moscow
2347.45Alessandro Miressi19 May 2021Budapest
2347.45Matt Richards27 July 2023Fukuoka
2547.47Kristóf Milák13 August 2022Rome
2547.47Patrick Sammon3 June 2025Indianapolis

Men short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1144.84Kyle Chalmers29 October 2021Kazan
2244.94Amaury Leveaux13 December 2008Rijeka
3344.95Vladimir Morozov16 November 2018Singapore
3344.95Jordan Crooks11 December 2024Budapest
5544.99Egor Kornev9 November 2025Kazan
645.03Chalmers #221 October 2021Doha
6745.04Florent Manaudou5 December 2013Dijon
7845.05Jack Alexy10 December 2024Budapest
8945.08Nathan Adrian19 December 2009Manchester
8945.08Caeleb Dressel22 November 2020Budapest
1145.12Leveaux #212 December 2008Rijeka
1245.16Morozov #210 November 2018Tokyo
1245.16Chalmers #315 December 2022Melbourne
101445.17Maxime Grousset6 December 2025Lublin
1545.18Dressel #221 November 2020Budapest
1545.18Kornev #219 December 2025Saint Petersburg
1745.20Dressel #316 November 2020Budapest
1845.21Kornev #38 November 2025Kazan
1945.22Dressel #420 December 2019Las Vegas
1945.22Crooks #211 December 2024Budapest
2145.23Morozov #35 August 2017Berlin
2245.29Alexy #211 December 2024Budapest
2345.30Morozov #44 October 2018Budapest
112345.30Joshua Liendo24 October 2025Toronto
2545.33Alexy #311 October 2025Carmel
1245.36Evgeny Lagunov11 December 2009Istanbul
1345.46Matthew Abood21 November 2009Singapore
1445.47Guilherme Caribé12 December 2024Budapest
1545.50Chris Guiliano11 October 2025Carmel
1645.51Alessandro Miressi10 December 2023Otopeni
1745.54Stefan Nystrand10 November 2009Stockholm
1845.56Brent Hayden14 November 2009Berlin
1945.58Kliment Kolesnikov7 November 2021Kazan
2045.60James Magnussen7 August 2013Eindhoven
2145.63Ryan Held21 December 2021Abu Dhabi
2245.64David Popovici15 December 2022Melbourne
2245.64Jere Hribar6 December 2025Lublin
2445.68Danila Izotov11 December 2009Istanbul
2545.69Alain Bernard7 December 2008Angers

Women long course

  • Correct as of October 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1151.71Sarah Sjöström23 July 2017Budapest
2251.96Emma McKeon30 July 2021Tokyo
3352.02Siobhán Haughey8 October 2023Berlin
4452.03Cate Campbell10 August 2018Tokyo
5552.04Simone Manuel26 July 2019Gwangju
652.06C. Campbell #22 July 2016Brisbane
6752.07Britta Steffen31 July 2009Rome
852.08Sjöström #218 June 2017Canet-en-Roussillon
7852.08Mollie O'Callaghan23 July 2023Fukuoka
1052.12C. Campbell #313 June 2019Brisbane
1152.13McKeon #228 July 2021Tokyo
1252.16O'Callaghan #228 July 2023Fukuoka
1252.16Sjöström #331 July 2024Paris
1452.17Haughey #226 September 2023Hangzhou
1552.19McKeon #316 June 2021Adelaide
1652.22Steffen #226 July 2009Rome
1752.23Sjöström #421 July 2019Gwangju
1852.24Sjöström #523 July 2023Fukuoka
1852.24O'Callaghan #327 July 2024Paris
82052.26Marrit Steenbergen16 February 2024Doha
2152.27Manuel #228 July 2017Budapest
92152.27Bronte Campbell9 April 2018Gold Coast
2152.27Haughey #330 July 2021Tokyo
2152.27O'Callaghan #417 April 2024Gold Coast
2552.28Sjöström #614 June 2017Barcelona
102552.28Shayna Jack23 July 2023Fukuoka
1152.29Torri Huske31 July 2024Paris
1252.48Yang Junxuan27 July 2024Paris
1352.52Meg Harris14 June 2024Brisbane
1452.56Kate Douglass19 June 2024Indianapolis
1552.59Mallory Comerford23 July 2017Budapest
1552.59Penny Oleksiak30 July 2021Tokyo
1752.62Libby Trickett26 July 2009Rome
1852.69Femke Heemskerk5 April 2015Eindhoven
1852.69Pernille Blume28 July 2017Budapest
2052.72Taylor Ruck10 August 2018Tokyo
2152.74Charlotte Bonnet26 May 2018Saint-Raphaël
2252.75Ranomi Kromowidjojo12 April 2012Eindhoven
2252.75Anna Hopkin28 July 2021Tokyo
2452.76Madison Wilson16 June 2021Adelaide
2552.78Gretchen Walsh3 June 2025Indianapolis

Women short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1149.93Kate Douglass25 October 2025Toronto
250.19Douglass #219 October 2025Westmont
2350.25Cate Campbell26 October 2017Adelaide
3450.31Gretchen Walsh12 December 2024Budapest
4550.42Marritt Steenbergen6 December 2025Lublin
650.49Walsh #211 December 2024Budapest
5750.58Sarah Sjöström11 August 2017Eindhoven
5750.58Emma McKeon9 October 2021Budapest
7950.60Béryl Gastaldello6 December 2025Lublin
1050.63Gastaldello #212 December 2024Budapest
1150.67McKeon #230 October 2021Kazan
1250.73Douglass #312 December 2024Budapest
1350.77Sjöström #23 August 2017Moscow
1350.77McKeon #315 December 2022Melbourne
81550.79Siobhán Haughey4 December 2021Eindhoven
1650.82Douglass #42 November 2024Singapore
91650.82Mollie O'Callaghan25 October 2025Toronto
1850.83Douglass #512 October 2025Carmel
1950.85Campbell #218 November 2017Singapore
2050.87Haughey #215 December 2022Melbourne
2150.91Campbell #328 November 2015Sydney
2250.94Haughey #321 November 2020Budapest
102350.95Ranomi Kromowidjojo15 December 2017Copenhagen
2350.95Douglass #610 December 2024Budapest
2550.96McKeon #43 October 2021Berlin
1151.01Libby Trickett11 August 2009Hobart
1251.19Fran Halsall22 November 2009Singapore
1351.26Abbey Weitzeil10 November 2020Budapest
1351.26Sara Curtis6 December 2025Lublin
1551.29Femke Heemskerk17 November 2018Singapore
1651.35Inge Dekker11 December 2009Istanbul
1751.40Madison Wilson25 August 2022Sydney
1851.43Freya Anderson31 October 2020Budapest
1851.43Freya Anderson15 November 2020Budapest
1851.43Freya Anderson21 November 2020Budapest
1851.43Freya Anderson22 November 2020Budapest
1951.44Katarzyna Wasick17 September 2021Naples
2051.45Kayla Sanchez14 December 2018Sheffield
2051.45Marie Wattel12 December 2019Angers
2251.47Michelle Coleman17 November 2019Eskilstuna
2351.48Eva Okaro5 December 2025Lublin
2451.58Jeanette Ottesen9 October 2016Doha
2551.62Rikako Ikee14 January 2018Tokyo
2551.62Daria Klepikova12 December 2024Budapest