World record progression 200 metres breaststroke


The first world record in the men's 200 metres breaststroke in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1908 and the first world record in the women's 200 metres breaststroke was recognised in 1921. In the short course swimming events the world's governing body recognizes world records since March 3, 1991.
There have been two rule changes enacted by FINA for this event that have resulted in the nullification of world records.
In the mid-1930s, many breaststroke swimmers began practicing an early variant of the butterfly stroke that involved recovering the arms above the water in an effort to reduce drag. This technique was disallowed when the butterfly stroke was established as a distinct stroke with its own rules in 1953, and world records set using the technique were nullified.
Another style was developed by the Japanese swimmer Masaru Furukawa shortly after this rule change. It involved swimming underwater for as much of each pool length as possible without surfacing, as the act of breaking the water's surface created resistance, slowing a swimmer. This method of swimming the breaststroke was disallowed by FINA in 1956 and records set with the technique were nullified.

All-time top 25

Men long course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
112:05.48Qin Haiyang28 July 2023Fukuoka
222:05.85Léon Marchand31 July 2024Paris
332:05.95Zac Stubblety-Cook19 May 2022Adelaide
442:06.12Anton Chupkov26 July 2019Gwangju
52:06.28Stubblety-Cook #215 June 2021Adelaide
62:06.38Stubblety-Cook #329 July 2021Tokyo
572:06.40Shoma Sato7 April 2021Tokyo
72:06.40Stubblety-Cook #423 July 2023Fukuoka
692:06.54Matthew Fallon19 June 2024Indianapolis
102:06.59Marchand #211 June 2023Rennes
7112:06.67Ippei Watanabe29 January 2017Tokyo
7112:06.67Matthew Wilson25 July 2019Gwangju
132:06.68Wilson #226 July 2019Gwangju
142:06.72Stubblety-Cook #522 June 2022Budapest
152:06.73Watanabe #226 July 2019Gwangju
162:06.74Sato #27 February 2021Tokyo
172:06.78Sato #324 January 2021Tokyo
182:06.79Stubblety-Cook #631 July 2024Paris
192:06.80Chupkov #26 August 2018Glasgow
202:06.83Chupkov #325 July 2019Gwangju
9212:06.85Arno Kamminga4 December 2020Rotterdam
10222:06.91Shin Ohashi21 July 2025Kusatsu
232:06.94Watanabe #321 March 2024Tokyo
242:06.96Chupkov #428 July 2017Budapest
242:06.96Ohashi #230 November 2025Tokyo
112:07.01Akihiro Yamaguchi15 September 2012Gifu
122:07.07Yamato Fukasawa17 February 2024Chiba
122:07.07Yu Hanaguruma21 March 2024Tokyo
142:07.13Matti Mattsson29 July 2021Tokyo
152:07.17Josh Prenot30 June 2016Omaha
162:07.18Yasuhiro Koseki16 April 2017Nagoya
172:07.23Dániel Gyurta2 August 2013Barcelona
182:07.25Kirill Prigoda21 July 2022Kazan
192:07.30Ross Murdoch24 July 2014Glasgow
202:07.31Christian Sprenger30 July 2009Rome
212:07.32Filip Nowacki22 August 2025Otopeni
222:07.41Kevin Cordes28 June 2017Indianapolis
232:07.42Eric Shanteau30 July 2009Rome
242:07.43Michael Jamieson1 August 2012London
252:07.46Dmitriy Balandin10 August 2016Rio de Janeiro

Men short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
111:59.52Caspar Corbeau25 October 2025Toronto
222:00.16Kirill Prigoda13 December 2018Hangzhou
332:00.35Daiya Seto16 December 2022Melbourne
442:00.44Marco Koch20 November 2016Berlin
552:00.48Dániel Gyurta31 August 2014Dubai
62:00.53Koch #23 December 2015Netanya
72:00.58Koch #31 November 2020Budapest
82:00.67Gyurta #213 December 2009Istanbul
92:00.72Gyurta #315 December 2013Herning
102:00.81Koch #426 October 2020Budapest
6112:00.86Carles Coll5 December 2025Lublin
122:01.06Gyurta #427 August 2014Doha
132:01.11Prigoda #214 December 2017Copenhagen
7142:01.15Qin Haiyang13 December 2018Hangzhou
152:01.18Prigoda #319 November 2017Singapore
162:01.20Prigoda #414 November 2020Budapest
172:01.21Koch #58 December 2016Windsor
182:01.24Prigoda #54 October 2017Doha
192:01.27Corbeau #25 December 2025Lublin
202:01.28Koch #631 August 2014Dubai
212:01.30Gyurta #59 November 2013Tokyo
212:01.30Seto #219 November 2017Singapore
212:01.30Prigoda #611 November 2018Tokyo
242:01.31Koch #714 November 2020Budapest
252:01.35Gyurta #614 December 2012Istanbul
82:01.43Michael Jamieson15 December 2013Herning
82:01.43Arno Kamminga17 December 2020Amsterdam
102:01.57Anton Chupkov11 November 2018Tokyo
112:01.60Nic Fink16 December 2022Melbourne
122:01.65Anton McKee1 November 2020Budapest
132:01.67Joshua Yong20 October 2024Shanghai
142:01.70Ippei Watanabe23 October 2022Tokyo
152:01.73Ilya Shymanovich6 November 2021Kazan
162:01.78Yasuhiro Koseki27 October 2019Tokyo
172:01.85Mikhail Dorinov14 December 2017Copenhagen
182:01.91Aleksandr Zhigalov23 November 2024Saint Petersburg
192:01.98Christian Sprenger10 August 2009Hobart
202:02.00Léon Marchand12 October 2025Carmel
212:02.01Yamato Fukasawa13 December 2024Budapest
222:02.03Shin Ohashi25 October 2025Toronto
232:02.18Erik Persson6 November 2021Kazan
242:02.27Will Licon21 November 2020Budapest
252:02.33Cody Miller11 December 2015Indianapolis

Women long course

  • Correct as of October 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
112:17.55Evgeniia Chikunova21 April 2023Kazan
222:18.50Kate Douglass1 August 2025Singapore
332:18.95Tatjana Smith30 July 2021Tokyo
42:18.98Chikunova #227 July 2024Yekaterinburg
52:19.01Smith #210 April 2024Gqeberha
462:19.11Rikke Møller Pedersen1 August 2013Barcelona
72:19.16Smith #328 July 2021Tokyo
82:19.24Douglass #21 August 2024Paris
92:19.30Douglass #313 January 2024Knoxville
102:19.33Smith #429 July 2021Tokyo
5112:19.41Yuliya Yefimova2 August 2013Barcelona
122:19.46Douglass #420 June 2024Indianapolis
6132:19.59Rebecca Soni2 August 2012London
142:19.60Smith #51 August 2024Paris
152:19.61Møller Pedersen #213 April 2014Eindhoven
7162:19.64Viktoria Zeynep Gunes30 August 2015Singapore
162:19.64Yefimova #228 July 2017Budapest
8182:19.65Rie Kaneto9 April 2016Tokyo
192:19.66Douglass #519 June 2024Indianapolis
202:19.67Møller Pedersen #312 June 2014Canet-en-Roussillon
212:19.74Douglass #631 July 2024Paris
9222:19.81Tes Schouten16 February 2024Doha
232:19.83Yefimova #313 June 2017Barcelona
242:19.84Møller Pedersen #422 August 2014Berlin
252:19.85Yefimova #41 August 2013Barcelona
102:19.92Lilly King30 July 2021Tokyo
112:20.12Annamay Pierse30 July 2009Rome
122:20.54Leisel Jones1 February 2006Melbourne
132:20.72Satomi Suzuki2 August 2012London
142:20.77Annie Lazor19 May 2019Bloomington
152:20.89Molly Renshaw15 April 2021London
162:20.90Kanako Watanabe12 April 2015Tokyo
172:21.37Qi Hui17 October 2009Jinan
182:21.45Taylor McKeown11 April 2016Adelaide
192:21.62Nađa Higl31 July 2009Rome
202:21.69Abbie Wood15 April 2021London
212:21.74Micah Sumrall1 August 2013Barcelona
222:21.77Bethany Galat28 July 2017Budapest
232:21.85Reona Aoki8 April 2018Tokyo
242:21.86Angharad Evans17 April 2025London
252:21.93Shi Jinglin28 July 2017Budapest

Women short course

  • Correct as of October 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
112:12.50Kate Douglass13 December 2024Budapest
22:12.72Douglass #231 October 2024Singapore
32:13.45Douglass #323 October 2025Toronto
42:13.97Douglass #410 October 2025Carmel
52:14.16Douglass #524 October 2024Incheon
262:14.39Yulia Yefimova13 December 2013Herning
372:14.57Rebecca Soni18 December 2009Manchester
72:14.57Douglass #617 October 2025Westmont
492:14.70Evgeniia Chikunova25 November 2022Kazan
102:15.14Chikunova #213 December 2024Budapest
5112:15.21Rikke Møller Pedersen13 December 2013Herning
6122:15.42Leisel Jones15 November 2009Berlin
7132:15.56Lilly King21 November 2020Budapest
142:15.62Yefimova #228 September 2018Eindhoven
152:15.74Douglass #723 October 2025Toronto
8162:15.76Rie Kaneto9 October 2016Doha
172:15.77Douglass #816 December 2022Melbourne
182:15.80King #25 November 2020Budapest
192:15.91Kaneto #21 October 2016Beijing
202:15.93Møller Pedersen #211 August 2013Berlin
212:15.96Douglass #918 October 2024Shanghai
222:15.99Douglass #1010 October 2025Carmel
232:16.04King #326 October 2020Budapest
242:16.05Yefimova #315 November 2018Singapore
252:16.08Møller Pedersen #316 December 2012Istanbul
92:16.09Tes Schouten8 December 2023Otopeni
102:16.33Annie Lazor21 November 2020Budapest
112:16.51Emily Escobedo5 November 2020Budapest
122:16.83Alex Walsh13 December 2024Budapest
122:16.83Annamay Pierse7 August 2009Leeds
142:16.92Kanako Watanabe7 December 2014Doha
152:16.93Laura Sogar16 December 2012Istanbul
162:17.00Kelsey Wog25 November 2023Winnipeg
172:17.10Jocelyn Ulyett6 December 2019Sheffield
182:17.25Mio Motegi16 February 2014Tokyo
192:17.30Alina Zmushka13 December 2024Budapest
202:17.50Katy Freeman18 December 2009Manchester
212:17.52Nađa Higl11 December 2009Istanbul
222:17.75Sydney Pickrem21 November 2020Budapest
232:17.80Molly Renshaw14 November 2020Budapest
232:17.80Anna Elendt10 October 2025Carmel
252:17.84Alia Atkinson2 November 2014Singapore