World record progression 50 metres backstroke


This is a listing of the history of the world record for the 50 metres backstroke swimming event. Swimming world records are maintained by World Aquatics, the international sports federation which oversees the sport. World records are recognized only in long course and short course. Like the 50 m breaststroke, 50 m butterfly, and the 50 m backstroke, world record status and monitoring for this event first began in the 1990s.

All-time top 25

Men long course

  • Correct as of November 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1123.55Kliment Kolesnikov27 July 2023Kazan
223.68Kolesnikov #228 July 2023Kazan
223.68Kolesnikov #23 August 2025Singapore
2423.71Hunter Armstrong28 April 2022Greensboro
523.80Kolesnikov #318 May 2021Budapest
623.90Kolesnikov #426 July 2024Yekaterinburg
623.90Kolesnikov #516 April 2025Kazan
3823.92Justin Ress28 April 2022Greensboro
923.93Kolesnikov #617 May 2021Budapest
1023.96Kolesnikov #717 April 2024Kazan
1124.00Kolesnikov #84 August 2018Glasgow
41124.00Shaine Casas28 April 2022Greensboro
1324.01Armstrong #228 April 2022Greensboro
51324.01Pavel Samusenko16 April 2025Kazan
61524.04Liam Tancock2 August 2009Rome
1624.05Ress #228 April 2022Greensboro
1624.05Armstrong #330 July 2023Fukuoka
71824.07Camille Lacourt12 August 2010Budapest
1924.08Tancock #21 August 2009Rome
1924.08Kolesnikov #93 April 2021Kazan
1924.08Kolesnikov #92 August 2025Singapore
2224.10Ress #329 June 2023Indianapolis
2324.11Kolesnikov #1027 July 2023Kazan
82424.12Robert Glință3 August 2018Glasgow
2424.12Ress #425 June 2022Budapest
2424.12Kolesnikov #1119 April 2023Kazan
82424.12Isaac Cooper17 February 2024Doha
1024.17Pieter Coetze3 August 2025Singapore
1124.23Mark Nikolaev11 April 2019Kazan
1224.24Junya Koga2 August 2009Rome
1224.24Ryan Murphy27 July 2018Irvine
1424.28Miron Lifintsev7 August 2024Debrecen
1524.29Vladimir Morozov3 August 2018Glasgow
1624.32Shane Ryan3 August 2018Glasgow
1724.33Randall Bal5 December 2008Eindhoven
1824.34Johannes Zandberg2 August 2009Rome
1824.34Quintin McCarty5 June 2025Indianapolis
2024.36Apostolos Christou15 August 2022Rome
2024.36Xu Jiayu16 November 2025Shenzhen
2224.39Michael Andrew21 June 2019Rome
2324.40Thomas Ceccon15 August 2022Rome
2324.40Michele Lamberti22 June 2024Rome
2524.41Ksawery Masiuk2 August 2025Singapore
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Men short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1122.11Kliment Kolesnikov23 November 2022Kazan
2222.22Florent Manaudou6 December 2014Doha
322.31Kolesnikov #222 November 2022Kazan
3422.37Pavel Samusenko20 December 2025Saint Petersburg
522.42Kolesnikov #316 December 2023Saint Petersburg
622.43Kolesnikov #410 November 2025Kazan
4722.44Egor Kornev20 December 2025Saint Petersburg
822.47Kolesnikov #53 November 2021Kazan
5822.47Miron Lifintsev13 December 2024Budapest
61022.49Mark Nikolaev28 December 2021Saint Petersburg
61022.49Isaac Cooper13 December 2024Budapest
1222.52Cooper #215 December 2022Melbourne
1222.52Kornev #210 November 2025Kazan
81422.53Ryan Murphy25 November 2021Eindhoven
1522.54Murphy #221 November 2020Budapest
91622.55Guilherme Guido26 October 2019Budapest
1622.55Kolesnikov #622 November 2022Kazan
1822.56Murphy #33 December 2021Eindhoven
101822.56Shane Ryan13 December 2024Budapest
2022.57Kolesnikov #72 November 2021Kazan
112122.58Evgeny Rylov14 December 2018Hangzhou
2122.58Kolesnikov #83 November 2021Kazan
2122.58Cooper #319 October 2024Shanghai
2422.59Rylov #23 December 2021Eindhoven
2522.60Guido #22 September 2021Naples
2522.60Guido #311 September 2021Naples
1222.61Peter Marshall22 November 2009Singapore
1222.61Coleman Stewart28 August 2021Naples
1422.62Michele Lamberti3 November 2021Kazan
1522.63Ralf Tribuntsov6 December 2025Lublin
1622.64Hubert Kós13 December 2024Budapest
1722.65Lorenzo Mora17 December 2022Melbourne
1822.68Kacper Stokowski13 December 2024Budapest
1922.69Miroslav Knedla7 December 2025Lublin
2022.70Xu Jiayu3 November 2018Beijing
2122.72Dylan Carter4 November 2022Indianapolis
2222.73Thierry Bollin12 December 2024Budapest
2322.74Stanislav Donets26 November 2010Eindhoven
2322.74Robert Glință3 November 2021Kazan
2522.75Pieter Coetze1 November 2024Singapore
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Women long course

  • Correct as of July 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1126.86Kaylee McKeown20 October 2023Budapest
2226.97Katharine Berkoff5 June 2025Indianapolis
3326.98Liu Xiang21 August 2018Jakarta
326.98McKeown #29 December 2023Brisbane
527.02McKeown #313 October 2023Athens
4627.06Zhao Jing30 July 2009Rome
627.06McKeown #423 March 2025Sydney
827.07McKeown #518 April 2024Gold Coast
927.08McKeown #627 July 2023Fukuoka
927.08Berkoff #231 July 2025Singapore
51127.09Wan Letian23 March 2025Qingdao
61227.10Kira Toussaint10 April 2021Eindhoven
61227.10Regan Smith26 July 2023Fukuoka
81427.11Fu Yuanhui6 August 2015Kazan
1427.11Smith #227 July 2023Fukuoka
1627.12Berkoff #328 April 2022Greensboro
1727.13Berkoff #429 June 2023Indianapolis
91727.13Kylie Masse1 May 2025Fort Lauderdale
101927.14Etiene Medeiros27 July 2017Budapest
1927.14Smith #329 June 2023Indianapolis
2127.15Fu #227 July 2017Budapest
112127.15Lauren Cox24 May 2025London
2327.16Fu #315 April 2018Shanxi
2327.16McKeown #716 May 2021Sydney
122327.16Mollie O'Callaghan18 April 2024Gold Coast
1327.19Kathleen Dawson18 May 2021Budapest
1427.21Georgia Davies4 August 2018Glasgow
1527.23Daniela Samulski30 July 2009Rome
1527.23Aliaksandra Herasimenia27 July 2017Budapest
1527.23Anastasia Fesikova4 August 2018Glasgow
1827.24Claire Curzan5 June 2025Indianapolis
1927.27Analia Pigrée14 August 2022Rome
2027.28Gao Chang30 July 2009Rome
2127.31Leah Shackley22 July 2025Berlin
2227.33Olivia Smoliga25 July 2019Gwangju
2227.33Olivia Smoliga28 April 2022Greensboro
2327.35Wang Xueer25 September 2023Hangzhou
2427.37Emily Seebohm27 July 2017Budapest
2427.37Ingrid Wilm21 May 2023Monaco
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Women short course

  • Correct as of October 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1125.23Regan Smith13 December 2024Budapest
2225.25Maggie Mac Neil16 December 2022Melbourne
325.27Mac Neil #220 December 2021Abu Dhabi
3425.35Kaylee McKeown23 October 2025Toronto
525.36McKeown #218 October 2024Shanghai
4625.37Gretchen Walsh18 October 2024Charlottesville
725.40McKeown #328 September 2024Adelaide
725.40Walsh #223 October 2025Toronto
925.42McKeown #410 October 2025Carmel
5925.42Mollie O'Callaghan23 October 2025Toronto
61125.47Marrit Steenbergen7 December 2025Lublin
1225.48Smith #231 October 2024Singapore
1325.49O'Callaghan #217 December 2022Melbourne
71325.49Sara Curtis7 December 2025Lublin
81525.51Katharine Berkoff12 December 2024Budapest
91625.54Claire Curzan16 December 2022Melbourne
101725.60Kira Toussaint14 November 2020Budapest
101725.60Kira Toussaint18 December 2020Amsterdam
101725.60Maria Kameneva24 November 2022Kazan
1725.60Curzan #215 December 2022Melbourne
2125.61O'Callaghan #316 December 2022Melbourne
2125.61Berkoff #213 December 2024Budapest
2325.62Toussaint #318 December 2020Amsterdam
122325.62Kylie Masse20 December 2021Abu Dhabi
2525.63McKeown #517 October 2025Westmont
1325.67Etiene Medeiros4 December 2014Doha
1425.70Sanja Jovanović12 December 2009Istanbul
1525.74Olivia Smoliga16 October 2020Budapest
1625.81Minna Atherton26 October 2019Budapest
1625.81Ingrid Wilm12 December 2024Budapest
1825.82Zhao Jing10 November 2009Stockholm
1925.83Emily Seebohm7 December 2014Doha
1925.83Louise Hansson19 December 2021Abu Dhabi
1925.83Celia Pulido Ortíz10 October 2025Carmel
2225.85Julie Kepp Jensen15 December 2022Melbourne
2325.92Gao Chang27 February 2010Tokyo
2425.94Analia Pigrée13 December 2024Budapest
2525.95Katinka Hosszú16 December 2017Copenhagen
2525.95Iona Anderson31 October 2024Singapore