World record progression 50 metres butterfly


This is a history of the progression of the World Record for the swimming event: the 50 butterfly. It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever in the event, in both long course and short course swimming pool. These records are maintained/recognized by FINA, which oversees international competitive swimming and Aquatics.
The World Records in the 50s of stroke are the youngest Swimming World Records; FINA first recognizing them in the 1990s.

All-time top 25

Men long course

  • Correct as of July 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1122.27Andriy Govorov1 July 2018Rome
2222.35Caeleb Dressel22 July 2019Gwangju
3322.43Rafael Muñoz5 April 2009Málaga
422.45Muñoz #25 April 2009Málaga
522.48Muñoz #322 April 2009Montpellier
522.48Govorov #27 August 2018Glasgow
4522.48Maxime Grousset28 July 2025Singapore
822.49Muñoz #422 April 2009Montpellier
5922.51Noè Ponti28 July 2025Singapore
1022.53Govorov #316 June 2018Monaco
1122.57Dressel #221 July 2019Gwangju
1122.57Dressel #319 June 2022Budapest
61322.60Nicholas Santos11 May 2019Budapest
1422.61Santos #23 May 2017Rio de Janeiro
1422.61Grousset #227 July 2025Singapore
71622.62Oleg Kostin19 April 2023Kazan
1722.65Ponti #24 April 2024Uster
81822.67Milorad Čavić27 July 2009Rome
81822.67Thomas Ceccon28 July 2025Singapore
2022.68Muñoz #526 July 2009Rome
2022.68Ceccon #224 July 2023Fukuoka
102022.68Ilya Kharun12 June 2025Victoria
2322.69Čavić #21 August 2009Rome
2322.69Govorov #41 July 2016Vichy
2322.69Govorov #516 June 2018Monaco
1122.70Henrique Martins26 June 2017Belo Horizonte
1222.72Nyls Korstanje26 May 2025London
1322.73Matt Targett27 July 2009Rome
1422.74Ben Proud27 July 2025Singapore
1522.76César Cielo24 April 2012Rio de Janeiro
1622.77Diogo Ribeiro28 July 2025Singapore
1722.79Michael Andrew19 June 2022Budapest
1722.79Dare Rose23 July 2023Fukuoka
1922.80Abdelrahman Sameh18 May 2025Monaco
2022.84Frédérick Bousquet22 April 2009Montpellier
2022.84Florent Manaudou2 August 2015Kazan
2022.84Jacob Peters24 July 2023Fukuoka
2022.84Luca Armbruster28 July 2025Singapore
2422.85Dylan Carter19 June 2022Budapest
2522.89Kyle Chalmers12 April 2025Stockholm
2522.89Kyle Chalmers14 June 2025Adelaide

Men short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1121.32Noè Ponti11 December 2024Budapest
221.43Ponti #210 December 2024Budapest
321.50Ponti #32 November 2024Singapore
421.51Ponti #42 December 2025Lublin
521.53Ponti #510 December 2024Budapest
621.54Ponti #63 December 2025Lublin
2721.62Nyls Korstanje10 December 2024Budapest
821.64Ponti #72 November 2024Singapore
921.65Ponti #812 April 2025Uster
1021.67Ponti #920 October 2024Shanghai
31021.67Ilya Kharun11 December 2024Budapest
1221.68Ponti #1020 October 2024Shanghai
1221.68Korstanje #211 December 2024Budapest
1421.69Kharun #219 October 2025Westmont
41521.73Egor Kornev7 November 2025Kazan
1621.74Korstanje #32 November 2024Singapore
51721.75Nicholas Santos6 October 2018Budapest
51721.75Szebasztián Szabó6 November 2021Kazan
1921.76Ponti #1126 October 2024Incheon
2021.78Santos #210 November 2020Budapest
2021.78Santos #314 December 2022Melbourne
2221.79Ponti #129 December 2023Otopeni
72321.80Steffen Deibler14 November 2009Berlin
2321.80Santos #416 November 2020Budapest
2321.80Ponti #1319 October 2025Westmont
2321.80Kharun #325 October 2025Toronto
821.87Roland Schoeman14 November 2009Berlin
921.91Joshua Liendo25 October 2025Toronto
1021.93Teong Tzen Wei25 October 2025Toronto
1121.95Chad le Clos6 December 2014Doha
1121.95Maxime Grousset2 December 2025Lublin
1321.96Sun Jiajun24 September 2024Wuhan
1421.98Dylan Carter20 December 2021Abu Dhabi
1521.99Tom Shields9 October 2021Budapest
1521.99Marius Kusch10 December 2024Budapest
1722.01Michele Busa11 December 2024Budapest
1822.02Matteo Rivolta20 December 2021Abu Dhabi
1922.04Caeleb Dressel16 November 2020Budapest
2022.05Grigori Pekarski10 December 2024Budapest
2122.06Daniel Zaitsev2 December 2025Lublin
2222.07Johannes Dietrich13 December 2009Istanbul
2222.07Oleg Kostin9 November 2019Kazan
2422.08Marcin Cieślak18 December 2020Olsztyn
2522.09Florent Manaudou23 November 2014Montpellier
2522.09Finlay Brooks19 October 2025Westmont

Women long course

TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1124.43Sarah Sjöström5 July 2014Borås
224.60Sjöström #229 July 2017Budapest
324.63Sjöström #317 February 2024Doha
2424.66Gretchen Walsh4 June 2025Indianapolis
524.69Sjöström #45 April 2015Eindhoven
624.73Sjöström #521 June 2024Rome
724.74Sjöström #628 July 2023Fukuoka
824.76Sjöström #714 June 2017Barcelona
924.77Sjöström #829 July 2023Fukuoka
1024.79Sjöström #926 July 2019Gwangju
1124.83Walsh #22 August 2025Singapore
1224.87Sjöström #1018 August 2014Berlin
1324.88Sjöström #1116 February 2024Doha
1424.89Sjöström #1221 May 2023Monaco
1524.90Sjöström #1311 June 2017Monaco
1624.92Sjöström #1425 April 2024Stockholm
1724.93Walsh #32 May 2025Fort Lauderdale
1824.95Sjöström #1518 June 2017Canet-en-Roussillon
1824.95Sjöström #1624 June 2022Budapest
1824.95Sjöström #172 June 2024Monaco
2124.96Sjöström #188 August 2015Kazan
2124.96Sjöström #198 April 2017Stockholm
2124.96Sjöström #2013 August 2022Rome
2424.97Sjöström #2114 October 2023Athens
2524.98Sjöström #2219 August 2014Berlin
2524.98Walsh #44 June 2025Indianapolis
325.05Zhang Yufei29 July 2023Fukuoka
425.07Therese Alshammar31 July 2009Rome
525.11Rikako Ikee10 June 2018Canet-en-Roussillon
625.17Mélanie Henique19 June 2021Chartres
725.20Fran Halsall24 July 2014Glasgow
825.24Jeanette Ottesen3 August 2013Barcelona
825.24Ranomi Kromowidjojo13 March 2021Amsterdam
1025.28Marleen Veldhuis31 July 2009Rome
1125.30Arina Surkova19 April 2023Kazan
1225.31Holly Barratt16 August 2019Singapore
1225.31Alexandria Perkins2 August 2025Singapore
1425.32Roos Vanotterdijk1 August 2025Singapore
1525.33Marie Wattel13 August 2022Rome
1525.33Torri Huske28 June 2023Indianapolis
1725.37Lu Ying8 August 2015Kazan
1825.38Farida Osman24 June 2022Budapest
1925.39Kate Douglass2 May 2025Fort Lauderdale
1925.39Kate Douglass4 June 2025Indianapolis
1925.39Erin Gallagher1 August 2025Singapore
2125.43Claire Curzan24 June 2022Budapest
2125.43Hazel Ouwehand23 May 2025Auckland
2325.47Cate Campbell1 March 2018Gold Coast
2425.48Marieke Guehrer1 August 2009Rome
2425.48Kelsi Dahlia29 July 2017Budapest
2425.48Kelsi Dahlia26 July 2018Irvine
2425.48Kelsi Dahlia27 July 2019Gwangju

Women short course

  • Correct as of December 2025
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1123.72Gretchen Walsh11 October 2025Carmel
223.90Walsh #218 October 2025Westmont
323.91Walsh #324 October 2025Toronto
423.94Walsh #410 December 2024Budapest
524.01Walsh #511 December 2024Budapest
624.02Walsh #610 December 2024Budapest
724.13Walsh #711 October 2025Carmel
824.18Walsh #814 December 2024Budapest
924.19Walsh #924 October 2025Toronto
1024.26Walsh #1018 October 2025Westmont
1124.37Walsh #1113 December 2024Budapest
21224.38Therese Alshammar22 November 2009Singapore
31324.42Kate Douglass1 November 2024Singapore
41424.43Béryl Gastaldello11 December 2024Budapest
51524.44Ranomi Kromowidjojo19 December 2021Abu Dhabi
1624.46Alshammar #211 November 2009Stockholm
1724.47Kromowidjojo #214 December 2018Hangzhou
1824.49Kromowidjojo #312 December 2020Eindhoven
1824.49Walsh #1225 October 2025Toronto
62024.50Sarah Sjöström7 November 2021Kazan
2124.51Kromowidjojo #410 November 2018Tokyo
2124.51Sjöström #219 December 2021Abu Dhabi
2124.51Walsh #1319 October 2025Westmont
2424.52Sjöström #36 August 2017Berlin
2524.53Kromowidjojo #520 October 2017Amsterdam
724.55Claire Curzan19 December 2021Abu Dhabi
824.56Mélanie Henique5 December 2019Glasgow
924.58Arina Surkova22 November 2023Saint Petersburg
1024.59Inge Dekker1 September 2014Dubai
1124.60Alexandria Perkins18 October 2025Westmont
1224.61Martine Damborg3 December 2025Lublin
1324.64Torri Huske14 December 2022Melbourne
1324.64Maggie Mac Neil14 December 2022Melbourne
1524.68Tessa Giele10 December 2024Budapest
1624.69Marieke Guehrer15 November 2009Berlin
1724.71Jeanette Ottesen5 December 2014Doha
1724.71Rikako Ikee13 January 2018Tokyo
1724.71Zhang Yufei14 December 2022Melbourne
2024.75Holly Barratt29 October 2021Kazan
2124.76Maaike de Waard10 December 2024Budapest
2224.80Madeline Banic22 November 2020Budapest
2324.84Roos Vanotterdijk3 December 2025Lublin
2424.86Kelsi Dahlia21 November 2021Eindhoven
2524.90Felicity Galvez17 December 2010Dubai