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For 1st Time Since 1908: No World Records?

Nov 18, 2010  - Craig Lord

The year is not yet done nor have we yet witnessed the best of short-course action, the world titles looming in Dubai next month, but for the first year since FINA was formed in 1908 (before 1956, records could be set in pools of various sizes) there were no long-course global standards.

It only confirms what we have already known for a long time about shiny suits but worth noting, nonetheless, that, with the last major long-course meet of the year behind us today in Guangzhou, 2010 is likely to go down as the first year since FINA was formed in 1908 in which not a single world record fell in the premium pool (long-course) of the time.

Before 1956, records could be set in pools of various sizes, and the archive confirms that since 1905 (at least) not a single year went by without a world record, and since 1956 not a single year had passed without a world long-course record - until 2010, until the shiny suits drop. Water under the bridge but the effects of shiny suits will last a fair while longer yet, given the gap between the best of 2010 and the best of 2009, it would seem.

Below is a list of where the sport of swimming stands on the clock long-course, considering in each event the following:

  • the top 5 performances in the world this year in Olympic events (efforts in major championship finals indicated with an asterisk) plus the world record (all but two from the shiny suits era).
  • The figure immediately following the top 5 performances indicates the number of performances in 2009 that were faster or equal to the best of all in 2010.
  • The figure at the foot of each event is where the third best swimmer of 2010 would have been ranked on the performances list in 2009, highlighting in some ways the strength of the 2010 world No1 in terms of lead over the rest and quality of effort.

King of the heap with nine solo entries is Ryan Lochte (USA), to eight for teammate Michael Phelps in his off year, while Rebecca Soni (USA) leads the way among women with a clean sweep of all top five efforts over 200m breaststroke.

MEN

Freestyle

50m - WR: 20.91 Cesar Cielo (BRA) 2009 

  • 21.36 Bousquet (FRA)
  • 21.49 Bousquet*
  • 21.55 Cielo (BRA)*
  • 21.55 Adrian (USA)*
  • 21.57 Cielo 
  • 19
  • 36

100m - WR: 46.91 Cesar Cielo (BRA) 2009 

  • 47.98 Hayden (CAN)*
  • 48.13 Phelps (USA)*
  • 48.15 Adrian (USA)*
  • 48.18 Hayden* relay
  • 48.18 Hayden* relay
  • 46
  • 56

200m - WR: 1:42.00 Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009

  • 1:44.80 Park (KOR)*
  • 1:45.30 Lochte (USA)*
  • 1:45.47 Biedermann (GER)* relay
  • 1:45.61 Phelps (USA)
  • 1:45.62 Phelps (USA)* relay
  • 9
  • 21

400m - WR: 3:40.07 Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009

  • 3:41.53 Park (KOR)*
  • 3:42.47 Sun (CHN)*
  • 3:44.73 Park (KOR)*
  • 3:44.91 Zhang (CHN)
  • 3:45.03 Park 
  • 3
  • 13

1,500m - WR: 14:34.56 Grant Hackett (AUS) 2001

  • 14:35.43 Sun (CHN)*
  • 14:47.46 Sun (CHN)
  • 14:49.47 Cochrane (CAN)*
  • 14:54.48 La Tourette (USA)*
  • 14:55.17 Rouault (FRA)*
  • none
  • 12

Backstroke

100m - WR: 51.94 Aaron Peirsol (USA) 2009

  • 52.11 Lacourt (FRA)*
  • 52.46 Lacourt (FRA)* relay
  • 52.58 Lacourt (FRA) semi, Euro titles
  • 52.85 Tancock (GBR)
  • 53.05 Grevers (USA)
  • 1
  • 42

200m - WR: 1:51.92 Aaron Peirsol (USA) 2009

  • 1:54.12 Lochte (USA)*
  • 1:54.90 Clary (USA)*
  • 1:55.11 Irie (JPN)
  • 1:55.21 Irie*
  • 1:55.26 Lochte (USA) heats, Pan Pacs
  • 9
  • 22

Breaststroke

100m - WR: 58.58 Brenton Rickard (AUS) 2009

  • 59.04 Kitajima (JPN) heats Pan Pacs
  • 59.20 Dale Oen (NOR)*
  • 59.29 Dale Oen (NOR) semis, Euros
  • 59.35 Kitajima (JPN)*
  • 59.84 Tateishi (JPN)
  • 10
  • 47

200m - WR: 2:07.31 Christian Sprenger (AUS) 2009

  • 2:08.36 Kitajima (JPN)*
  • 2:08.94 Tomita (JPN)
  • 2:08.95 Gyurta (HUN)*
  • 2:09.21 Tateishi (JPN)
  • 2:09.23 Kitajima (JPN) heats, Pan Pacs
  • 13
  • 28

Butterfly

100m - WR: 49.82 Michael Phelps (USA) 2009 

  • 50.65 Phelps (USA)
  • 50.86 Phelps *
  • 51.48 Phelps heats, Pan Pacs
  • 51.69 Huegill (AUS)*
  • 51.69 McGill (USA)
  • 9
  • 73

200m - WR: 1:51.51 Michael Phelps (USA) 2009

  • 1:54.02 Matsuda (JPN)*
  • 1:54.11 Phelps (USA)*
  • 1:54.61 D'Arcy (AUS)
  • 1:54.73 D'Arcy (AUS)*
  • 1:54.81 Matsuda*
  • 10
  • 27

Medley

200m - WR: 1:54.10 Ryan Lochte (USA) 2009

  • 1:54.43 Lochte (USA)*
  • 1:54.84 Lochte
  • 1:55.94 Phelps (USA)
  • 1:57.61 Clary (USA)*
  • 1:57.73 Cseh (HUN)*
  • 1
  • 21

400m - WR: 4:03.84 Michael Phelps (USA) 2008

  • 4:07.59 Lochte (USA)*
  • 4:08.77 Lochte, heats Pan Pacs
  • 4:09.20 Clary, heats Pan Pacs
  • 4:09.55 Clary (USA)*
  • 4:09.98 Lochte
  • 5
  • 11

Relays

4x100m free - WR: 3:08.24 USA 2009

  • 3:11.74 USA*
  • 3:12.46 RUS*
  • 3:13.12 FRA heats Euro titles
  • 3:13.29 FRA*
  • 3:13.82 AUS*
  • 8
  • 19

4x200m free - WR: 6:58.55 USA 2009

  • 7:03.84 USA*
  • 7:06.71 RUS*
  • 7:07.68 CHN*
  • 7:08.13 GER*
  • 7:09.70 FRA*
  • 8
  • 14

4x100m medley - WR: 3:27.28 USA 2009

  • 3:31.32 FRA*
  • 3:32.48 USA*
  • 3:33.15 AUS*
  • 3:33.29 RUS*
  • 3:33.90 JPN*
  • 16
  • 24

Lochte and Phelps also played a key part in placing the USA at the top of the heap in the freestyle relays.

WOMEN

Freestyle

50m - WR: 23.73 Britta Steffen (GER) 2009

  • 24.27 Alshammar (SWE)
  • 24.40 Kromowidjojo (NED)
  • 24.45 Alshammar *
  • 24.52 Alshammar semis, Euro titles
  • 24.54 Kromowidjojo
  • 17
  • 51

100m - WR: 52.07 Britta Steffen (GER) 2009

  • 53.44 Kromowidjojo (NED)
  • 53.58 Halsall (GBR)*
  • 53.67 Coughlin (USA)*
  • 53.82 Herasimenia (BLR)*
  • 53.94 Vollmer (USA)
  • 29
  • 40

200m - WR: 1:52.98 Federica pellegrini (ITA) 2009 

  • 1:55.45 Pellegrini (ITA)*
  • 1:56.10 Schmitt (USA)*
  • 1:56.23 Pellegrini
  • 1:56.23 Schmitt, heats Pan Pacs
  • 1:56.47 Vollmer, B final Pan Pacs
  • 6
  • 19

400m - WR: 3:59.15 Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 2009

  • 4:03.12 Pellegrini (ITA)
  • 4:04.30 Pellegrini 
  • 4:04.55 Adlington (GBR)*
  • 4:05.19 Sutton (USA)*
  • 4:05.40 Balmy (FRA)
  • 10
  • 22

800m - WR: 8:14.10 Rebecca Adlington (GBR) 2008

  • 8:21.25 Adlington (GBR)
  • 8:21.59 Ziegler (USA)*
  • 8:21.95 Adlington
  • 8:22.83 Goldman (AUS)
  • 8:23.27 Friis (DEN)*
  • 12
  • 14

Backstroke

100m - WR: 58.12 Gemma Spofforth (GBR) 2009

  • 58.94 Zhao (CHN)* relay
  • 59.13 Terakawa (JPN)
  • 59.20 Zhao *
  • 59.21 Seebohm (AUS)
  • 59.25 Seebohm
  • 6
  • 14

200m - WR: 2:04.81 Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) 2009

  • 2:06.46 Zhao (CHN)*
  • 2:06.79 Simmonds (GBR)
  • 2:06.90 Simmonds (GBR)
  • 2:07.24 Simmonds (GBR)*
  • 2:07.48 Pelton (USA) heats Pan Pacs
  • 4
  • 11

Breaststroke

100m - 1:04.45 Rebecca Soni (USA) 2009

  • 1:04.93 Soni (USA)*
  • 1:05.66 Jones (AUS)*
  • 1:05.73 Soni 
  • 1:05.79 Jones
  • 1:05.84 Jones *
  • 3
  • 43

200m - 2:20.12 Annamay Pierse (CAN) 2009

  • 2:20.69 Soni (USA)*
  • 2:21.41 Soni
  • 2:21.60 Soni
  • 2:21.99 Soni
  • 2:22.21 Soni
  • 2
  • 21

Butterfly

100m - 56.06 Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2009

  • 57.32 Magnuson (USA)
  • 57.32 Sjostrom (SWE)*
  • 57.36 Sjostrom, semis Euro titles
  • 57.39 Vollmer (USA)
  • 57.40 Halsall (GBR)*
  • 24
  • 27

200m - WR: 2:01.81 Liu Zige (CHN) 2009

  • 2:05.46 Jiao (CHN)
  • 2:05.61 Jiao (CHN)
  • 2:05.79 Jiao (CHN)*
  • 2:06.71 Hosszu (HUN)*
  • 2:06.90 Schipper (AUS)*
  • 16
  • 44

Medley

200m - WR: 2:06.15 Ariana Kukors (USA) 2009

  • 2:09.36 Ye (CHN)* 
  • 2:09.70 Coutts (AUS)*
  • 2:09.93 Seebohm (AUS)*
  • 2:10.07 Rice (AUS)
  • 2:10.09 Hosszu (HUN)*
  • 2:10.10 Verraszto (HUN)*
  • 10
  • 22

400m - WR: Stephanie Rice (AUS) 4:29.45 2008

  • 4:33.09 Miley (GBR)*
  • 4:33.79 Ye (CHN)*
  • 4:34.04 Beisel (USA), heats Pan Pacs
  • 4:34.59 Li (CHN) 
  • 4:34.68 Hosszu (HUN) 
  • 8
  • 10

Relays

4x100m free - WR: 3:31.72 NED 2009

  • 3:35.11 USA*
  • 3:36.36 AUS*
  • 3:36.88 CHN*
  • 3:37.72 GER*
  • 3:37.90 JPN*
  • 5
  • 13

4x200m free - WR: 7:42.08 CHN 2009

  • 7:51.21 USA*
  • 7:51.81 CHN*
  • 7:52.49 HUN*
  • 7:52.64 AUS*
  • 7:52.69 FRA*
  • 16
  • 22

4x100m medley - WR: 3:52.19 CHN 2009

  • 3:55.23 USA*
  • 3:56.96 AUS*
  • 3:56.99 AUS*
  • 3:57.75 JPN*
  • 3:57.80 CHN*
  • 3
  • 7