This is a history of the progression of theWorld Record for theswimming event: the50butterfly. It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever in the event, in bothlong course (50m) andshort course (25m) swimming pool. These records are maintained/recognized byFINA,[1] 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.
# | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WBT | 23.68 | Denis Pankratov | ![]() | 10 Aug 1996 | Meet of Champions | Mulhouse, France | ||
1 | 23.60 | Geoff Huegill | ![]() | 14 May 2000 | Australia Championships | Sydney, Australia | ||
2 | 23.44 | sf | Geoff Huegill | ![]() | 27 Jul 2001 | World Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | |
3 | 23.43 | Matt Welsh | ![]() | 21 Jul 2003 | World Championships | Barcelona, Spain | ||
4 | 23.30 | Ian Crocker | ![]() | 29 Feb 2004 | Big 12 Time Trials | Austin, United States | [2] | |
5 | 23.01 | sf | Roland Schoeman | ![]() | 24 Jul 2005 | World Championships | Montreal, Canada | |
6 | 22.96 | Roland Schoeman | ![]() | 25 Jul 2005 | World Championships | Montreal, Canada | [3] | |
7 | 22.43 | sf | Rafael Muñoz | ![]() | 5 April 2009 | Spanish Championships | Málaga, Spain | [4] |
8 | 22.27 | Andriy Govorov | ![]() | 1 July 2018 | Sette Colli Trophy | Rome, Italy | [5] |
# | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26.54 | Inge de Bruijn | ![]() | 18 Jun 1999 | Netherlands Championships | Amersfoort, Netherlands | ||
2 | 26.39 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | ![]() | 1 Jul 1999 | Sweden Championships | Halmstad, Sweden | ||
3 | 26.29 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | ![]() | 27 Jul 1999 | European Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | ||
4 | 25.83 | h | Inge de Bruijn | ![]() | 20 May 2000 | Mare Nostrum | Monte Carlo, Monaco | |
5 | 25.64 | h | Inge de Bruijn | ![]() | 26 May 2000 | Super Speedo Grand Prix | Sheffield, United Kingdom | |
6 | 25.57 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | ![]() | 30 Jul 2002 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | ||
7 | 25.46 | Therese Alshammar | ![]() | 13 Jun 2007 | Mare Nostrum | Barcelona, Spain | [20] | |
8 | 25.33 | Marleen Veldhuis | ![]() | 19 April 2009 | Swim Cup Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | [21] | |
9 | 25.28 | sf | Marleen Veldhuis | ![]() | 31 July 2009 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | [22] |
10 | 25.07 | sf | Therese Alshammar | ![]() | 31 July 2009 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | [22] |
11 | 24.43 | Sarah Sjöström | ![]() | 5 July 2014 | Swedish Championships | Borås, Sweden | [23] |
Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 2550 m butterfly times and the top 25athletes: |
- denotes top performance forathletes in the top 2550 m butterfly times |
- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 2550 m butterfly times, by repeat athletes |
- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25athletes who fall outside the top 25 50 m butterfly times |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 22.27 | Andriy Govorov | ![]() | 1 July 2018 | Rome | [5] |
2 | 2 | 22.35 | Caeleb Dressel | ![]() | 22 July 2019 | Gwangju | [35] |
3 | 3 | 22.43 | Rafael Muñoz | ![]() | 5 April 2009 | Málaga | [4] |
4 | 22.45 | Muñoz #2 | 6 April 2009 | Málaga | |||
5 | 22.48 | Muñoz #3 | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [36] | ||
Govorov #2 | 7 August 2018 | Glasgow | [37] | ||||
7 | 22.49 | Muñoz #4 | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [36] | ||
8 | 22.53 | Govorov #3 | 16 June 2018 | Monaco | [38] | ||
9 | 22.57 | Dressel #2 | 21 July 2019 | Gwangju | [39] | ||
Dressel #3 | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [40] | ||||
4 | 11 | 22.60 | Nicholas Santos | ![]() | 11 May 2019 | Budapest | [41] |
12 | 22.61 | Santos #2 | 3 May 2017 | Rio de Janeiro | [42] | ||
5 | 13 | 22.62 | Oleg Kostin | ![]() | 19 April 2023 | Kazan | [43] |
6 | 14 | 22.65 | Noè Ponti | ![]() | 4 April 2024 | Uster | [44] |
7 | 15 | 22.67 | Milorad Čavić | ![]() | 27 July 2009 | Rome | [45] |
16 | 22.68 | Muñoz #5 | 26 July 2009 | Rome | [46] | ||
8 | 16 | 22.68 | Thomas Ceccon | ![]() | 24 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [47] |
Ilya Kharun | ![]() | 12 June 2025 | Victoria | [48] | |||
19 | 22.69 | Čavić #2 | 1 August 2009 | Rome | [49] | ||
Govorov #4 | 1 July 2016 | Vichy | |||||
Govorov #5 | 16 June 2018 | Monaco | |||||
10 | 22 | 22.70 | Henrique Martins | ![]() | 26 June 2017 | Belo Horizonte | [50] |
22 | 22.70 | Kostin #2 | 22 July 2019 | Gwangju | [35] | ||
10 | 22 | 22.70 | Maxime Grousset | ![]() | 14 June 2025 | Montpellier | [51] |
25 | 22.71 | Kostin #3 | 29 July 2023 | Kazan | |||
12 | 22.72 | Nyls Korstanje | ![]() | 26 May 2025 | London | [52] | |
13 | 22.73 | Matt Targett | ![]() | 27 July 2009 | Rome | [45] | |
14 | 22.75 | Ben Proud | ![]() | 24 July 2017 | Budapest | [53] | |
15 | 22.76 | César Cielo | ![]() | 24 April 2012 | Rio de Janeiro | [54] | |
16 | 22.79 | Michael Andrew | ![]() | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [40] | |
Dare Rose | ![]() | 23 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [55] | |||
18 | 22.80 | Diogo Ribeiro | ![]() | 24 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [47] | |
Abdelrahman Sameh | ![]() | 18 May 2025 | Monaco | [56] | |||
20 | 22.84 | Frédérick Bousquet | ![]() | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [36] | |
Florent Manaudou | ![]() | 2 August 2015 | Kazan | [57] | |||
Jacob Peters | ![]() | 24 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [47] | |||
23 | 22.85 | Dylan Carter | ![]() | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [40] | |
24 | 22.89 | Kyle Chalmers | ![]() | 12 April 2025 | Stockholm | [58] | |
14 June 2025 | Adelaide | [59] | |||||
25 | 22.90 | Roland Schoeman | ![]() | 26 July 2009 | Rome | [60] | |
Yauhen Tsurkin | ![]() | 28 July 2013 | Barcelona | [61] | |||
Szebasztián Szabó | ![]() | 22 July 2019 | Gwangju | [35] |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 21.32 | Noè Ponti | ![]() | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] |
2 | 21.43 | Ponti #2 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||
3 | 21.50 | Ponti #3 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [15] | ||
4 | 21.53 | Ponti #4 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [63] | ||
2 | 5 | 21.62 | Nyls Korstanje | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [63] |
6 | 21.64 | Ponti #5 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [64] | ||
7 | 21.65 | Ponti #6 | 12 April 2025 | Uster | |||
8 | 21.67 | Ponti #7 | 20 October 2024 | Shanghai | [14] | ||
3 | 8 | 21.67 | Ilya Kharun | ![]() | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] |
10 | 21.68 | Ponti #8 | 20 October 2024 | Shanghai | [65] | ||
Korstanje #2 | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | ||||
12 | 21.74 | Korstanje #3 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [64] | ||
4 | 13 | 21.75 | Nicholas Santos | ![]() | 6 October 2018 | Budapest | [12] |
Szebasztián Szabó | ![]() | 6 November 2021 | Kazan | [13] | |||
15 | 21.76 | Ponti #9 | 26 October 2024 | Incheon | [66] | ||
16 | 21.78 | Santos #2 | 10 November 2020 | Budapest | [67] | ||
Santos #3 | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | |||||
18 | 21.79 | Ponti #10 | 9 December 2023 | Otopeni | [68] | ||
6 | 19 | 21.80 | Steffen Deibler | ![]() | 14 November 2009 | Berlin | [11] |
19 | 21.80 | Santos #4 | 16 November 2020 | Budapest | [69] | ||
21 | 21.81 | Santos #5 | 15 December 2018 | Hangzhou | |||
Santos #6 | 30 September 2021 | Naples | |||||
Korstanje #4 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||||
24 | 21.84 | Kharun #2 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [63] | ||
25 | 21.86 | Szabó #2 | 2 November 2020 | Budapest | [70] | ||
Szabó #3 | 10 November 2020 | Budapest | [71] | ||||
Szabó #4 | 8 December 2023 | Otopeni | |||||
7 | 21.87 | Roland Schoeman | ![]() | 14 November 2009 | Berlin | [11] | |
8 | 21.95 | Chad le Clos | ![]() | 6 December 2014 | Doha | [72] | |
9 | 21.96 | Sun Jiajun | ![]() | 24 September 2024 | Wuhan | [73] | |
10 | 21.97 | Teong Tzen Wei | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [63] | |
11 | 21.98 | Dylan Carter | ![]() | 20 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [74] | |
12 | 21.99 | Tom Shields | ![]() | 9 October 2021 | Budapest | [75] | |
Marius Kusch | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | |||
14 | 22.01 | Michele Busa | ![]() | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | |
15 | 22.01 | Matteo Rivolta | ![]() | 20 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [74] | |
16 | 22.04 | Caeleb Dressel | ![]() | 16 November 2020 | Budapest | [69] | |
17 | 22.05 | Grigori Pekarski | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | |
18 | 22.06 | Maxime Grousset | ![]() | 9 December 2023 | Otopeni | [68] | |
19 | 22.07 | Johannes Dietrich | ![]() | 13 December 2009 | Istanbul | ||
Oleg Kostin | ![]() | 9 November 2019 | Kazan | ||||
21 | 22.08 | Marcin Cieślak | ![]() | 18 December 2020 | Olsztyn | ||
22 | 22.09 | Florent Manaudou | ![]() | 23 November 2014 | Montpellier | ||
23 | 22.10 | Jacob Peters | ![]() | 9 December 2023 | Otopeni | [68] | |
24 | 22.15 | Daniel Zaitsev | ![]() | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [76] | |
Roman Shevliakov | ![]() | 25 November 2024 | Saint Petersburg |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 24.43 | Sarah Sjöström | ![]() | 5 July 2014 | Borås | [23] |
2 | 24.60 | Sjöström #2 | 29 July 2017 | Budapest | [78] | ||
3 | 24.63 | Sjöström #3 | 17 February 2024 | Doha | [79] | ||
2 | 4 | 24.66 | Gretchen Walsh | ![]() | 4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [80] |
5 | 24.69 | Sjöström #4 | 5 April 2015 | Eindhoven | [81] | ||
6 | 24.73 | Sjöström #5 | 21 June 2024 | Rome | [82] | ||
7 | 24.74 | Sjöström #6 | 28 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [83] | ||
8 | 24.76 | Sjöström #7 | 14 June 2017 | Barcelona | [84] | ||
9 | 24.77 | Sjöström #8 | 29 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [85] | ||
10 | 24.79 | Sjöström #9 | 26 July 2019 | Gwangju | [86] | ||
11 | 24.87 | Sjöström #10 | 18 August 2014 | Berlin | [87] | ||
12 | 24.88 | Sjöström #11 | 16 February 2024 | Doha | [88] | ||
13 | 24.89 | Sjöström #12 | 21 May 2023 | Monaco | |||
14 | 24.90 | Sjöström #13 | 11 June 2017 | Monaco | |||
15 | 24.92 | Sjöström #14 | 25 April 2024 | Stockholm | |||
16 | 24.93 | Walsh #2 | 2 May 2025 | Fort Lauderdale | [89] | ||
17 | 24.95 | Sjöström #15 | 18 June 2017 | Canet-en-Roussillon | |||
Sjöström #16 | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [90] | ||||
Sjöström #17 | 2 June 2024 | Monaco | |||||
20 | 24.96 | Sjöström #18 | 8 August 2015 | Kazan | [91] | ||
Sjöström #19 | 8 April 2017 | Stockholm | |||||
Sjöström #20 | 13 August 2022 | Rome | |||||
23 | 24.97 | Sjöström #21 | 14 October 2023 | Athens | [92] | ||
24 | 24.98 | Sjöström #22 | 19 August 2014 | Berlin | |||
Walsh #3 | 4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [93] | ||||
3 | 25.05 | Zhang Yufei | ![]() | 29 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [85] | |
4 | 25.07 | Therese Alshammar | ![]() | 31 July 2009 | Rome | [22] | |
5 | 25.11 | Rikako Ikee | ![]() | 10 June 2018 | Canet-en-Roussillon | ||
6 | 25.17 | Mélanie Henique | ![]() | 19 June 2021 | Chartres | [94] | |
7 | 25.20 | Fran Halsall | ![]() | 24 July 2014 | Glasgow | [95] | |
8 | 25.24 | Jeanette Ottesen | ![]() | 3 August 2013 | Barcelona | [96] | |
Ranomi Kromowidjojo | ![]() | 13 March 2021 | Amsterdam | ||||
10 | 25.28 | Marleen Veldhuis | ![]() | 31 July 2009 | Rome | [22] | |
11 | 25.30 | Arina Surkova | ![]() | 19 April 2023 | Kazan | [97] | |
12 | 25.31 | Holly Barratt | ![]() | 16 August 2019 | Singapore | [98] | |
13 | 25.33 | Marie Wattel | ![]() | 13 August 2022 | Rome | [99] | |
Torri Huske | ![]() | 28 June 2023 | Indianapolis | [100] | |||
15 | 25.36 | Alexandria Perkins | ![]() | 10 June 2025 | Adelaide | [101] | |
16 | 25.37 | Lu Ying | ![]() | 8 August 2015 | Kazan | [91] | |
17 | 25.38 | Farida Osman | ![]() | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [90] | |
18 | 25.39 | Kate Douglass | ![]() | 2 May 2025 | Fort Lauderdale | [89] | |
4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [80] | |||||
19 | 25.43 | Claire Curzan | ![]() | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [90] | |
Hazel Ouwehand | ![]() | 23 May 2025 | Auckland | [102] | |||
21 | 25.47 | Cate Campbell | ![]() | 1 March 2018 | Gold Coast | [103] | |
22 | 25.48 | Marieke Guehrer | ![]() | 1 August 2009 | Rome | [104] | |
Kelsi Dahlia | ![]() | 29 July 2017 | Budapest | [78] | |||
26 July 2018 | Irvine | ||||||
27 July 2019 | Gwangju | [105] | |||||
24 | 25.50 | Dara Torres | ![]() | 7 July 2009 | Indianapolis | [106] | |
Inge Dekker | ![]() | 10 April 2014 | Dordrecht | ||||
Emilie Beckmann | ![]() | 5 March 2021 | Vejle |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 23.94 | Gretchen Walsh | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] |
2 | 24.01 | Walsh #2 | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [108] | ||
3 | 24.02 | Walsh #3 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [32] | ||
4 | 24.18 | Walsh #4 | 14 December 2024 | Budapest | [109] | ||
5 | 24.37 | Walsh #5 | 13 December 2024 | Budapest | [110] | ||
2 | 6 | 24.38 | Therese Alshammar | ![]() | 22 November 2009 | Singapore | [31] |
3 | 7 | 24.42 | Kate Douglass | ![]() | 1 November 2024 | Singapore | [111] |
4 | 8 | 24.43 | Béryl Gastaldello | ![]() | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [108] |
5 | 9 | 24.44 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo | ![]() | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [112] |
10 | 24.46 | Alshammar #2 | 11 November 2009 | Stockholm | [30] | ||
11 | 24.47 | Kromowidjojo #2 | 14 December 2018 | Hangzhou | [113] | ||
12 | 24.49 | Kromowidjojo #3 | 12 December 2020 | Eindhoven | [114] | ||
6 | 13 | 24.50 | Sarah Sjöström | ![]() | 7 November 2021 | Kazan | [115] |
14 | 24.51 | Kromowidjojo #4 | 10 November 2018 | Tokyo | [116] | ||
Sjöström #2 | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [112] | ||||
16 | 24.52 | Sjöström #3 | 6 August 2017 | Berlin | [117] | ||
17 | 24.53 | Kromowidjojo #5 | 20 October 2017 | Amsterdam | [118] | ||
18 | 24.54 | Kromowidjojo #6 | 12 August 2017 | Eindhoven | [119] | ||
Douglass #2 | 19 October 2024 | Shanghai | [120] | ||||
20 | 24.55 | Sjöström #4 | 12 August 2017 | Eindhoven | [119] | ||
7 | 20 | 24.55 | Claire Curzan | ![]() | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [112] |
20 | 24.55 | Walsh #6 | 13 December 2024 | Budapest | [121] | ||
8 | 23 | 24.56 | Mélanie Henique | ![]() | 5 December 2019 | Glasgow | [122] |
24 | 24.57 | Sjöström #5 | 6 August 2017 | Berlin | [123] | ||
25 | 24.58 | Sjöström #6 | 7 December 2014 | Doha | [124] | ||
Sjöström #7 | 3 December 2015 | Netanya | [125] | ||||
Sjöström #8 | 10 November 2018 | Tokyo | [116] | ||||
9 | 25 | 24.58 | Arina Surkova | ![]() | 22 November 2023 | Saint Petersburg | [126] |
10 | 24.59 | Inge Dekker | ![]() | 1 September 2014 | Dubai | [127] | |
11 | 24.64 | Torri Huske | ![]() | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | |
Maggie Mac Neil | ![]() | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | |||
13 | 24.68 | Tessa Giele | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] | |
Alexandria Perkins | ![]() | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [108] | |||
15 | 24.69 | Marieke Guehrer | ![]() | 15 November 2009 | Berlin | [129] | |
16 | 24.71 | Jeanette Ottesen | ![]() | 5 December 2014 | Doha | [124] | |
Rikako Ikee | ![]() | 13 January 2018 | Tokyo | [130] | |||
Zhang Yufei | ![]() | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | |||
19 | 24.75 | Holly Barratt | ![]() | 29 October 2021 | Kazan | [131] | |
20 | 24.76 | Maaike de Waard | ![]() | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] | |
21 | 24.80 | Madeline Banic | ![]() | 22 November 2020 | Budapest | [132] | |
22 | 24.86 | Kelsi Dahlia | ![]() | 21 November 2021 | Eindhoven | [133] | |
23 | 24.90 | Felicity Galvez | ![]() | 17 December 2010 | Dubai | [134] | |
24 | 24.94 | Emma McKeon | ![]() | 29 October 2021 | Kazan | [131] | |
25 | 25.00 | Hinkelien Schreuder | ![]() | 11 December 2009 | Istanbul | [135] |