Leading up to the 2013 World Championships, we have put together a collection of some of the most notable records (country, continental, and world standards) that could be threatened in Barcelona. Keep an eye on these records as the swimming gets under way this Sunday.
Women’s Records:
50 free
British record: Fran Halsall – 24.11, 2009. Challenger: Halsall (24.13 in 2012)
Dutch: Marleen Veldhuis – 23.96, 2009. Challenger: Ranomi Kromowidjojo – 24.05
Australian: Libby Trickett – 23.97, 2008. Challenger: Cate Campbell – 24.27
100 free
Australian: Libby Trickett – 52.62, 2009. Challenger: Cate Campbell – 52.83
French: Malia Metella – 53.49, 2009. Challenger: Camille Muffat – 53.51
200 free
Australia’s Bronte Barratt has been having arguably the best season of her life. She has a great chance to take down Kylie Palmer’s Australian records in the 200 and 400 free.
Australian: Kylie Palmer – 1:55.73, 2011. Challenger: Bronte Barratt – 1:56.05
400 free
Australian: Kylie Palmer – 4:03.40, 2012. Challenger: Bronte Barratt – 4:03.52
800 free
Don’t be fooled by Katie Ledecky’s times from World Championship Trials. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist didn’t come down all the way
WORLD: Rebecca Adlington – 8:14.10, 2008. Challenger: Katie Ledecky – 8:14.63
1500 free
WORLD: Kate Ziegler – 15:42.54, 2007. Challenger: Katie Ledecky – 15:47.15
British: Jazmin Carlin – 15:47.26, 2013. Challenger: Carlin
European: Alessia Filippi – 15:44.93, 2009. Challenger: Carlin
50 back
WORLD: Zhao Jing – 27.06, 2009. Challenger: Yuanhui Fu – 27.22
100 back
Despite Missy Franklin getting the best of Emily Seebohm in the Olympic final, the 21-year-old Aussie actually had the fastest time of the 2012 season. Franklin benefits from a perfectly-aligned schedule at this meet (she would have had to double-up with the 200 free if the schedule was the same as 2011 Worlds), but Seebohm could certainly pull out a victory.
WORLD: Gemma Spofforth – 58.12, 2009. Challengers: Missy Franklin – 58.33, Emily Seebohm – 58.23
Asian: Aya Terakawa – 58.83, 2012. Challenger: Terakawa
200 back
WORLD: Missy Franklin – 2:04.06, 2012. Challenger: Franklin
50 breast
Ruta Meilutyte exploded onto the scene in 2012, winning the Olympic gold in the 100 breast.
WORLD: Jessica Hardy – 29.80, 2009. Challengers: Ruta Meilutyte – 29.96, Yulia Efimova – 30.12
100 breast
European: Ruta Meilutyte – 1:05.20, 2013. Challengers: Meilutyte, Yulia Efimova – 1:05.48
200 breast
European: Rikke Moller Pedersen – 2:20.53, 2013. Challenger: Pedersen
Men’s:
50 free
A bunch of the male sprint records are up for grabs, including Nathan Adrian, Vladimir Morozov, and James Magnussen gunning for national standards.
American: Cullen Jones – 21.40, 2009. Challenger: Nathan Adrian – 21.47
Russian: Alex Popov – 21.64, 2000. Challenger: Vladimir Morozov – 21.67
Japanese: Shinri Shioura – 22.03, 2013. Challenger: Shioura
100 free
WORLD: Cesar Cielo – 46.91, 2009. Challenger: James Magnussen – 47.10
American: David Walters – 47.33, 2009. Challenger: Nathan Adrian – 47.52
Australian: Eamon Sullivan – 47.05, 2008. Challenger: James Magnussen – 47.10
Russian: Andrey Grechin – 47.59, 2009. Challenger: Vladimir Morozov – 47.62
400 free
WORLD: Paul Biedermann – 3:40.07, 2009. Challenger: Sun Yang – 3:40.14
WORLD: Paul Biedermann – 3:40.07, 2009. Challenger: Sun Yang – 3:40.14
Japanese: Takeshi Matsuda – 3:44.99, 2008. Challenger: Kosuke Hagino – 3:45.42
800 free
Jensen’s distance standards (he also holds the record in the 1500) are the only American Records from before 2008 (he set this one back at the 2005 World Championships, finishing second to Grant Hacket in one of the most absurd individual performances of all time). Jaeger has been on fire, and was just 1.15 seconds away at World Championship Trials last month.
American: Larsen Jensen – 7:45.63, 2005. Challenger: Connor Jaeger – 7:46.78
50 back
American: Randall Bal – 24.33, 2008. Challenger: David Plummer
Brazilian: Daniel Orzechowski – 24.44, 2012. Challenger: Orzechowski
Russian: Vladimir Morozov – 24.80, 2013. Challenger: Morozov
50 breast
Australian: Christian Sprenger – 26.90, 2013. Challenger: Sprenger
Russian: Alexander Triznov/Vladimir Morozov – 27.34, 2009/2013. Challenger: Morozov
100 breast
American: Eric Shanteau – 58.96, 2009. Challenger: Kevin Cordes – 59.99
Australian: Brenton Rickard – 58.58, 2009. Challenger: Sprenger – 58.93
200 breast
World record holder Akihiro Yamaguchi has been in a bit of a slump this season, but if he finds his form in Barcelona, he could challenge his 2:07.01 record time. We can’t forget about Daniel Gyurta in this race either. Although he has also looked out of sync in 2013, he is the defending Olympic champion and former world record holder in this event.
American: Eric Shanteau – 2:07.42, 2009. Challenger: Kevin Cordes – 2:08.34
British: Michael Jamieson – 2:07.43, 2012. Challenger: Jamieson
50 fly
Brazilian: Cesar Cielo – 22.76, 2012. Challenger: Nicholas Santos – 22.79
British: Ben Proud – 23.10, 2013. Challenger: Proud
French: Fred Bousquet – 22.84, 2009. Challenger: Bousquet (23.00 this season), Florent Manaudou
100 fly
German: Steffen Deibler – 51.19, 2013. Challenger: Deibler
Russian: Evgeny Korotyshkin – 51.26, 2009. Challenger: Korotyshkin (51.44 last season)
200 fly
Australia: Nick D’Arcy – 1:54.46, 2009. Challenger: Grant Irvine – 1:55.32
200 IM
Kosuke Hagino has been one of the world’s biggest newcomers over the past 12-18 months. Look for the versatile teenager to compete for at least a pair of medals in the IM events.
WORLD: Ryan Lochte – 1:54.00, 2011. Challenger: Lochte
Asian/Japanese: Kosuke Hagino – 1:55.74, 2013. Challenger: Hagino
Chinese: Wang Shun – 1:57.50, 2013. Challenger: Shun
French: Jeremy Stravius – 1:57.89, 2013. Challenger: Stravius
400 IM
Asian/Japanese: Kosuke Hagino – 4:07.61, 2013. Challenger: Hagino
Australian: Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 4:10.14, 2013. Challenger: Fraser-Holmes
German: Yannick Lebherz – 4:12.47, 2013. Challenger: Lebherz
And I repeat Missy has no chance to break the world record in the 100 back next week. Yes Missy can do that double at the trials. She has a big margin but don’t forget you are not alone in the world. And the world championship will be another story. OK we know Missy can’t give everything in the 100 back in Barcelona. She will have to save something big in the semi-finals of the 200 free. Camille Muffat is unbeatable without the race of Allison Schmitt. And for your information Missy will have to swim 3 races on that day. And even after her great time in the 100 back at the trials I continue to think it would… Read more »
Oh my…
a very uncanny impersonation of Bobo Gigi
Heck I actually thought it WAS Monsieur Gigi at first, had to do a double take there!
Those last 3 lines are classic Bobo, almost made me spill my mug of coffee from giggling… 😀
Extra bold prediction of 4 guys under the existing WR in 200 breast, with Cordes being the least likely to do so. Still a podium full of 2:06s
Anybody know what race has had the most swimmers under the existing WR?
Despite how many people appear within striking distance of that record, I still think its a rather strong mark. Its over a second faster than what the textiel record is at. I dont think more than one person breaks it.
The current WR was set in textile. Yamaguchi’s 2:07.01 from after the London as well as Gyurta’s Olympic win (2:07.2) have bettered the suit era best of 2:07.3 (Sprenger’s semi-final swim in Rome)
You’re right that it’s a fast record, but Yamaguchi and Gyurta barely need best times to break it, and they should be very motivated (Gyurta for the WC 3-peat, Yamaguchi to show that he is ready to carry the torch for Japanese breaststroke on the big stage.) It doesn’t hurt that Jaimeson has almost matched his silver-winning 2:07.4 from London leading up to WC, and that Cordes hasn’t shown his hand yet. And this front-loaded lineup is likely without Sprenger, WR holder until a year ago… Read more »
I know that the current WR was set in textile.
What I meant was that the current textile record (and WR) is over a second faster than what it was a year before the Olympics (2:08.25 by Tomita), which represents a larger drop in a year than just about any other 200 distance textile mark. Statistically, the number of Olympic medalists who improve on their winning times in the following year must be pretty low. Also consider that that Gyurta, and especially Jameisen dropped huge chunks of time to time their Olympic medal winning swims, so much that it’s unlikely another big drop is in cards.
You can make the case for both men dropping times: ie. The breaststroke… Read more »
Thanks for clearing that up – didn’t mean to insult your intelligence, John.
I’m a little more optimistic I guess in viewing races and swimmers as mutually exclusive. WR trajectories and cyclical patterns don’t hold as much weight behind the blocks as they do in Excel, but they tend to hold up regardless so I respect where you’re coming from. We’ll have to see how it plays out in Barcelona
I’m bullish on Cordes because I don’t believe he was in top form at WCT. His pacing was indicative that his strategy was there for a 200 WR but his forearms and legs could only hold up for a 175. His 100 looked markedly similar.
As far… Read more »
Maybe the 4×100 free relay in Beijing? 5 teams went under the world record, which was set in the morning prelims.
oh yes, I forgot about that race.
My bet is one of the races from 2009 World Championships.
I’m thinking ryan murphy will get a few records of his own at this meet. I think it stung him a little bit to see jack conger crush his times at the WUG’s, so he’s going to try to make a statement and put himself back on top in the backstroke events.
Also, that would be quite the feat if morozov can top cordes in a 50 breast. Seeing the two NCAA standouts head to head, the stand out sprinter and the record breaking breastroker go at it in the 50 breast.
I am also really hoping to get to see a show down in the 200 fly. I bet phelps deck enters the event and proves to… Read more »
I have almost nothing understood!
About MP, no, not everybody. I don’t wait for a comeback of Michael. And I’m not his only fan who thinks he must stay retired.
I’m sure Ryan is motivated after seeing that swim, but he isn’t going to worlds
Cant wait to see Katie Ledecky’s performance in the 800m free its going to be spectacular
The Ledecky show will already start next Sunday with the 400 free.
so morozov is swimming the 50 free, back and breast?
impressive versatility and a loaded schedule: 4 individual events and 2 relays
also, was hackett’s 800 really one of the most absurd performances ever?
i would argue it’s not even his best performance ever, the best being his 1500 from 2001. he won the race by 24 seconds there. his time would have won the 2003 world champs by 27 seconds and the 1998 WC by 26 seconds. it would have won the ’00 olympics by 19 seconds (excluding hackett’s own time) and the ’04 Games by 12 seconds (excluding hackett again)
not only that but it was the only record to survive the suit era. today, 12 years later, no one has gotten within 5 seconds of it in textile except for sun yang
Agreed.
I suppose I should have qualified it by adding in the effort/amount of cojones he had in this race. Out like a shot, 3:47.1 at the 400, building a 6 second lead over the field. Keep in mind Jensen and Prilukov set the American and European records in this heat, and he made them look like they were age groupers for a good part of the race.
But you’re right, not “best ever”… but certainly “one of”.
Wasted energy in the 50 back and in the 50 breast.
It’s unclear at this point, but we played it safe when considering what Vlad could be swimming. We’ll see once the start lists are released.
I talked about Vlad and his wasted energy in the 50 back and the 50 breast. He should only swim freestyle. In the 50 free and in the 100 free, you must be as fresh as possible.
Thanks for this, a nice quick summary of times to really watch out for.
Will you be doing previews for the remaining events you haven’t covered yet, or are you done with those now?
I want at least previews about the relays.
I’ve been waiting for the next previews too.
How come they suddenly stopped?
More of these coming soon… Look for the women’s 200 back coming later today.
Good stuff 🙂
Both Orzechowski(50 back) and Cielo(50 fly) are more than brazilian records.They are South American records.
The only brazilian record i can see going down is girls 50 free(24.98 from Flavia Delaroli).Both Graciele Herman(25.10) and Alessandra Marchioro(25.17) has a chance.South American is harder:24.76 by Arlene Semeco in shiny suit(2009).