The swimming world could have easily experienced a post-Olympic hangover this year, but we saw even more world records broken in 2022 compared to last year.
In total, 26 world records were established — well, 27 if you count the epic tie between the U.S. and Australia in the 4×100 medley relay at Short Course Worlds as two. By comparison, there were 24 world records tallied in 2021.
Eight of the 26 world records this year came during the long-course season. Six of those were individual records while two were relays. The balance was flipped for the 19 short-course records: 10 (or 11) of them were relays and eight were individual.
During a busy racing schedule this year, world records were set at 10 different meets.
U.S. International Team Trials
Hunter Armstrong blazed a 23.71 50 backstroke for the first world record of the year in late April
Australian Championships
Zac Stubblety-Cook clocked a 2:05.95 200 breaststroke in May, becoming the first under 2:06 in the event
Ariarne Titmus became the first to take down one of Katie Ledecky’s world records with a 3:56.40 400 free
World Championships
Thomas Ceccon broke Ryan Murphy’s world record with a 51.60 100 backstroke
Kristof Milak broke his own 200 butterfly world record with a 1:50.34 in front of his home crowd
Australia’s mixed 4×100 free relay team of Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Madi Wilson, and Mollie O’Callaghan combined for a new world record of 3:19.38
Commonwealth Games
The Australian quartet of Madi Wilson, Kiah Melverton, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Ariarne Titmus took down the 4×200 free relay world record with a 7:39.29
European Championships
David Popovici blasted a 46.86 in the 100 free to break Cesar Cielo’s 13-year-old world record
Japanese Short Course Championships
Tomoru Honda set the first world record of the short-course season in October with a 1:46.85 in the SCM 200 fly
Chinese Short Course Championships
Li Bingjie fired off a 3:51.30 in the SCM 400 free just a few days later
World Cup Series
At the second stop of the World Cup series in Toronto, Katie Ledecky crushed the SCM 1500 free world record by 10 seconds with a 15:08.24
Ledecky followed that up with a 7:57.42 in the SCM 800 free at the final World Cup stop in Indianapolis
Solidarity Games
Kliment Kolesnikov lowered an eight-year-old world record in the SCM 50 back with a 22.11 in November
Short Course World Championships
Maggie MacNeil lowered her own SCM 50 back world record by .02 seconds with a 25.25 SCM
MacNeil also posted a 54.05 SCM 100 fly to break the world record by more than half a second
Ruta Meilutyte set her first world standard since 2013 with a 28.37 SCM 50 breast
France’s mixed 4×50 free relay squad went 1:27.33 to break the USA’s former world record
The Italian men cracked the 4×100 free relay world record with a 3:02.75
Emma McKeon’s 49.9 split powered the Australian women to a new world record in the 4×100 free relay
The U.S. men’s 4×200 free relay squad demolished the world record by nearly three seconds with a 6:44.12
The Australian women shattered the 4×200 free relay world record with a 7:30.87
The Italian men smashed the 4×50 medley relay world record with a 1:29.72
(No video found yet)
The Australian women’s 4×50 medley relay team snuck under the previous world record by .03 seconds with a 1:42.38
Just unstoppable!!
🇦🇺 Team Australia set a new World Record in the 4×50 Medley #FINAMelbourne22 pic.twitter.com/BbWXKdBxpb— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 17, 2022
Team USA crushed the mixed 4×50 medley relay with a 1:35.15
The U.S. women broke the 4×100 medley relay world record with a 3:44.35
(No video found yet)
The American and Australian men capped Short Course Worlds with a thrilling tie in the 4×100 medley relay (3:18.98)
A new shared WOOOOORLD RECORD 🚨
USA 🇺🇸 & Australia 🇦🇺 share gold in the Men's 4×100 Medley Relay ⏱️3:18.98 #FINAMelbourne22 pic.twitter.com/eVanHmaZCX— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 18, 2022
How easy was Popovici swim.
The best swim of the year?
Marchand’s 400im
Yeah no
Americans only had one LC WR and not in an Olympic event! Still a good LC World Champs for USA? none of the LC WRs were by any ncaa swimmers.
Will put the following “ball into play. Which of these WRs are most likely to fall in 2023 ?
Given the next SC Worlds will not be until 2024; it’s highly unlikely likely that any of the relay ones will fall. There is the outside chance that ISL may somehow be resurrected and one team may field actually field a powerhouse relay solely of the one nationality but those odds are fairly astronomical.
MacNeill’s ?? Possible, depending on who may essay a World Cup campaign post LC Worlds. Ditto for Meilutyte.
Ledecky’s ?? Highly unlikely unless she has another dip in the SC pool
The most likely LC marks to go are, as is often the case, the… Read more »
Men’s 400im and 1500m deserve a mention
Could do but were either of them set in 2022 ? No, they were not and my question was specifically referring to those records rather than every WR on the books.
Sorry I missed that
‘US probably have the greater potential to take it much lower but that is reliant on both Titmus & MOC absolutely lighting it up. On actual liklihood, I’m actually leaning on USA getting it done even if in a less dramtic fashion.’
This makes little sense, the US relies on Ledecky as much as Australia relies on Titmus. MOC is clearly ahead of any American, but hasn’t performed in the relays as yet. If MOC fires, US in big trouble, as Australia only country with 2 swimmers in top 5 (Titmus, Ledecky, MOC, Haughey & McIntosh).
Both countries with potential strong swimmers, US with youngsters in(Sims, Gemmill & Wienstein) & Australia with more stable experienced swimmers in (Melverton, Wilson,… Read more »
Please allow me to clarify.
AUS has the fastest ever split with Titmus. MOC has swam 1.54 dead flat start which suggests a 1.53 something relay split possibilities. Should both do this in the same race then its fair to say that AUS obiliterates the WR and wins in a canter.
However, despite multiple 1.53 race times; Titmus has only once dropped the monster relay split once; namely Birmingham. I doubt Ledecky can drop a 1.52 split but her relay record of “delivering” the big leg is better than Titmus.
MOC is still very much a “work in progress” at this distance and may take longer to get the hang of this relay than the 4X100. At this point,… Read more »
I have this feeling that the Americans are gonna have four swimmers sub 1:55 flat start by Paris.
Fully understand your concerns about the Aussies and all valid.
However you have not done the same with the US team. I do agree with Troyy that US will have four 1.55 swimmers by Paris.
Ledecky a consistent high performer 1.53 high – 1.54 low relay swimmer.
Sims great relay leg last year WC, but has never been close to that time in individual, was this a one off?
Germmil is over a second slower at same age as MOC. Still only potential.
Weinstein, imo biggest upside of them all, could be anything, but still we only talking potential.
Anything happens this 4 the back up not there in the US.
You are backing the… Read more »
It’s a toss up between these two teams and US depth in 200 free is not the same as 100 free because they not only have the swimmers that you mentioned but they also have another bunch of young and experience swimmers that can go fast like Gretchen Walsh , Paige Madden and Katie McLaughlin that can be really good in relay swimming and last year with Bella Sims is the only beginning and I believe they have a potential and can improved much more.
Since when does Gretchen swim the 200?
I guess I’m wrong cause I thought somebody said they thought she should be on the 4×200 freestyle at last month SC world championship that’s why I thought of her and her sisters is also good on the 4×200 too and it’s less likely they gonna be included cause they’re for sure gonna focus on individual events where they have a lot more potential.
Rob; I will agree that, at present, the depth question currently lies AUS’s way. However, that depth lies in with a batch of 1.55/1.56 performers but only Pallister perhaps having any upside.
its not an easy call to make and as I alluded to; over a series of races they’d almost certainly split the results and I suspect at least one of those could be the potential AUS blowout.
Your final sentence does, in fact, spell out the core issue with this AUS relay. On paper, they should have won both of their last 2 “majors” (Tokyo/Budapest) but have performed below par whereas USA has been less fancied yet outperformed them each time.
The issue is not who… Read more »
I am willing to accept that, you think Australia (yes balls it up in Tokyo) fail again & the US swim out of their skin (Sims 2 seconds faster then ever before) will see a US victory.
I’m staying with facts now, things can change & will change in 2023 & especially 2024.
Australia has more upside in their game changers in Titmus & MOC to US’s Ledecky. MOC with a 1.54.01 at 18 years old, love to see what she could do in Paris as a 20 year old.
But the US especially Weinstein, but also Gremmell & Sims & Grimes has some serious upside, but they have to show it first, while Australia has a bunch… Read more »
Well things could definitely changes but I still think it’s gonna be close and you just mentioned all of the young swimmers in the US team but in terms of experience they also have others swimmers besides Ledecky and with Pallister who’s gonna have individual events, I don’t know how she’s gonna performed on the relay on long course for Australia and all I know is that we’ve seen throughout the years how the US performed and they delivered even they got a second place with being so close and I don’t see how that gonna change soon which is why for me it’s too close to call in terms of prediction
I think moc would fire if she’s on the lead off and mcintosh continues to lead off for canada
Hard to say. Having a rabbit to chase may be useful but may also put her off her game plan/what works best for her. I think its going to take some more outings for to fully get the hang of this relay as against the 4×100.
Will be very interesting to see how MOC’s 2023 plays out after stepping up from Olympic team rookie in 2021 to World Champion in an individual event the next. Careers don’t alway follow linear patterns so will we “consolidation” as a major player when we see all the main players back in the game or marking time. The other ball I may put into play regarding her relates to her backstroke; might we see… Read more »
Got to agree with this. I’m thinking more about Paris and I think Aus will win it.
Titmus will give up the 800m due to increased competition in the 200/400m.
She should be 152 mid flat start by then.
MOC i think will end up being the best 200m freestyler at some stage.
She should be 153 low or better by Paris.
Nobody is going to beat that
Holy moly the amount of relay records!
Most of the SCM relay records were ‘weak’ records. Even the lcm mixed 400m relay was/still is weak
Olympics next year!!!!!