A Look at the Oldest SCM World Records: Who Can Challenge In Budapest?
With the Budapest-hosted Short Course World Championships just days away, the stage is set for the conclusion of one of the fastest years of swimming in history. Let’s break down the history of the longest-standing, short-course world records for both men and women, as well as who has the best shot of breaking them.
Therese Alshammar – 50 Butterfly
In 2016, a 39-year-old Therese Alshammar became just the third swimmer in history to participate in six Olympic Games. Alshammar placed 15th in the 50 freestyle semifinals, where she was the oldest competitor in the field by a staggering eight years. She owns three Olympic medals, all coming from the Sydney 2000 Games. Two individual silver medals and a relay bronze cemented her status as a leading player on the international landscape.
Therese Alshammar – Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse
In short-course competition, Alshammar was a force to be reckoned with, amassing 39 international medals in 25-meter competition. The 50 butterfly, however, stood out as her strongest event. The Swedish star set the world record for the final time on November 22, 2009. Sitting a 24.38, it sits just hundredths faster than Sarah Sjostrom‘s long-course record (24.43).
In the 15 years since, many women have come within tenths of the record. The aforementioned Sjostrom owns a personal best of 24.50 from 2021. Ranomi Kromowidjojo is the second-fastest all time at a 24.44. A total of 22 women have been under 25.00.
Who Can Break It?
At the upcoming World Championships, Kate Douglass is expected to chase the mark. The Virginia Cavalier sits fourth all-time at 24.54, done in October of this year. Should Douglass better Alshammar’s mark, she’d own world records in the 200 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, and sit fifth all-time in the 100 freestyle, an astonishing feat of versatility. Out of history’s top 10, only Melanie Henique will join Douglass in Budapest. Henique sits well down on the psych sheet (25.22) compared to her lifetime best (24.56). For the French sprinter, it’s a taller ask to break her national record from five years ago in 2019. Should she find two tenths, however, she’d create a tantalizing showdown versus Douglass.
Paul Biedermann – 200 Freestyle
Sitting at a 1:39.37, Paul Biedermann’s world record in the 200 freestyle has stood the test of the time, turning 15 years old in November of this year. Yannick Agnel made a run at it in 2012, but came up just short at 1:39.70. It would take another decade for someone to scare the mark. At the last edition of the Short Course Worlds in Melbourne, South Korea’s Hwang Sun-woo brought the hammer down to slot in at third all-time. His 1:39.72 represented the first real shot in a long while at beating Bidermann’s time. Last month in Singapore, Duncan Scott got down to a 1:39.83.
Neither Hwang or Scott are racing the 200 freestyle in Budapest, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t see someone join the 1:39 club. Australia’s Edward Sommerville sits atop the entries with his recent personal best of 1:40.64. Just 19 years old, it’s not out of the question for the Dolphins team member to make his way under the barrier.
Photo Courtesy: arena
American Luke Hobson is coming off of the best year of his swimming career. He won the NCAA title in the 200-yard freestyle in March, swimming the fastest time in history. He then swam to an Olympic bronze medal in the same event in Paris. Hobson’s yards PB of 1:28.81 roughly converts to a 1:38.40, which would be a new world record by nearly a full second. If Hobson can channel his proven short-course talent, it’s not out of the question that the record can be challenged.
The Unofficial Longest Standing Record
Although Biedermann’s record is the longest standing ratified record, a relay squad owns an older world’s-best mark from 2008.
On December 14, 2008, the super-suited French quartet of Alain Bernard (20.64), Fabien Gilot (20.33), Amaury Leveaux (19.93) and Fred Bousquet (19.87) swam a 1:20.77 in the 4×50 freestyle relay. Not only is this the fastest swim in history, it also is the only 4×50 freestyle relay in history to see anyone swim under 20.00.
The ratified world record is owned by Team USA. Caeleb Dressel (20.43), Ryan Held (20.25), Jack Conger (20.59) and Michael Chadwick (20.53) combined for a 1:21.80 at the Hangzhou 2018 World Championships.
The unofficial world’s-best mark will likely not be challenged anytime soon. While not as many big stars are set to compete this week, the possibility still exists for a new world record. Team USA is bringing serious sprint power to these World Championships. Chris Guiliano, Jack Alexy and Michael Andrew all bring their talents to the table.
