World record progression 200 metres individual medley
The first world record in the 200 metres individual medley in long course (50 metres) swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1956, followed by the women a year later. In the short course (25 metres) swimming events the world's governing body recognizes world records since March 3, 1991.
Men
Long course
TIME |
SWIMMER |
NATIONALITY |
DATE |
MEET |
PLACE |
REF |
2:30.7 |
George Harrison |
United States |
August 24, 1956 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:29.1 |
Frank Brunnell |
United States |
July 19, 1958 |
|
Akron, Ohio |
2:26.2 |
Gary Heinrich |
United States |
June 27, 1959 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:24.7 |
Lance Larson |
United States |
July 11, 1959 |
|
Santa Clara, California |
2:22.2 |
John McGill |
United States |
July 23, 1960 |
|
Toledo, Ohio |
2:22.1 |
Ted Stickles |
United States |
July 23, 1960 |
|
Toledo, Ohio |
2:21.3 |
Ted Stickles |
United States |
July 2, 1961 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
2:20.5 |
Ted Stickles |
United States |
July 22, 1961 |
|
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio |
2:19.6 |
Ted Stickles |
United States |
August 19, 1961 |
Men’s NAAA Championships |
Los Angeles, California |
2:15.9 |
Ted Stickles |
United States |
August 19, 1961 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:15.5 |
Dick Roth |
United States |
August 2, 1964 |
|
Los Altos, California |
2:14.9 |
Dick Roth |
United States |
August 15, 1964 |
|
Maumee, Ohio |
2:13.1 |
Greg Buckingham |
United States |
July 24, 1966 |
|
Los Altos, California |
2:12.4 |
Greg Buckingham |
United States |
August 21, 1966 |
|
Lincoln, Nebraska |
2:11.3 |
Greg Buckingham |
United States |
August 23, 1967 |
|
Oak Park, California |
2:10.6 |
Charlie Hickcox |
United States |
August 31, 1968 |
US Olympic Trials |
Los Angeles, California |
2:09.6 |
Gary Hall, Sr. |
United States |
August 17, 1969 |
|
Louisville, Kentucky |
2:09.5 |
Gary Hall, Sr. |
United States |
August 23, 1970 |
AAU Championships |
Los Angeles, California |
2:09.3 |
Gunnar Larsson |
Sweden |
September 12, 1970 |
European Championships |
Barcelona, Spain |
2:09.30 |
Gary Hall, Sr. |
United States |
August 2, 1972 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
2:07.17 |
Gunnar Larsson |
Sweden |
September 3, 1972 |
Olympic Games |
Munich, West Germany |
2:06.32 |
David Wilkie |
United Kingdom |
August 24, 1974 |
European Championships |
Vienna, Austria |
2:06.32 |
Steve Furniss |
United States |
September 1, 1974 |
|
Concord, California |
2:06.08 |
Bruce Furniss |
United States |
August 23, 1975 |
|
Kansas City, Missouri |
2:05.31 |
Graham Smith |
Canada |
August 4, 1977 |
|
Montreal, Canada |
2:05.24 |
Aleksandr Sidorenko |
Soviet Union |
July 9, 1978 |
|
Moscow, Soviet Union |
2:04.39 |
Steve Lundquist |
United States |
August 2, 1978 |
|
The Woodlands, Texas |
2:03.56 |
Graham Smith |
Canada |
August 24, 1978 |
World Championships |
West Berlin, West Germany |
2:03.29 |
Jesse Vassallo |
United States |
July 6, 1979 |
|
San Juan, Puerto Rico |
2:03.24 |
Bill Barrett |
United States |
August 1, 1980 |
|
Irvine, California |
2:03.01 |
Jeremy Reingold |
RSA |
September 26, 1980 |
|
Cape Town, South Africa |
2:02.78 |
Alex Baumann |
Canada |
July 29, 1981 |
|
Heidelberg, West Germany |
2:02.25 |
Alex Baumann |
Canada |
August 1, 1982 |
|
Brisbane, Queensland |
2:01.42 |
Alex Baumann |
Canada |
August 4, 1984 |
Olympic Games |
Los Angeles, California |
2:00.56 |
Tamás Darnyi |
Hungary |
August 23, 1987 |
European Championships |
Strasbourg, France |
2:00.17 |
Tamás Darnyi |
Hungary |
September 25, 1988 |
Olympic Games |
Seoul, South Korea |
2:00.11 |
David Wharton |
United States |
August 20, 1989 |
Pan Pacific Championships |
Tokyo, Japan |
1:59.36 |
Tamás Darnyi |
Hungary |
January 13, 1991 |
World Championships |
Perth, Western Australia |
1:58.16 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
September 11, 1994 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
1:57.94 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
June 29, 2003 |
Santa Clara Invitational |
Santa Clara, California |
1:57.52 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
July 24, 2003 |
World Championships |
Barcelona, Spain |
1:56.04 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
July 25, 2003 |
World Championships |
Barcelona, Spain |
1:55.94 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
August 9, 2003 |
USA Summer Nationals |
College Park, Maryland |
1:55.84 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
August 20, 2006 |
Pan Pacific Championships |
Victoria, Canada |
1:54.98 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
March 29, 2007 |
World Championships |
Melbourne, Victoria |
1:54.80 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
July 4, 2008 |
US Olympic Trials |
Omaha, Nebraska |
1:54.23 |
Michael Phelps |
United States |
August 15, 2008 |
Olympic Games |
Beijing, China |
1:54.10 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
July 30, 2009 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
1:54.00 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
July 28, 2011 |
World Championships |
Shanghai, China |
[1][2] |
Short course
TIME |
SWIMMER |
NATIONALITY |
DATE |
PLACE |
REF |
1:57.19 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
January 17, 1992 |
Kuopio, Finland |
1:56.84 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
January 22, 1993 |
Helsinki, Finland |
1:56.62 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
February 7, 1993 |
Paris, France |
1:55.59 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
February 10, 1993 |
Malmö, Sweden |
1:54.65 |
Jani Sievinen |
Finland |
April 21, 1994 |
Kuopio, Finland |
1:54.65 |
Attila Czene |
Hungary |
March 23, 2000 |
Minneapolis, MN, USA |
1:53.93 |
George Bovell |
Trinidad and Tobago |
March 25, 2004 |
East Meadow, NY, USA |
1:53.46 |
László Cseh |
Hungary |
December 8, 2005 |
Trieste, Italy |
1:53.31 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
April 7, 2006 |
Shanghai, China |
1:53.14 |
Thiago Pereira |
Brazil |
November 18, 2007 |
Berlin, Germany |
1:52.99 |
László Cseh |
Hungary |
December 13, 2007 |
Debrecen, Hungary |
1:51.56 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
April 11, 2008 |
Manchester, United Kingdom |
1:51.55 |
Darian Townsend |
South Africa |
November 15, 2009 |
Berlin, Germany |
1:50.08 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
December 17, 2010 |
Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
1:49.63 |
Ryan Lochte |
United States |
December 14, 2012 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
[3] |
Women
Long course
TIME |
SWIMMER |
NATIONALITY |
DATE |
MEET |
PLACE |
2:48.2 |
Patty Kempner |
United States |
April 27, 1957 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
2:47.7 |
Becky Collins |
United States |
July 20, 1958 |
|
Akron, Ohio |
2:43.2 |
Sylvia Ruuska |
United States |
August 16, 1958 |
|
Fresno, California |
2:40.3 |
Sylvia Ruuska |
United States |
January 14, 1959 |
|
Hobart, Tasmania |
2:40.1 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
May 13, 1961 |
|
Redding, California |
2:37.1 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
July 9, 1961 |
|
Tenri, Japan |
2:35.0 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
August 12, 1961 |
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
2:33.3 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
August 18, 1962 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
2:31.8 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
July 27, 1963 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:30.1 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
July 11, 1964 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:29.9 |
Donna de Varona |
United States |
August 1, 1964 |
|
Los Altos, California |
2:29.0 |
Lynn Vidali |
United States |
July 22, 1966 |
|
Los Altos, California |
2:27.8 |
Claudia Kolb |
United States |
August 21, 1966 |
|
Lincoln, Nebraska |
2:27.5 |
Claudia Kolb |
United States |
July 8, 1967 |
|
Santa Clara, California |
2:26.1 |
Claudia Kolb |
United States |
July 30, 1967 |
|
Winnipeg, Canada |
2:25.0 |
Claudia Kolb |
United States |
August 18, 1967 |
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
2:23.5 |
Claudia Kolb |
United States |
August 25, 1967 |
|
Los Angeles, California |
2:23.07 |
Shane Gould |
Australia |
August 28, 1972 |
Olympic Games |
Munich, West Germany |
2:23.01 |
Kornelia Ender |
East Germany |
April 13, 1973 |
|
East Berlin, East Germany |
2:20.51 |
Andrea Hubner |
East Germany |
September 4, 1973 |
World Championships |
Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
2:18.97 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
August 18, 1974 |
European Championships |
Vienna, Austria |
2:18.83 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
June 10, 1975 |
|
Wittenberg, West Germany |
2:18.30 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
March 12, 1976 |
|
Tallinn, Soviet Union |
2:17.14 |
Kornelia Ender |
East Germany |
June 5, 1976 |
|
East Berlin, East Germany |
2:16.96 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
July 10, 1977 |
|
Leipzig, East Germany |
2:15.95 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
August 20, 1977 |
European Championships |
Jönköping, Sweden |
2:15.85 |
Ulrike Tauber |
East Germany |
August 28, 1977 |
|
East Berlin, East Germany |
2:15.09 |
Tracy Caulkins |
United States |
August 2, 1978 |
|
The Woodlands, Texas |
2:14.07 |
Tracy Caulkins |
United States |
August 20, 1978 |
World Championships |
West Berlin, West Germany |
2:13.69 |
Tracy Caulkins |
United States |
January 5, 1980 |
|
Austin, Texas |
2:13.00 |
Petra Schneider |
East Germany |
May 24, 1980 |
|
East Berlin, East Germany |
2:11.73 |
Ute Geweniger |
East Germany |
July 4, 1981 |
|
Magdeburg, East Germany |
2:11.65 |
Lin Li |
China |
July 30, 1992 |
Olympic Games |
Barcelona, Spain |
2:09.72 |
Wu Yanyan |
China |
October 17, 1997 |
China's National Games |
Shanghai, China |
2:08.92 |
Stephanie Rice |
Australia |
March 25, 2008 |
Australian Championships & Olympic Trials |
Sydney, New South Wales |
2:08.45 |
Stephanie Rice |
Australia |
August 13, 2008 |
Olympic Games |
Beijing, China |
2:07.03 |
Ariana Kukors |
United States |
July 26, 2009 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
2:06.15 |
Ariana Kukors |
United States |
July 27, 2009 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
2:06.12 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 3, 2015 |
World Championships |
Kazan, Russia |
Short course
TIME |
SWIMMER |
NATIONALITY |
DATE |
PLACE |
2:07.79 |
Allison Wagner |
United States |
December 5, 1993 |
Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
2:06.13 |
Kirsty Coventry |
Zimbabwe |
April 12, 2008 |
Manchester, United Kingdom |
2:04.64 |
Evelyn Verrasztó |
Hungary |
December 10, 2009 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
2:04.60 |
Julia Smit |
United States |
December 19, 2009 |
Manchester, United Kingdom |
2:04.39 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 7, 2013 |
Eindhoven, Netherlands |
2:03.20 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 7, 2013 |
Eindhoven, Netherlands |
2:02.61 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 27, 2014 |
Doha, Qatar |
2:02.13 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 31, 2014 |
Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
References