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 |
2:02.78 |
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 |
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, Netherland |
2:03.20 |
Katinka Hosszú |
Hungary |
August 7, 2013 |
Eindhoven, Netherland |
References