Katie Ledecky has set an incredible 14 individual long course world records during her career, the most of any swimmer since the super-suit ban. Archive photo via Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography

Cal has taken the national championship trophy back from Texas, winning the meet with 487.5 points to the Longhorns’s 436.5 points.

Based on the scored psych sheet, Cal was projected to be in 4th at the end of Day 3. Cal currently sits in 1st heading into the final day of competition.

After the first full day of competition at the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, Texas sits in 1st place.

The women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving season has come to a close. Take a look at the team scoring breakdown from the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship.

Take a closer look at the breakdown of Texas and Stanford battling for 2nd place at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

May 13th, 2022 International, Records, SwimmingStats

It’s been more than 12 years since the high-tech polyurethane suits were banned from swimming. As of today, nive world records in individual events in long course meters from 2008 and 2009 still stand (two in women’s events, seven in men’s events).

Some of those world records seems unreachable by current swimmers, such as the women’s 200 butterfly and men’s 200 freestyle. However, there are exceptions, since we have seen many world records set since 2010.

Instagram’s Swimming Stats’ page has published the distribution world records in long course meters over the years since 2010 by gender in individual events.

A post shared by Swimming Stats by SwimSwam (@swimmingstats)

Across this period, we have witnessed 69 world records in individual events, 28 in men’s events and 41 in women’s events.

This is interesting, since many people thought that, after the ban of the high-tech suits at the end of 2009, it would take many years until the swimmers could break those suits-aided records. In fact, 2010 saw no world records in long course meters. However, after that, many records have fallen. Maybe many people are unaware that so many world records have been set over the last few years. After all, almost 70 world records in individual events is certainly a significant number.

Katie Ledecky, with her 14 world records, has made a huge difference in the women’s side. But there is a multiple world record-setter on the men’s side as well, since Adam Peaty has set nine world records in breaststroke events.

In 2022, there have been only one world record set so far, done by American Hunter Armstrong in the men’s 50 backstroke.

The first two world records set in long course meters after 2009 came in 2011 in men’s events (Sun Yang in the 1500 free and Ryan Lochte in the 200 medley during the 2011 World Championships). But in the years that followed, we saw many more world records in women’s events than in men’s events. For six consecutive years (2012-2017), female swimmers set five or more world records in individual events in each year, way more than male swimmers.

Curiously, since 2018, there have been more world records in men’s events. In 2019 there were five world records set by male swimmers, more than in any other year since 2010.

Some people argue that, in the first years after the high-tech suits ban, we saw more world records in women’s events because female swimmers kept on wearing suits that cover most of the body. Of course, these suits are not made of polyurethane, but still have some level of compression, supporting and easing of movement. On the other hand, the male swimmers have been allowed to wear only leg short jammers, which represents a huge difference from the full body suit from 2009. From this point of view, in terms of suits, women’s suits have been closer to those 2009 suits than men’s have. By this argument, that’s why women supposed started to break many more records before men.

With the evolution of sport, by 2018 the men reached a level that they could challenge those world records set nine years ago. That’s when they started to break world records more frequently, even surpassing women’s figures by year.

Will this pattern continue in the next years? What are your thoughts on the difference on the number of men’s and women’s world records over the last 12 years?

Well if you look at some of the mens records there are multiple where there is nobody who is gonna break them in the next year. Since we are still sorta in the same generation but slowly transitioning out that’s why more men’s records are starting to be broken. For women I feel like they peak earlier, you have so many teenagers who manage to qualify for the olympics its astonishing. Their generational talent appears quicker than the mens side.

The statistics, as usual, have a bias. Men’s finals have been closer, especially before the suit ban. This shows that men have been approaching some ‘limit’ more closely. So, compare the men’s and women’s records before the ban and a similar picture may show up with women breaking more records. Women are catching up, however, and it will be progressively more difficult for them to continue breaking records.

How do we consider the Ian Thorpe full-body suit phenomenon?

It’s often been said on here that his suit did not have the buoyancy and was in fact a hindrance in some respects. But sponsorship ……. So he had to wear it.

There were three world records in women’s events in 2018. Katie Ledecky in the 1500 free (15’20”48) , the Chinese Liu Xiang in the 50 backstroke (26”98) and Kathleen Baker in the 100 backstroke (58”00)

Men set records–it’s hard work. Women set records–it’s gotta be the suits!! Typical bs misogyny.

Sorry but that 200 Fly WR for women just seems too good.

Does Phelps 2008 400 IM really count as non-textile/super suit when he was just wearing lower half? (honest question)

Doesn’t seem like it was as crazy helpful as the whole super suit

We’ll probably never know for sure how the LZR legskin compares to a modern tech suit. But the Speedo LZR is what introduced polyurethane suits to the sport and led to following craziness of 2008-2009.

Since Phelps was still wearing a version of THE ORIGINAL SUPERSUIT the 400 IM absolutely deserves the same asterisks as Cielo’s 100 free or Liu Zige’s 200 fly.

Yes it does. Peirsol’s 200 back was also just the lower half I believe.

If it would be banned now then it counts as a super suit, and it would be.

Which men’s world records were broken in ’17 and ’18? I remember Peat’s 50 breast in ’17 but that’s it.

Sjostrom 50 free Sjostrom 100 free Lilly King 50 breast Lilly King 100 breast Kylie Masse 100 back

(That’s what I found manually in long course. Can’t promise that it’s exhaustive)

Branden can you please do an exhaustive search?

2017: Peaty 50 breast (twice), Watanabe 200 breast. 2018: Kolesnikov 50 back, Peaty 100 breast, Govorov 50 fly.

2017 January 29, 200m breaststroke, Ippei Watanabe 2017 July 25, 50 metres breaststroke, Adam Peaty (Twice)

2018 July 1, 50 metres butterfly, Andriy Govorov 2018 August 4, 100 metres breaststroke, Adam Peaty 2018 August 4, 50 metres backstroke, Kliment Kolesnikov

Wasn’t Watanabe’s WR before Rio?

More from Daniel Takata See All

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates!

© 2022 Swim Swam Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

FTC Disclaimer | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy | Privacy SettingsDo Not Sell My Personal Information