For the benefit of those new to the sport of swimming or in need of a refresher, the below may be a useful reference point for how times in 2010 in 'textile' suits compare with the shape of things in swimming before shiny suits arrived. First, we list the world long-course records as at January 31, 2008, then an all-time top 10 range comparison Jan 31, 2008 and Dec 31, 2009; the article has been updated (at the foot of the article) with the list of world short-course records on the eve of the shiny suits era.
The World Records List January 31, 2008:
- Men:
- Freestyle (50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500m)
- 21.64 Alexander Popov (RUS)
- 47.84 Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED)
- 1:43.86 Michael Phelps (USA)
- 3:40.08 Ian Thorpe (AUS)
- 7:38.65 Grant Hackett (AUS)
- 14:34.56 Grant Hackett (AUS)
- Backstroke (50, 100, 200)
- 24.80 Thomas Rupprath (GER)
- 52.98 Aaron Peirsol (USA)
- 1:54.32 Ryan Lochte (USA)
- Breaststroke (50, 100, 200)
- 27.18 Oleg Lisogor (UKR)
- 59.13 Brendan Hansen (USA)
- 2:08.50 Brendan Hansen (USA)
- Butterfly (50, 100, 200)
- 22.96 Roland Schoeman (RSA)
- 50.40 Ian Crocker (USA)
- 1:52.09 Michael Phelps (USA)
- Medley (200, 400m)
- 1:54.98 Michael Phelps (USA)
- 4:06.22 Michael Phelps (USA)
- Relays
- 4x100m free 3:12.46 (USA)
- 4x200m free 7:03.24 (USA)
- 4x100m medley 3:30.68 (USA)
- Women
- Freestyle
- 24.13 Inge de Bruijn (NED)
- 53.30 Britta Steffen (GER) ... 52.99 Lisbeth Lenton (AUS) rejected*
- 1:55.52 Laure Manaudou (FRA)
- 4:02.13 Laure Manaudou (FRA)
- 8:16.22 Janet Evans (USA)
- 15:42.54 Kate Ziegler (USA)
- * -Swum in a mixed medley relay along Michael Phelps at Duel In the Pool, April, 2007
- Backstroke
- 28.09 Yang Li (CHN)
- 59.44 Natalie Coughlin (USA)
- 2:06.62 Krisztina Egerszegi (HUN)
- Breaststroke
- 30.31 Jade Edmistone (AUS)
- 1:05.09 Leisel Jones (AUS)
- 2:20.54 Leisel Jones (AUS)
- Butterfly
- 25.46 Therese Alshammar (SWE)
- 56.61 Inge de Bruijn (NED)
- 2:05.40 Jessicah Schipper (AUS)
- Medley
- 2:09.72 Wu Yanyan (CHN)*
- 2:10.05 Katie Hoff (USA) world best time by clean swimmer
- 4:32.89 Katie Hoff (USA)
- * - subsequently tested positive for steroids and was served a suspension
- Relays
- 4x100m free 3:35.22 (GER)
- 4x200m free 7:50.09 (USA)
- 4x100m medley 3:55.74 (AUS)
Standards would have moved on in a range of events after two seasons that included an Olympic Games and World Championships. Just not by some of the stark margins we witnessed. The world records are, of course, simply the tip of the iceberg, and the world rankings reveal a much better indication of where things were, where they went and where they are going. For this exercise we restrict ourselves to the all-time top 10.
The All-Time Top 10 Range, all events by Jan 31, 2008 (end 2009 figure in brackets)... in 10 events the 10th best in 2009 is faster or equal to what was the world record on Jan 31, 2008. Only 47 out of the 400 swims represented in the all-time top 10 across 40 events pre-date the shiny suits era.
- Men
- Freestyle
- 21.64 - 21.85 (20.91-21.42)
- 47.84 - 48.34 (46.91-47.59)
- 1:43.86 - 1:46.69 (1:42.00-1:45.12)
- 3:40.08 - 3:45.11 (3:40.07-3:43.45)
- 7:38.65 - 7:49.98 (7:32.12-7:46.05)
- 14:34.45 - 14:54.76 (14:34.56-14:45.95)
- Backstroke
- 24.80 - 25.12 (24.04-24.73)
- 52.98 - 53.78 (51.94-52.82)
- 1:54.32 - 1:56.75 (1:51.92-1:55.49)
- Breaststroke
- 27.18 - 27.51 (26.67-27.18)
- 59.13 - 1:00.37 (58.58-59.15)
- 2:08.50 - 2:10.71 (2:07.31-2:08.50)
- Butterfly
- 22.96 - 23.51 (22.43-23.04)
- 50.40 - 51.90 (49.82-51.02)
- 1:52.09 - 1:55.35 (1:51.51-1:54.35)
- Medley
- 1:54.98 - 1:59.36 (1:54.10-1:57.25)
- 4:06.22 - 4:12.92 (4:03.84-4:11.27)
- Relays
- 4x100m free
- 3:12.46 - 3:15.90 (3:08.24-3:12.26)
- 4x200m free
- 7:03.24 - 7:13.10 (6:58.55-7:08.24)
- 4x100m medley
- 3:30.68 - 3:36.39 (3:27.28-3:31.53)
- Women
- Freestyle
- 24.13 - 24.66 (23.73-24.45)
- 53.30* - 54.03 (52.07-53.39)
- 1:55.52 - 1:57.25 (1:52.98-1:55.78)
- 4:02.13 - 4:05.84 (3:59.15-4:03.85)
- 8:16.22 - 8:23.66 (8:14.10-8:19.67)
- 15:42.54 - 16:04.84 (15:42.54-16:00.18)
- Backstroke
- 28.09 - 28.42 (27.06-27.77)
- 59.44 - 1:00.48 (58.12-59.21)
- 2:06.62 - 2:08.74 (2:04.81-2:07.40)
- Breaststroke
- 30.31 - 30.89 (29.80-30.40)
- 1:05.09 - 1:07.20 (1:04.45-1:05.75)
- 2:20.54 - 2:24.41 (2:20.12-2:22.51)
- Butterfly
- 25.46 - 26.30 (25.07-25.84)
- 56.61 - 57.82 (56.06-56.94)
- 2:05.40 - 2:06.83 (2:01.81-2:05.88)
- Medley
- 2:09.97 - 2:11.73 (2:06.15-2:09.72)
- 4:32.89 - 4:36.28 (4:29.45-4:34.34)
- Relays
- 4x100 free
- 3:35.22 - 3:40.93 (3:31.72-3:37.68)
- 4x200 free
- 7:50.09 - 7:58.04 (7:42.08-7:50.82)
- 4x100 medley
- 3:55.74 - 4:03.36 (3:52.19-3:57.84)
This article was updated from this point in July 2010:
World short-course records on the eve of the shiny suits era, which began with the arrival of the Speedo LZR in February, 2008. Non-textiles suits have been banned since January 1, 2010. (In brackets: the world record as at January 1, 2010, when the non-textile suits ban came into force):
- Men
- 50m free: 20.93 Stefan Nystrand (SWE) 18 November 2007 (20.30)
- 100m free: 45.83 Stefan Nystrand (SWE) 17 November 2007 (44.94)
- 200m free: 1:41.10 Ian Thorpe (AUS) 2 June 2000 (1:39.37)
- 400m free: 3:34.58 Grant Hackett (AUS) 18 July 2002 (3:32.77)
- 800m free: 7:25.28 Grant Hackett (AUS) August 3, 2001 (7:23.42)
- 1,500m f: 14:10.10 Grant Hackett (AUS) August 7, 2001 (14:10.10)
- 50m back: 23.27 Thomas Rupprath (GER) 10 December 2004 (22.61)
- 100m back: 49.99 Ryan Lochte (USA) April 9, 2006 (48.94)
- 200m back: 1:49.05 Ryan Lochte (USA) April 9, 2006 (1:46.11)
- 50m breast: 26.17 Oleg Lisogor (UKR) 21 January 2006 25.25)
- 100m breast: 57.47 Ed Moses (USA) January 23, 2002 (55.61)
- 200m breast 2:02.92 Ed Moses (USA) January 17, 2004 (2:00.67)
- 50m 'fly: 22.60 Kaio de Almeida (BRA) 17 December 2005 (21.80)
- 100m 'fly: 49.07 Ian Crocker (USA) March 26, 2004 (48.48)
- 200m 'fly: 1:50.73 Franck Esposito (FRA) December 8, 2002 (1:49.11)
- 100m IM: 51.52 Ryk Neethling (RSA) 11 February 2005 (50.76)
- 200m IM: 1:52.99 László Cseh (HUN) December 13, 2007 (1:51.55)
- 400m IM: 3:59.33 László Cseh (HUN) December 14, 2007 (3:57.27)
- 4x100m f: 3:09.57 SWE - Nyström; Frölander; Ohlin; Nystrand - 16 March, 2000 (3:03.30)
- 4x200m f: 6:52.36 AUS - Palmer; Hackett; Brits; Monk - 31 August, 2007 (6:51.05)
- 4x100 med: 3:25.09 USA - Peirsol; Hansen; Crocker; Lezak - 11 October, 2004 (3:19.16)
- Women
- 50m free: 23.58 Marleen Veldhuis (NED) November 17, 2007 (23.25)
- 100m free: 51.70 Lisbeth Lenton (AUS) 9 August 2005 (51.01)
- 200m free: 1:53.29 Lisbeth Lenton (AUS) 19 November 2005 (1:51.17)
- 400m free: 3:56.09 Laure Manaudou (FRA) 9 December 2006 (3:54.92)
- 800m free: 8:08.00 Kate Ziegler (USA) October 14, 2007 (8:04.53)
- 1,500m f: 15:32.90 Kate Ziegler (USA) October 12, 2007 (15:28.65)
- 50m back: 26.50 Sanja Jovanović (CRO) 15 December 2007 (25.70)
- 100m back: 56.51 Natalie Coughlin (USA) October 28, 2007 (55.23)
- 200m back: 2:03.62 Natalie Coughlin (USA) November 27, 2001 (2:00.18)
- 50m breast: 29.90 Jade Edmistone (AUS) 26 September 2004 (28.80)
- 100m brst: 1:03.86 Leisel Jones (AUS) August 28, 2006 (1:02.70)
- 200m brst: 2:17.75 Leisel Jones (AUS) November 29, 2003 (2:14.57)
- 50m 'fly: 25.33 Anna-Karin Kammerling (SWE) 12 March 2005 (24.38)
- 100m 'fly: 55.95 Libby Lenton (AUS) August 28, 2006 (55.05)
- 200m 'fly: 2:03.53 Otylia Jędrzejczak (POL) December 13, 2007 (2:00.78)
- 100m IM: 58.80 Natalie Coughlin (USA) 23 November 2002 (57.74)
- 200m IM: 2:07.79 Allison Wagner (USA) December 5, 1993 (2:04.60)
- 400m IM: 4:27.83 Yana Klochkova (UKR) January 20, 2002 (4:21.04)
- 4x100m f: 3:30.85 NED - Schreuder; Heemskerk; Kromowidjojo; Veldhuis - September 9, 2007 (3:28.22)
- 4x200m f: 7:46.30 CHN - Xu, ZHu, Tang, Yang - 4 April, 2002 (7:38.90)
- 4x100m med: 3:51.84 AUS - Zimmer; Edmistone; Schipper; Lenton - 7 April 2006 (3:47.97)
