Speed Show: How Summer of 2025 is Shaping Up to Be Faster Than Olympic Year
Last year was an extraordinary season for the sport of swimming. Because of the Olympic Games in Paris, athletes targeted their best shape possible and to deliver at the most important time. Less than a year later, the pace hasn’t slowed for many swimmers, who have clocked several historic times in the last couple of weeks as they prepare for the World Championships of Singapore.
The 2024 season did not disappoint. It had everything. The Olympics. World records. Some of the fastest times in history. China’s Pan Zhanle twice broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle. Aussie Ariarne Titmus clocked a phenomenal 1:52.23 in the 200 freestyle. American Gretchen Walsh became the fastest woman in the world in the 100 butterfly with a mark of 55.18. Bobby Finke defended his Olympic title in the 1500 freestyle by breaking Sun Yang’s 12-year-old world record.
By the season’s finale, seven world records had been broken and in 31 cases, swimmers entered the historical top-10 of their event for the first time in their career. Beyond world records in 2024, Summer McIntosh became the second-fastest woman in the 800 freestyle when she stopped the clock at 8:11.39. We also saw a 4:28.22 from backstroek queen Kaylee McKeown in the 400 IM. One of the most fascinating performances of 2024 was Lukas Martens’ 400 freestyle at the German Championships, where he finished in 3:40.33. And that was just the beginning for the German.
Martens broke the first world record of 2025, with the Olympic champ putting on a show in his trademark 400 freestyle. From 3:40.33, he went down to 3:39.96 and beat the 3:40.07 that had stood to Paul Biedermann since 2009. Then, the Americans took over. At the Pro Swim Series stop in Ft. Lauderdale, Walsh and Katie Ledecky improved their own records in 100 butterfly and 800 freestyle, respectively. Those efforts were followed by McIntosh dominating at the Canadian Trials, where she turned the world upside down with three world records and personal-best times in the 800 freestyle and 200 butterfly.
Although the year’s biggest event has not yet unfolded, we have already matched the same amount of world records that were witnessed last year. The number is likely to climb in Singapore.
Beyond the world records already set this year, there have been a number of noteworthy marks from a historical perspective. Australia’s, Lani Pallister in now the third-fastest woman in the history of the 800 freestyle and 1500 freestyle with times of 8:10.84 and 15:39.14, and she is sixth in the 400 freestyle. For the first time, Pallister went under the four-minute barrier in the 400 free (3:59.72), proof that her training with coach Dean Boxall is paying off. Another name that fired a warning shot to the swimming world is Sven Schwarz. The German became the European record holder in 800 freestyle in 7:38.12 and is now a top-five performer in the event.
Just because it is a post-Olympics year, that doesn’t mean the times have to slow. Rather, plenty of athletes are hungry to elevate their status and make 2025 a launching point toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The 2025 World Records
Lukas Martens (GER) – 400 freestyle – 3:39.96 (04/12)
Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 100 butterfly – 55.09 (05/03)
Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 100 butterfly – 54.60 (05/03)
Katie Ledecky (USA) – 800 freestyle – 8:04.12 (05/03)
Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 400 freestyle – 3:54.18 (06/07)
Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 200 medley – 2:05.70 (06/09)
Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 400m medley – 4:23.65 (06/11)
Swimmers Denting the Top-10 All-Time Performer List in a Specific Event For the First Time in 2025
Lani Pallister (AUS) – 1500 freestyle – 15:39.14 – No. 3
Wan Letian (CHN) – 50 backstroke – 27.09 – No. 4
Luca Urlando (USA) – 200 butterfly – 1:52.37 – No. 4
Luke Hobson (USA) – 200 freestyle – 1:43.73 – No. 5
Sven Schwarz (GER) – 800 freestyle – 7:38.12 – No. 5
Pavel Samusenko (RUS) – 50 backstroke – 24.01 – No. 5
Lani Pallister (AUS) – 400 freestyle – 3:59.72 – No. 6
Li Bingjie (CHN) – 400 freestyle – 3:59.99 – No. 7
Claire Curzan (USA) – 200 backstroke – 2:05.09 – No. 7
Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 50 freestyle – 23.91 – No. 8
Claire Weinstein (USA) – 400 freestyle – 4:00.05 – No. 8
Sven Schwarz (GER) – 1500 freestyle – 14:36.82 – No. 9
Ivan Kozhakin (RUS) – 50 breaststroke – 26.46 – No. 9
Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 100 butterfly – 50.37 – No. 9
Guilherme Caribe Santos (BRA) – 100 freestyle – 47.10 – No. 10
Lukas Martens (GER) – 800 freestyle – 7:39.10 – No. 10
Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 50 breaststroke – 29.83 – No. 10
Bobby Finke (USA) – 400 medley – 4:07.46 – No. 10