Graphs of the progression of the World Records in all four strokes (50m, 100m and 200m distances). This is a history of the progression of the World Record for the Swimming event: the 200 Butterfly . It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever swum in the event, in both long course (50m) and short course (25m) swimming pool. These records are maintained/recognized by FINA , which oversees international competitive Aquatics.
The long course records are historically older than the short course records: the long course records go back to at least the 1950s, whereas the short course marks having only been recognized since the early 1990s.
# Time Name Nationality Date Meet Location Ref 1 2:19.0 Mike Troy United States 11 July 1959 - Los Altos , United States 2 2:16.4 Mike Troy United States 11 July 1959 - Los Altos , United States 3 2:15.0 Mike Troy United States 10 July 1960 - Evansville , United States 4 2:13.4 Mike Troy United States 23 July 1960 - Toledo , United States 5 2:13.2 Mike Troy United States 4 August 1960 US Olympic Trials Detroit , United States 6 2:12.8 Mike Troy United States 2 September 1960 Olympic Games Rome , Italy 7 2:12.6 Carl Robie United States 19 August 1961 Men’s NAAA Championships Los Angeles , United States 8 2:12.5 Kevin Berry Australia 20 February 1962 - Melbourne , Australia 9 2:12.4 h Carl Robie United States 11 August 1962 Men’s National Outdoor Championships Cuyahoga Falls , United States 10 2:10.8 Carl Robie United States 11 August 1962 Men’s National Outdoor Championships Cuyahoga Falls , United States 11 2:09.7 Kevin Berry Australia 23 October 1962 Australian British Empire & Commonwealth Games Trials Melbourne , Australia 12 2:08.4 Kevin Berry Australia 12 January 1963 - Sydney , Australia 13 2:08.2 Carl Robie Netherlands 18 March 1963 - Tokyo , Japan 14 2:06.9 Kevin Berry Australia 29 March 1964 - Sydney , Australia 15 2:06.6 Kevin Berry Australia 18 October 1964 Olympic Games Tokyo , Japan 16 2:06.4 Mark Spitz United States 26 July 1967 Pan American Games Winnipeg , Canada 17 2:06.0 John Ferris United States 30 August 1967 Summer Universiade Tokyo , Japan 18 2:05.7 Mark Spitz United States 8 October 1967 - West Berlin , West Germany 19 2:05.4 Mark Spitz United States 22 August 1970 AAU Nationals Los Angeles , United States 20 2:05.0 Gary Hall Sr. United States 22 August 1970 AAU Nationals Los Angeles , United States 21 2:03.9 Mark Spitz United States 27 August 1971 AAU Nationals Houston , United States 22 2:03.3 Hans-Joachim Fassnacht West Germany 31 August 1971 - Landskrona , Sweden 23 2:01.87 h Mark Spitz United States 2 August 1972 US Olympic Trials Chicago , United States 24 2:01.53 Mark Spitz United States 2 August 1972 US Olympic Trials Chicago , United States 25 2:00.70 Mark Spitz United States 28 August 1972 Olympic Games Munich , West Germany 26 2:00.21 h Roger Pyttel East Germany 3 June 1976 GDR Olympic Trials & National Championships East Berlin , East Germany 27 1:59.63 Roger Pyttel East Germany 3 June 1976 GDR Olympic Trials & National Championships East Berlin , East Germany 28 1:59.23 Mike Bruner United States 18 July 1976 Olympic Games Montreal , Canada 29 1:58.21 Craig Beardsley United States 30 July 1980 - Irvine , United States 30 1:58.01 Craig Beardsley United States 22 August 1981 - Kyiv , Soviet Union 31 1:57.05 Michael Gross West Germany 26 August 1983 European Championships Rome , Italy 32 1:57.04 Jon Sieben Australia 3 August 1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles , United States 33 1:57.01 Michael Gross West Germany 29 June 1985 FRG Nationals & European Championship Trials Wuppertal , West Germany 34 1:56.65 Michael Gross West Germany 10 August 1985 European Championships Sofia , Bulgaria 35 1:56.24 Michael Gross West Germany 28 June 1986 West German Championships Hanover , West Germany 36 1:55.69 Melvin Stewart United States 12 January 1991 World Championships Perth , Australia 37 1:55.22 Denis Pankratov Russia 14 June 1995 Mare Nostrum Canet-en-Roussillon , France 38 1:55.18 Tom Malchow United States 17 June 2000 Charlotte UltraSwim Charlotte , United States 39 1:54.92 Michael Phelps United States 30 March 2001 US National Championships Austin , United States 40 1:54.58 Michael Phelps United States 24 July 2001 World Championships Fukuoka , Japan 41 1:53.93 sf Michael Phelps United States 22 July 2003 World Championships Barcelona , Spain 42 1:53.80 Michael Phelps United States 17 August 2006 Pan Pacific Championships Victoria , Canada 43 1:53.71 Michael Phelps United States 17 February 2007 Missouri Grand Prix Columbia , United States 44 1:52.09 Michael Phelps United States 28 March 2007 World Championships Melbourne , Australia 45 1:52.03 Michael Phelps United States 13 August 2008 Olympic Games Beijing , China 46 1:51.51 Michael Phelps United States 29 July 2009 World Championships Rome , Italy 47 1:50.73 Kristóf Milák Hungary 24 July 2019 World Championships Gwangju , South Korea 48 1:50.34 Kristóf Milák Hungary 21 June 2022 World Championships Budapest , Hungary [ 1] [ 2]
Time Swimmer Date Place 1:54.67 Franck Esposito February 1, 1992 Paris, France 1:54.58 Danyon Loader February 6, 1993 Paris, France 1:54.50 Danyon Loader February 9, 1993 Malmö , Sweden 1:54.21 Danyon Loader February 13, 1993 Gelsenkirchen , Germany 1:53.05 Franck Esposito March 26, 1994 Paris, France 1:52.64 Denis Pankratov February 2, 1997 Gelsenkirchen , Germany 1:51.76 James Hickman March 28, 1998 Paris, France 1:51.58 Franck Esposito January 14, 2001 Antibes , France 1:51.21 Thomas Rupprath December 1, 2001 Rostock, Germany 1:50.73 Franck Esposito December 8, 2002 Antibes , France 1:50.60 Nikolay Skvortsov December 13, 2008 Rijeka , Croatia 1:50.53 Nikolay Skvortsov February 15, 2009 Saint Petersburg , Russia 1:49.11 Kaio de Almeida November 10, 2009 Stockholm , Sweden 1:49.04 Chad le Clos August 7, 2013 Eindhoven , Netherlands 1:48.56 Chad le Clos November 5, 2013 Singapore , Singapore 1:48.24 Daiya Seto December 11, 2018 Hangzhou , China 1:46.85 Tomoru Honda October 22, 2022 Tokyo, Japan
# Time Name Nationality Date Meet Location Ref 1 2:40.5 Nancy Ramey United States 29 June 1958 - Los Angeles , United States 2 2:38.9 Tineke Lagerberg Netherlands 13 September 1958 - Naarden , Netherlands 3 2:37.0 Becky Collins United States 19 July 1959 - Redding , United States 4 2:34.4 Marianne Heemskerk Netherlands 12 June 1960 - Leipzig , East Germany 5 2:32.8 Becky Collins United States 13 August 1961 - Philadelphia , United States 6 2:31.2 Sharon Finneran United States 19 August 1962 - Chicago , United States 7 2:30.7 Sharon Finneran United States 25 August 1962 - Los Altos , United States 8 2:29.1 Susan Pitt United States 27 July 1963 - Philadelphia , United States 9 2:28.1 Sharon Stouder United States 12 July 1964 - Los Angeles , United States 10 2:26.4 Sharon Stouder United States 2 August 1964 - Los Angeles , United States 11 2:26.3 Kendis Moore United States 15 August 1965 - Maumee , United States 12 2:25.8 Ada Kok Netherlands 21 August 1965 - Leiden , Netherlands 13 2:25.3 Ada Kok Netherlands 12 September 1965 - Groningen , Netherlands 14 2:22.5 Ada Kok Netherlands 2 August 1967 - Groningen , Netherlands 15 2:21.0 Ada Kok Netherlands 25 August 1967 - Blackpool , United Kingdom 16 2:20.7 Karen Moe United States 11 July 1970 - Santa Clara , United States 17 2:19.3 Alice Jones United States 22 August 1970 AAU Nationals Los Angeles , United States 18 2:18.6 Karen Moe United States 7 August 1971 - Santa Clara , United States 19 2:18.4 Ellie Daniel United States 28 August 1971 AAU Nationals Houston , United States 20 2:16.62 Karen Moe United States 6 August 1972 US Olympic Trials Chicago , United States 21 2:15.57 Karen Moe United States 4 September 1972 Olympic Games Munich , West Germany 22 2:15.45 h Rosemarie Kother East Germany 8 September 1973 World Championships Belgrade , Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 23 2:13.76 Rosemarie Kother East Germany 8 September 1973 World Championships Belgrade , Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 24 2:13.60 Rosemarie Gabriel East Germany 14 March 1976 URS vs GDR Duel Tallinn , Soviet Union 25 2:12.84 Rosemarie Gabriel East Germany 4 June 1976 GDR Olympic Trials & National Championships East Berlin , East Germany 26 2:11.22 Rosemarie Gabriel East Germany 5 June 1976 GDR Olympic Trials & National Championships East Berlin , East Germany 27 2:11.20 Andrea Pollack East Germany 9 April 1978 - Leningrad , Soviet Union 28 2:09.87 Andrea Pollack East Germany 4 July 1978 GDR National Championships & World Championship Trials East Germany , East Germany 28 2:09.87 = Tracy Caulkins United States 26 July 1978 World Championships West Berlin , West Germany 29 2:09.77 Mary T. Meagher United States 7 July 1979 Pan American Games San Juan , Puerto Rico 30 2:08.41 h Mary T. Meagher United States 16 August 1979 AAU Nationals Fort Lauderdale , United States 31 2:07.01 Mary T. Meagher United States 16 August 1979 AAU Nationals Fort Lauderdale , United States 32 2:06.37 Mary T. Meagher United States 30 July 1980 - Irvine, California , United States 33 2:05.96 Mary T. Meagher United States 13 August 1981 - Brown Deer , United States 34 2:05.81 Susie O'Neill Australia 17 May 2000 Australian Championships Sydney , Australia 35 2:05.78 Otylia Jędrzejczak Poland 4 August 2002 European Championships Berlin , Germany 36 2:05.61 Otylia Jędrzejczak Poland 28 July 2005 World Championships Montreal , Canada 37 2:05.40 Jessicah Schipper Australia 17 August 2006 Pan Pacific Championships Victoria , Canada 38 2:04.18 Liu Zige China 18 August 2008 Olympic Games Beijing , China 39 2:04.14 h Mary Descenza United States 29 July 2009 World Championships Rome , Italy 40 2:03.41 Jessicah Schipper Australia 30 July 2009 World Championships Rome , Italy 41 2:01.81 Liu Zige China 21 October 2009 Chinese National Games Jinan , China [ 3] [ 4]
Time Swimmer Date Place 2:05.37 Susie O'Neill February 17, 1999 Malmö , Sweden 2:04.43 Susie O'Neill September 2, 1999 Canberra, Australia 2:04.16 Susie O'Neill January 18, 2000 Sydney, Australia 2:04.04 Yang Yu January 18, 2004 Berlin, Germany 2:03.53 Otylia Jędrzejczak December 13, 2007 Debrecen , Hungary 2:03.12 Yuko Nakanishi February 23, 2008 Tokyo, Japan 2:02.50 Liu Zige November 11, 2009 Stockholm , Sweden 2:00.78 Liu Zige November 15, 2009 Berlin, Germany 1:59.61 Mireia Belmonte December 3, 2014 Doha , Qatar
Correct as of July 2024[ 5] Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:54.16:
Kristóf Milák also swam 1:50.73 (2019), 1:51.10 (2021), 1:51.25 (2021), 1:51.40 (2021), 1:51.75 (2024), 1:52.01 (2022), 1:52.22 (2021), 1:52.39 (2022), 1:52.50 (2021), 1:52.58 (2023), 1:52.71 (2018), 1:52.72 (2024), 1:52.79 (2018), 1:52.96 (2019), 1:53.18 (2021), 1:53.19 (2019), 1:53.58 (2021), 1:53.64 (2019), 1:53.75 (2019), 1:53.79 (2017), 1:53.87 (2017), 1:53.88 (2022), 1:53.89 (2022), 1:53.92 (2024), 1:53.94 (2018, 2024), 1:53.97 (2022), 1:54.10 (2022). Michael Phelps also swam 1:52.03 (2008), 1:52.09 (2007), 1:52.20 (2008), 1:52.76 (2009), 1:52.94 (2015) 1:53.01 (2012), 1:53.31 (2008), 1:53.34 (2011), 1:53.36 (2016), 1:53.48 (2009), 1:53.65 (2012), 1:53.70 (2008, 2008), 1:53.71 (2007), 1:53.80 (2006), 1:53.93 (2003), 1:54.02 (2008), 1:54.04 (2004), 1:54.11 (2010), 1:54.12 (2016). Léon Marchand also swam 1:52.43 (2023), 1:53.37 (2022), 1:53.50 (2024), 1:54.08 (2024). László Cseh also swam 1:52.91 (2016), 1:53.48 (2015), 1:53.53 (2015), 1:53.71 (2015), 1:53.72 (2017), 1:54.08 (2017). Tomoru Honda also swam 1:53.15 (2023), 1:53.30 (2023), 1:53.33 (2024), 1:53.34 (2023), 1:53.53 (2022), 1:53.61 (2022), 1:53.63 (2023), 1:53.66 (2023), 1:53.73 (2021), 1:53.76 (2023), 1:53.87 (2022), 1:53.88 (2024), 1:53.99 (2023), 1:54.01 (2022), 1:54.04 (2022), 1:54.06 (2022). Takeshi Matsuda also swam 1:53.21 (2012), 1:53.32 (2009), 1:53.35 (2009), 1:53.87 (2009), 1:54.01 (2011, 2012), 1:54.02 (2008, 2010), 1:54.12 (2011). Chad le Clos also swam 1:53.33 (2017), 1:53.68 (2015), 1:54.00 (2018), 1:54.06 (2016), 1:54.15 (2019), 1:54.18 (2015). Tamás Kenderesi also swam 1:53.62 (2016), 1:53.96 (2016), 1:54.14 (2018). Masato Sakai also swam 1:53.71 (2017). Paweł Korzeniowski also swam 1:53.75 (2009). Ilya Kharun also swam 1:53.82 (2023), 1:54.01 (2024), 1:54.06 (2024). Carson Foster also swam 1:53.85 (2023). Daiya Seto also swam 1:53.86 (2019), 1:54.03 (2017), 1:54.08 (2014), 1:54.14 (2016, 2016). Nao Horomura also swam 1:53.90 (2017). Krzysztof Chmielewski also swam 1:53.90 (2023). Luca Urlando also swam 1:54.10 (2022). Correct as of December 2023[ 16] Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:50.62:
Chad le Clos also swam 1:48.56 (2013), 1:48.57 (2020), 1:48.61 (2014), 1:48.67 (2017), 1:48.76 (2016), 1:48.88 (2014), 1:49.04 (2013), 1:49.07 (2013), 1:49.08 (2017), 1:49.10 (2016), 1:49.20 (2014), 1:49.25 (2017), 1:49.33 (2016), 1:49.59 (2017), 1:49.71 (2016), 1:49.73 (2014, 2014), 1:49.78 (2022), 1:49.82 (2016), 1:49.83 (2013), 1:49.84 (2021), 1:49.89 (2022), 1:49.90 (2013), 1:49.93 (2016), 1:49.95 (2016), 1:49.98 (2022), 1:50.15 (2011), 1:50.24 (2020), 1:50.28 (2017, 2020), 1:50.29 (2016, 2018), 1:50.32 (2021), 1:50.33 (2013), 1:50.35 (2016), 1:50.39 (2013), 1:50.48 (2020), 1:50.57 (2020). Daiya Seto also swam 1:48.77 (2019), 1:48.92 (2014), 1:49.22 (2022), 1:49.41 (2021), 1:49.53 (2016), 1:49.68 (2014), 1:49.76 (2021), 1:49.84 (2016), 1:49.87 (2018), 1:49.88 (2018), 1:49.93 (2016), 1:49.97 (2016), 1:49.99 (2022), 1:50.19 (2017), 1:50.28 (2021), 1:50.33 (2017), 1:50.36 (2021). Tom Shields also swam 1:49.02 (2020), 1:49.05 (2015), 1:49.26 (2017), 1:49.29 (2017), 1:49.50 (2016), 1:49.62 (2017), 1:49.78 (2020), 1:49.86 (2017), 1:50.08 (2014), 1:50.19 (2014), 1:50.24 (2021), 1:50.25 (2019), 1:50.28 (2020), 1:50.39 (2021), 1:50.43 (2020), 1:50.51 (2021), 1:50.55 (2020), 1:50.56 (2014), 1:50.60 (2017), 1:50.61 (2013). Kaio de Almeida also swam 1:49.11 (2009). Tomoru Honda also swam 1:49.24 (2022), 1:49.84 (2021). Noè Ponti also swam 1:49.71 (2023). Trenton Julian also swam 1:49.93 (2022), 1:50.01 (2021), 1:50.08 (2022), 1:50.32 (2021). Kristóf Milák also swam 1:49.98 (2019). Alberto Razzetti also swam 1:50.10 (2023), 1:50.12 (2022), 1:50.24 (2021). Kuan-Hung Wang also swam 1:50.14 (2020). Paweł Korzeniowski also swam 1:50.43 (2013). Teppei Morimoto also swam 1:50.44 (2021). Nikolay Skvortsov also swam 1:50.53 (2009), 1:50.58 (2009), 1:50.60 (2008). Hidemasa Sano also swam 1:50.58 (2011). Correct as of August 2024[ 27] Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 2:05.90:
Regan Smith also swam 2:03.87 (2023), 2:04.80 (2024), 2:04.91 (2024), 2:05.30 (2021), 2:05.39 (2024), 2:05.70 (2024), 2:05.79 (2023). Liu Zige also swam 2:03.90 (2009), 2:04.18 (2008), 2:04.40 (2011), 2:04.59 (2013), 2:04.65 (2009), 2:04.78 (2013), 2:05.29 (2009), 2:05.90 (2011). Summer McIntosh also swam 2:04.06 (2024), 2:04.33 (2024), 2:04.70 (2023), 2:04.87 (2024), 2:05.05 (2023), 2:05.20 (2022), 2:05.73 (2024), 2:05.79 (2022), 2:05.81 (2022). Katinka Hosszú also swam 2:04.28 (2009), 2:05.59 (2013). Mary Descenza also swam 2:04.33 (2009), 2:04.41 (2009). Jiao Liuyang also swam 2:04.44 (2011), 2:04.50 (2009), 2:04.54 (2013), 2:04.72 (2008), 2:04.96 (2009), 2:05.18 (2012), 2:05.22 (2009), 2:05.46 (2010), 2:05.55 (2011), 2:05.57 (2009), 2:05.61 (2010), 2:05.79 (2010), 2:05.87 (2013). Mireia Belmonte also swam 2:04.79 (2014), 2:04.85 (2016), 2:05.25 (2012), 2:05.26 (2017), 2:05.86 (2015). Jess Schipper also swam 2:04.87 (2009), 2:05.40 (2006), 2:05.50 (2009), 2:05.65 (2005). Zhang Yufei also swam 2:04.89 (2021), 2:05.09 (2024), 2:05.44 (2021), 2:05.49 (2021), 2:05.57 (2023), 2:05.65 (2023), 2:05.70 (2020), 2:05.84 (2021). Natsumi Hoshi also swam 2:05.20 (2016), 2:05.48 (2012), 2:05.56 (2015). Elizabeth Dekkers also swam 2:05.26 (2023), 2:05.46 (2023). Franziska Hentke also swam 2:05.39 (2017), 2:05.77 (2016). Madeline Groves also swam 2:05.41 (2015), 2:05.47 (2016), 2:05.66 (2016). Aurore Mongel also swam 2:05.48 (2009). Ellen Gandy also swam 2:05.59 (2011), 2:05.90 (2011). Otylia Jędrzejczak also swam 2:05.78 (2002). Hali Flickinger also swam 2:05.85 (2021), 2:05.87 (2018), 2:05.90 (2022). Kathleen Hersey also swam 2:05.90 (2012). Correct as of September 2024[ 33] Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 2:03.53:
Mireia Belmonte also swam 2:01.52 (2013), 2:03.02 (2017), 2:03.17 (2014), 2:031.31 (2013), 2:03.37 (2011), 2:03.39 (2014). Katinka Hosszú also swam 2:01.60 (2018), 2:02.15 (2016), 2:02.20 (2012), 2:02.21 (2013), 2:02.40 (2013), 2:02.42 (2014), 2:02.75 (2017), 2:02.86 (2018), 2:02.87 (2018), 2:02.88 (2018), 2:02.99 (2014), 2:03.01 (2018), 2:03.05 (2013), 2:03.14 (2014, 2018), 2:03.21 (2019), 2:03.26 (2013), 2:03.34 (2016), 2:03.36 (2013). Zige Liu also swam 2:02.50 (2009). Kelsi Dahlia also swam 2:02.89 (2016), 2:03.31 (2018), 2:03.33 (2018), 2:03.51 (2018). Zhang Yufei also swam 2:03.09 (2018), 2:03.29 (2018), 2:03.33 (2018), 2:03.50 (2018). Suzuka Hasegawa also swam 2:03.12 (2020), 2:03.38 (2020), 2:03.53 (2020). Madeline Groves also swam 2:03.34 (2016). Franziska Hentke also swam 2:03.43 (2017), 2:03.47 (2013).