The first world record in the 100 metres freestyle in long course (50 metres) swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1905. In the short course (25 metres) swimming events, the world's governing body recognizes world records since 3 March 1991.
Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialising in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events and one of the most decorated swimmers of all time.
Kenneth King-him To was a Hong Kong Australian swimmer who practised individual medley, freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke. He won 6 medals at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, was the male overall winner of the 2012 FINA Swimming World Cup and was a World Championships silver medallist. He was the holder of 16 Hong Kong national swimming records.
Farida Hisham Osman is an Egyptian competitive swimmer who specializes in butterfly and freestyle events. She is an All-Africa Games gold medalist and Egyptian national champion and record-holder. Osman is the fastest female swimmer in Egypt and Africa, she is currently coached by Teri McKeever. Osman holds the senior national records for all the butterfly, freestyle and backstroke events, as well as African records in the 50m and 100m butterfly.
Olivia Smoliga is a two-time Olympian and American competitive swimmer who specializes in backstroke and freestyle events. She won a record eight gold medals at the 2018 World Championships, becoming the first swimmer, male or female, to win eight or more gold medals in a single FINA World Swimming Championships or FINA World Aquatics Championships. She is the current Guinness World Record holder for "most gold medals won at a single FINA World Championships" by an individual swimmer. At the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal for swimming the backstroke leg in the preliminary heat of the 4x100-meter medley relay.
Ravil Nachaev is an Uzbek former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. He is a three-time Olympian, and a gold medalist in the 50 m freestyle at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
Aleksandr Agafonov is an Uzbek former swimmer, who specialized in freestyle events. He is a three-time Olympian, a two-time swimmer at the Asian Games, and a former Uzbekistani age group record holder in the 100 and 200 m freestyle.
Huang Chih-yung is a Taiwanese former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events. He is a two-time Olympian, and a bronze medalist at the 1998 Asian Games.
Leah Simone Martindale-Stancil is a Barbadian former competition swimmer who specialized in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Martindale represented Barbados in two editions of the Olympic Games, where she became the first black female in history to reach an Olympic swimming final in the 50 m freestyle. She also holds three Barbadian records in a sprint freestyle double and in the 50 m butterfly, and twelve All-American honors, while attending the University of Florida.
Siobhan Trichelle Cropper is a 2-time Olympian and swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago, who specialized in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Cropper represented Trinidad and Tobago in two editions of the Olympic Games, and eventually captured the 100 m butterfly title at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She also holds three Trinidadian records in a sprint freestyle and butterfly double, two NCAA championship titles and fourteen All-American honors, while attending Stanford University.
Antonia "Tonia" Machaira is a retired Greek swimmer, who specialized in sprint and middle-distance freestyle events. She represented Greece in two editions of the Olympic Games, and later helped the Greeks capture the silver medal in the freestyle relay (3:48.74) at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia.
Tsai Shu-min is a retired Taiwanese swimmer, who specialized in sprint and middle-distance freestyle, but also competed in backstroke and in individual medley. She represented Chinese Taipei in two editions of the Olympic Games, and later earned four medals in swimming, including her first ever gold, at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mark Stevens is an English former competitive swimmer, who specialized in sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
Emma Jennifer McKeon, is a retired Australian competitive swimmer. She is an eight-time world record holder, three current and five former, in relays. Her total career haul of 14 Olympic medals following the 2024 Olympic Games made her the most decorated Australian, the third-most decorated swimmer, and the seventh-most decorated athlete in Olympic history and included one gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, four gold medals from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and one gold medal from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. With four gold and three bronze medals she was the most decorated athlete across all sports at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and tied for the most medals won by a woman in a single Olympic Games. She also won 20 medals, including five gold medals, at the World Aquatics Championships; and a record 20 medals, including 14 gold, at the Commonwealth Games.
Abbigail "Abbey" Weitzeil is an American competition swimmer specializing in sprint freestyle. A multiple time Olympic medalist, she won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay for swimming in the preliminary heats and a silver medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the 2020 Summer Olympics she won a silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and a bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, swimming in the final of both events. She is the American record holder in the 50-yard freestyle and is part of the American Record in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
Dirngulbai Moreyna "UB" Misech is a female Palauan swimmer and represents her country at international swimming competitions. She holds seven national records.
Kaylee Rochelle McKeown is an Australian swimmer and quintuple Olympic gold medalist. She is the reigning Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 metres backstroke. She is the world record holder in the long course 50 metre backstroke and the long course 200 metre backstroke, and formerly in the 100 metre backstroke and 200 metre backstroke. She won gold in both the 100 metre and 200 metre backstroke at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. In 2023, she was named as the "Best Female Swimmer of the Year" by World Aquatics, after sweeping gold in all three events of backstroke at all three World Cup legs, held in Berlin, Athens and Budapest in October, 2023.
Victoria "Torri" Huske is an American competitive swimmer and the reigning Olympic champion in the 100-meter butterfly. She holds world records in two relays: the 4x100-meter medley and 4x100-meter mixed medley. She is the former American record holder in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly.
Natalie Anisha Hinds is an American professional swimmer specializing in freestyle and butterfly events. She made her international championships debut at 27 years of age, winning a bronze medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, swimming in both the prelims and the final. In her first final at a World Championships in an individual event, she placed eighth in the 100 meter freestyle at the 2022 World Short Course Championships when she was 29 years old. At the 2022 US National Championships, she won the national title in the 100 meter freestyle. Between the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and the 2022 World Short Course Championships, she won a total of five medals in relay events as a prelims-only relay swimmer.
Taeyanna Adams is a Micronesian swimmer, who is the national record holder in multiple events. She competed in the 100 metre breaststroke event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics.
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