This article includes the world record progression for the 4×200 metres freestyle relay, and it shows the chronological history of world record times in that competitive swimming event. The 4×200 metres freestyle relay is a relay event in which each of four swimmers on a team swims a 200-metre freestyle leg in sequence. The world records are recognized by and maintained by FINA, the international competitive swimming and aquatics federation that oversees the sport in international competition.
Michael Fred Phelps II is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16). At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games, held by gymnast Alexander Dityatin, by winning six gold and two bronze medals. Four years later, when he won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
The men's 1500 metre freestyle at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships was held on the morning of 31 March (heats) and the evening of 1 April (final) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. 50 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 47 swam.
Ariana Kukors is an American former competition swimmer and former world record holder in the 200-meter individual medley. Ariana now works in private coaching related to athletic performance. Kukors has won a total of seven medals in major international competition, two golds, three silvers, and two bronze spanning the World and the Pan Pacific Championships. She placed fifth in the 200-meter individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The men's 4×200 metre freestyle relay at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships took place on 30 March 2007 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The top-12 finishers from this race qualified for the event at the 2008 Olympics. 27 teams entered and swam the event.
The men's 400 metre individual medley (IM) at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships took place on 1 April at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. As the event was over 400 meters in length, no semifinals were held in it and the top 8 swimmers from the preliminary heats advance directly to the single final heat. 50 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 49 swam.
The men's 100 metre butterfly at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships took place on 30 March and on the evening of 31 March (final) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. 123 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 118 swam.
The men's 1500 metre freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships occurred on the morning of 30 July (heats) and in the evening of 31 July (final) in the Olympic pool at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. 34 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 33 swam.
The Men's 800m Freestyle at the 11th FINA World Aquatics Championships occurred on the morning of 26 July 2005 and in the evening of 27 July 2005 in the Olympic pool at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. 45 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 44 swam. The top-8 swimmers from the morning heats advanced to the next day's final heat.
The Men's 200 Freestyle at the 11th FINA World Aquatics Championships swam 25+26 July 2005 in the Olympic pool at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. 95 swimmers were entered in the Preliminary heats, which swam in the morning of July 25. The top-16 swimmers from the Prelims advanced on to Semifinal heats that evening. From the Semifinals, the top-8 swimmers advanced onto the next night's Final.
The men's 100 metre freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships occurred on 27 July and in the evening of 28 July (final) in the Olympic pool at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. 131 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 124 swam in one of 17 preliminary heats. The top-16 swimmers from the heats advanced on to semifinals; the top-8 swimmers in the two semifinals heats advanced onto the next night's final.
The Women's 200 Freestyle at the 11th FINA World Aquatics Championships was swum 26 and 27 July 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. On 26 July, preliminary heats and semifinals occurred, and on 27 July a final heat was swum in the evening. 64 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 62 swam in one of 8 heats. The top-16 swimmers from the preliminary heats advanced on to semifinals; the top-8 swimmers in the two semifinals heats advanced onto the next night's final.
Emma Jennifer McKeon, is an Australian competitive swimmer. She is a four-time world record holder, one current and three former, in the 4x100 metre freestyle relay. Her total career haul of 11 Olympic medals following the 2020 Olympic Games made her Australia's most decorated Olympian and included one gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and four gold medals from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. 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 has also won 17 medals, including four gold medals, at the World Aquatics Championships; and a record 20 medals, including 14 gold, at the Commonwealth Games.
Kyle Chalmers, is an Australian competitive swimmer. He is a world record holder in the short course 100 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre medley relay, and long course 4×100 metre mixed freestyle relay. He is the Oceanian and Australian record holder in the short course 50 metre butterfly and 50 metre freestyle.
Travis Mahoney is an Australian medley and backstroke swimmer. Winner of two relay medals at the 2012 World Short Course Championships, he is also part of the quartet that broke the world record in the short course mixed 4 × 50 metres freestyle relay. In 2016, he qualified for his first Olympic Games.
Kristóf Milák is a Hungarian swimmer. He is the current holder of the world record in the long course 200 metre butterfly and the European record in the long course 100 metre butterfly. He also currently holds the Hungarian record in the short course 50 metre backstroke. At his first Olympic Games, the 2020 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 200 metre butterfly and a silver medal in the 100 metre butterfly. He has also won three gold medals and one silver at the World Aquatic Championships, as well as three gold medals at the European Aquatics Championships. He was the gold medalist in the 400 metre freestyle, 200 metre freestyle, and 200 metre butterfly events at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.
David Popovici is a Romanian competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. He is the current holder of the world record in the long course 100-metre freestyle and the junior world record in the long course 200-metre freestyle. He also holds the junior world record in the short course 100-metre freestyle. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Popovici won gold medals in his two signature events, becoming the first swimmer to do so at the same edition of the World Championships, since Jim Montgomery in 1973. Following his performances during the 2022 long course season, in which he won eleven gold medals and two silver medals, Popovici was voted Male Swimmer of the Year by both SwimSwam and Swimming World Magazine. During that summer, he established an unprecedented level of dominance, especially in the long course 100-metre freestyle, recording 13 of the 19-fastest swims in the world in 2022, while also becoming only the third swimmer in history to set an under 1:43 time in the long course 200-metre freestyle.
Kieran Smith is an American swimmer specializing in freestyle and individual medley events. He currently co-holds short course world records in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay and the 4×100 meter medley relay. He is the Americas record holder in the short course 400 meter freestyle and the American record holder in the 500 yard freestyle. In the 400 meter freestyle, he won the bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the gold medal at the 2022 World Short Course Championships. Following a fourth-place finish in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals in the event at the 2021 World Short Course Championships, 2022 World Aquatics Championships, and the 2022 World Short Course Championships.
Matthew "Matt" Sates is a South African swimmer. He is the African record holder in the short course 200 metre freestyle, 400 metre freestyle, and 200 metre individual medley as well as the South African record holder in the 400 metre individual medley. He is the 2022 World Short Course champion in the 200 metre individual medley and bronze medalist in the 400 metre individual medley. At the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships, he won the NCAA title in the 500 yard freestyle. For the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup, he was the overall male winner, earning a total of 18 medals, including 13 gold medals.
Lani Pallister is an Australian competitive swimmer. She is a world record holder in two sports, with a world record in swimming, the short course 4×200-metre freestyle relay, and world records in life saving for the youth age group in the 100-metre rescue medley and 200-metre super lifesaver. She holds the Oceanian, Commonwealth, and Australian records in the short course 1500-metre freestyle and the Australian record in the short course 800-metre freestyle. She is the first female World Short Course champion in the 1500-metre freestyle, winning the inaugural event for women at the 2022 edition. Over the course of the 2022 World Short Course Championships, she won the gold medal in each of the four events she contested.
