This is a history of the progression of the World Record for the swimming event: the 50 butterfly . It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever in the event, in both long course (50m) and short course (25m) swimming pool. These records are maintained/recognized by FINA, [1] which oversees international competitive swimming and Aquatics.
The World Records in the 50s of stroke are the youngest Swimming World Records; FINA first recognizing them in the 1990s.
| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBT | 23.68 | Denis Pankratov | 10 Aug 1996 | Meet of Champions | Mulhouse, France | |||
| 1 | 23.60 | Geoff Huegill | 14 May 2000 | Australia Championships | Sydney, Australia | |||
| 2 | 23.44 | sf | Geoff Huegill | 27 Jul 2001 | World Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | ||
| 3 | 23.43 | Matt Welsh | 21 Jul 2003 | World Championships | Barcelona, Spain | |||
| 4 | 23.30 | Ian Crocker | 29 Feb 2004 | Big 12 Time Trials | Austin, United States | [2] | ||
| 5 | 23.01 | sf | Roland Schoeman | 24 Jul 2005 | World Championships | Montreal, Canada | ||
| 6 | 22.96 | Roland Schoeman | 25 Jul 2005 | World Championships | Montreal, Canada | [3] | ||
| 7 | 22.43 | sf | Rafael Muñoz | 5 April 2009 | Spanish Championships | Málaga, Spain | [4] | |
| 8 | 22.27 | Andriy Govorov | 1 July 2018 | Sette Colli Trophy | Rome, Italy | [5] |
| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26.54 | Inge de Bruijn | 18 Jun 1999 | Netherlands Championships | Amersfoort, Netherlands | |||
| 2 | 26.39 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | 1 Jul 1999 | Sweden Championships | Halmstad, Sweden | |||
| 3 | 26.29 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | 27 Jul 1999 | European Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | |||
| 4 | 25.83 | h | Inge de Bruijn | 20 May 2000 | Mare Nostrum | Monte Carlo, Monaco | ||
| 5 | 25.64 | h | Inge de Bruijn | 26 May 2000 | Super Speedo Grand Prix | Sheffield, United Kingdom | ||
| 6 | 25.57 | Anna-Karin Kammerling | 30 Jul 2002 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | |||
| 7 | 25.46 | Therese Alshammar | 13 Jun 2007 | Mare Nostrum | Barcelona, Spain | [20] | ||
| 8 | 25.33 | Marleen Veldhuis | 19 April 2009 | Swim Cup Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | [21] | ||
| 9 | 25.28 | sf | Marleen Veldhuis | 31 July 2009 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | [22] | |
| 10 | 25.07 | sf | Therese Alshammar | 31 July 2009 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | [22] | |
| 11 | 24.43 | Sarah Sjöström | 5 July 2014 | Swedish Championships | Borås, Sweden | [23] |
| Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 50 m butterfly times and the top 25 athletes: |
| - denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 50 m butterfly times |
| - denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 50 m butterfly times, by repeat athletes |
| - denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 50 m butterfly times |
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 22.27 | Andriy Govorov | 1 July 2018 | Rome | [5] | |
| 2 | 2 | 22.35 | Caeleb Dressel | 22 July 2019 | Gwangju | [36] | |
| 3 | 3 | 22.43 | Rafael Muñoz | 5 April 2009 | Málaga | [4] | |
| 4 | 22.45 | Muñoz #2 | 6 April 2009 | Málaga | |||
| 5 | 22.48 | Muñoz #3 | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [37] | ||
| Govorov #2 | 7 August 2018 | Glasgow | [38] | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 22.48 | Maxime Grousset | 28 July 2025 | Singapore | [39] | |
| 8 | 22.49 | Muñoz #4 | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [37] | ||
| 5 | 9 | 22.51 | Noè Ponti | 28 July 2025 | Singapore | [39] | |
| 10 | 22.53 | Govorov #3 | 16 June 2018 | Monaco | [40] | ||
| 11 | 22.57 | Dressel #2 | 21 July 2019 | Gwangju | [41] | ||
| Dressel #3 | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [42] | ||||
| 6 | 13 | 22.60 | Nicholas Santos | 11 May 2019 | Budapest | [43] | |
| 14 | 22.61 | Santos #2 | 3 May 2017 | Rio de Janeiro | [44] | ||
| Grousset #2 | 27 July 2025 | Singapore | [45] | ||||
| 7 | 16 | 22.62 | Oleg Kostin | 19 April 2023 | Kazan | [46] | |
| 17 | 22.65 | Ponti #2 | 4 April 2024 | Uster | [47] | ||
| 8 | 18 | 22.67 | Milorad Čavić | 27 July 2009 | Rome | [48] | |
| Thomas Ceccon | 28 July 2025 | Singapore | [39] | ||||
| 20 | 22.68 | Muñoz #5 | 26 July 2009 | Rome | [49] | ||
| Ceccon #2 | 24 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [50] | ||||
| 10 | 20 | 22.68 | Ilya Kharun | 12 June 2025 | Victoria | [51] | |
| 23 | 22.69 | Čavić #2 | 1 August 2009 | Rome | [52] | ||
| Govorov #4 | 1 July 2016 | Vichy | |||||
| Govorov #5 | 16 June 2018 | Monaco | |||||
| 11 | 22.70 | Henrique Martins | 26 June 2017 | Belo Horizonte | [53] | ||
| 12 | 22.72 | Nyls Korstanje | 26 May 2025 | London | [54] | ||
| 13 | 22.73 | Matt Targett | 27 July 2009 | Rome | [48] | ||
| 14 | 22.74 | Ben Proud | 27 July 2025 | Singapore | [45] | ||
| 15 | 22.76 | César Cielo | 24 April 2012 | Rio de Janeiro | [55] | ||
| 16 | 22.77 | Diogo Ribeiro | 28 July 2025 | Singapore | [39] | ||
| 17 | 22.79 | Michael Andrew | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [42] | ||
| Dare Rose | 23 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [56] | ||||
| 19 | 22.80 | Abdelrahman Sameh | 18 May 2025 | Monaco | [57] | ||
| 20 | 22.84 | Frédérick Bousquet | 22 April 2009 | Montpellier | [37] | ||
| Florent Manaudou | 2 August 2015 | Kazan | [58] | ||||
| Jacob Peters | 24 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [50] | ||||
| Luca Armbruster | 28 July 2025 | Singapore | [39] | ||||
| 24 | 22.85 | Dylan Carter | 19 June 2022 | Budapest | [42] | ||
| 25 | 22.89 | Kyle Chalmers | 12 April 2025 | Stockholm | [59] | ||
| 14 June 2025 | Adelaide | [60] |
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 21.32 | Noè Ponti | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | |
| 2 | 21.43 | Ponti #2 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||
| 3 | 21.50 | Ponti #3 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [15] | ||
| 4 | 21.53 | Ponti #4 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [62] | ||
| 2 | 5 | 21.62 | Nyls Korstanje | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [62] | |
| 6 | 21.64 | Ponti #5 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [63] | ||
| 7 | 21.65 | Ponti #6 | 12 April 2025 | Uster | |||
| 8 | 21.67 | Ponti #7 | 20 October 2024 | Shanghai | [14] | ||
| 3 | 8 | 21.67 | Ilya Kharun | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | |
| 10 | 21.68 | Ponti #8 | 20 October 2024 | Shanghai | [64] | ||
| Korstanje #2 | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | ||||
| 12 | 21.69 | Kharun #2 | 19 October 2025 | Westmont | [65] | ||
| 4 | 13 | 21.73 | Egor Kornev | 7 November 2025 | Kazan | [66] | |
| 14 | 21.74 | Korstanje #3 | 2 November 2024 | Singapore | [63] | ||
| 5 | 15 | 21.75 | Nicholas Santos | 6 October 2018 | Budapest | [12] | |
| Szebasztián Szabó | 6 November 2021 | Kazan | [13] | ||||
| 17 | 21.76 | Ponti #9 | 26 October 2024 | Incheon | [67] | ||
| 18 | 21.78 | Santos #2 | 10 November 2020 | Budapest | [68] | ||
| Santos #3 | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | |||||
| 20 | 21.79 | Ponti #10 | 9 December 2023 | Otopeni | [69] | ||
| 7 | 21 | 21.80 | Steffen Deibler | 14 November 2009 | Berlin | [11] | |
| 21 | 21.80 | Santos #4 | 16 November 2020 | Budapest | [70] | ||
| Ponti #11 | 19 October 2025 | Westmont | [65] | ||||
| Kharun #3 | 25 October 2025 | Toronto | [71] | ||||
| 25 | 21.81 | Santos #5 | 15 December 2018 | Hangzhou | |||
| Santos #6 | 30 September 2021 | Naples | |||||
| Korstanje #4 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||||
| Ponti #12 | 25 October 2025 | Toronto | [71] | ||||
| 8 | 21.87 | Roland Schoeman | 14 November 2009 | Berlin | [11] | ||
| 9 | 21.91 | Joshua Liendo | 25 October 2025 | Toronto | [71] | ||
| 10 | 21.93 | Teong Tzen Wei | 25 October 2025 | Toronto | [71] | ||
| 11 | 21.95 | Chad le Clos | 6 December 2014 | Doha | [72] | ||
| 12 | 21.96 | Sun Jiajun | 24 September 2024 | Wuhan | [73] | ||
| 13 | 21.98 | Dylan Carter | 20 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [74] | ||
| 14 | 21.99 | Tom Shields | 9 October 2021 | Budapest | [75] | ||
| Marius Kusch | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||||
| 16 | 22.01 | Michele Busa | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [18] | ||
| 17 | 22.02 | Matteo Rivolta | 20 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [74] | ||
| Maxime Grousset | 25 October 2025 | Taverny | [76] | ||||
| 19 | 22.04 | Caeleb Dressel | 16 November 2020 | Budapest | [70] | ||
| 20 | 22.05 | Grigori Pekarski | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [17] | ||
| 21 | 22.07 | Johannes Dietrich | 13 December 2009 | Istanbul | |||
| Oleg Kostin | 9 November 2019 | Kazan | |||||
| 23 | 22.08 | Marcin Cieślak | 18 December 2020 | Olsztyn | |||
| 24 | 22.09 | Florent Manaudou | 23 November 2014 | Montpellier | |||
| Finlay Brooks | 19 October 2025 | Westmont | [65] |
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 24.43 | Sarah Sjöström | 5 July 2014 | Borås | [23] | |
| 2 | 24.60 | Sjöström #2 | 29 July 2017 | Budapest | [78] | ||
| 3 | 24.63 | Sjöström #3 | 17 February 2024 | Doha | [79] | ||
| 2 | 4 | 24.66 | Gretchen Walsh | 4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [80] | |
| 5 | 24.69 | Sjöström #4 | 5 April 2015 | Eindhoven | [81] | ||
| 6 | 24.73 | Sjöström #5 | 21 June 2024 | Rome | [82] | ||
| 7 | 24.74 | Sjöström #6 | 28 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [83] | ||
| 8 | 24.76 | Sjöström #7 | 14 June 2017 | Barcelona | [84] | ||
| 9 | 24.77 | Sjöström #8 | 29 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [85] | ||
| 10 | 24.79 | Sjöström #9 | 26 July 2019 | Gwangju | [86] | ||
| 11 | 24.83 | Walsh #2 | 2 August 2025 | Singapore | [87] | ||
| 12 | 24.87 | Sjöström #10 | 18 August 2014 | Berlin | [88] | ||
| 13 | 24.88 | Sjöström #11 | 16 February 2024 | Doha | [89] | ||
| 14 | 24.89 | Sjöström #12 | 21 May 2023 | Monaco | |||
| 15 | 24.90 | Sjöström #13 | 11 June 2017 | Monaco | |||
| 16 | 24.92 | Sjöström #14 | 25 April 2024 | Stockholm | |||
| 17 | 24.93 | Walsh #3 | 2 May 2025 | Fort Lauderdale | [90] | ||
| 18 | 24.95 | Sjöström #15 | 18 June 2017 | Canet-en-Roussillon | |||
| Sjöström #16 | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [91] | ||||
| Sjöström #17 | 2 June 2024 | Monaco | |||||
| 21 | 24.96 | Sjöström #18 | 8 August 2015 | Kazan | [92] | ||
| Sjöström #19 | 8 April 2017 | Stockholm | |||||
| Sjöström #20 | 13 August 2022 | Rome | |||||
| 24 | 24.97 | Sjöström #21 | 14 October 2023 | Athens | [93] | ||
| 25 | 24.98 | Sjöström #22 | 19 August 2014 | Berlin | |||
| Walsh #4 | 4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [94] | ||||
| 3 | 25.05 | Zhang Yufei | 29 July 2023 | Fukuoka | [85] | ||
| 4 | 25.07 | Therese Alshammar | 31 July 2009 | Rome | [22] | ||
| 5 | 25.11 | Rikako Ikee | 10 June 2018 | Canet-en-Roussillon | |||
| 6 | 25.17 | Mélanie Henique | 19 June 2021 | Chartres | [95] | ||
| 7 | 25.20 | Fran Halsall | 24 July 2014 | Glasgow | [96] | ||
| 8 | 25.24 | Jeanette Ottesen | 3 August 2013 | Barcelona | [97] | ||
| Ranomi Kromowidjojo | 13 March 2021 | Amsterdam | |||||
| 10 | 25.28 | Marleen Veldhuis | 31 July 2009 | Rome | [22] | ||
| 11 | 25.30 | Arina Surkova | 19 April 2023 | Kazan | [98] | ||
| 12 | 25.31 | Holly Barratt | 16 August 2019 | Singapore | [99] | ||
| Alexandria Perkins | 2 August 2025 | Singapore | [87] | ||||
| 14 | 25.32 | Roos Vanotterdijk | 1 August 2025 | Singapore | [100] | ||
| 15 | 25.33 | Marie Wattel | 13 August 2022 | Rome | [101] | ||
| Torri Huske | 28 June 2023 | Indianapolis | [102] | ||||
| 17 | 25.37 | Lu Ying | 8 August 2015 | Kazan | [92] | ||
| 18 | 25.38 | Farida Osman | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [91] | ||
| 19 | 25.39 | Kate Douglass | 2 May 2025 | Fort Lauderdale | [90] | ||
| 4 June 2025 | Indianapolis | [80] | |||||
| Erin Gallagher | 1 August 2025 | Singapore | [100] | ||||
| 21 | 25.43 | Claire Curzan | 24 June 2022 | Budapest | [91] | ||
| Hazel Ouwehand | 23 May 2025 | Auckland | [103] | ||||
| 23 | 25.47 | Cate Campbell | 1 March 2018 | Gold Coast | [104] | ||
| 24 | 25.48 | Marieke Guehrer | 1 August 2009 | Rome | [105] | ||
| Kelsi Dahlia | 29 July 2017 | Budapest | [78] | ||||
| 26 July 2018 | Irvine | ||||||
| 27 July 2019 | Gwangju | [106] |
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 23.72 | Gretchen Walsh | 11 October 2025 | Carmel | [34] | |
| 2 | 23.90 | Walsh #2 | 18 October 2025 | Westmont | [108] | ||
| 3 | 23.91 | Walsh #3 | 24 October 2025 | Toronto | [109] | ||
| 4 | 23.94 | Walsh #4 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] | ||
| 5 | 24.01 | Walsh #5 | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [110] | ||
| 6 | 24.02 | Walsh #6 | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [32] | ||
| 7 | 24.13 | Walsh #7 | 11 October 2025 | Carmel | [34] | ||
| 8 | 24.18 | Walsh #8 | 14 December 2024 | Budapest | [111] | ||
| 9 | 24.19 | Walsh #9 | 24 October 2025 | Toronto | [112] | ||
| 10 | 24.26 | Walsh #10 | 18 October 2025 | Westmont | [113] | ||
| 11 | 24.37 | Walsh #11 | 13 December 2024 | Budapest | [114] | ||
| 2 | 12 | 24.38 | Therese Alshammar | 22 November 2009 | Singapore | [31] | |
| 3 | 13 | 24.42 | Kate Douglass | 1 November 2024 | Singapore | [115] | |
| 4 | 14 | 24.43 | Béryl Gastaldello | 11 December 2024 | Budapest | [110] | |
| 5 | 15 | 24.44 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [116] | |
| 16 | 24.46 | Alshammar #2 | 11 November 2009 | Stockholm | [30] | ||
| 17 | 24.47 | Kromowidjojo #2 | 14 December 2018 | Hangzhou | [117] | ||
| 18 | 24.49 | Kromowidjojo #3 | 12 December 2020 | Eindhoven | [118] | ||
| Walsh #12 | 25 October 2025 | Toronto | [119] | ||||
| 6 | 20 | 24.50 | Sarah Sjöström | 7 November 2021 | Kazan | [120] | |
| 21 | 24.51 | Kromowidjojo #4 | 10 November 2018 | Tokyo | [121] | ||
| Sjöström #2 | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [116] | ||||
| Walsh #13 | 19 October 2025 | Westmont | [122] | ||||
| 24 | 24.52 | Sjöström #3 | 6 August 2017 | Berlin | [123] | ||
| 25 | 24.53 | Kromowidjojo #5 | 20 October 2017 | Amsterdam | [124] | ||
| 7 | 24.55 | Claire Curzan | 19 December 2021 | Abu Dhabi | [116] | ||
| 8 | 24.56 | Mélanie Henique | 5 December 2019 | Glasgow | [125] | ||
| 9 | 24.58 | Arina Surkova | 22 November 2023 | Saint Petersburg | [126] | ||
| 10 | 24.59 | Inge Dekker | 1 September 2014 | Dubai | [127] | ||
| 11 | 24.60 | Alexandria Perkins | 18 October 2025 | Westmont | [108] | ||
| 12 | 24.64 | Torri Huske | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | ||
| Maggie Mac Neil | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | ||||
| 14 | 24.68 | Tessa Giele | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] | ||
| 15 | 24.69 | Marieke Guehrer | 15 November 2009 | Berlin | [129] | ||
| 16 | 24.71 | Jeanette Ottesen | 5 December 2014 | Doha | [130] | ||
| Rikako Ikee | 13 January 2018 | Tokyo | [131] | ||||
| Zhang Yufei | 14 December 2022 | Melbourne | [128] | ||||
| 19 | 24.75 | Holly Barratt | 29 October 2021 | Kazan | [132] | ||
| 20 | 24.76 | Maaike de Waard | 10 December 2024 | Budapest | [33] | ||
| 21 | 24.80 | Madeline Banic | 22 November 2020 | Budapest | [133] | ||
| 22 | 24.86 | Kelsi Dahlia | 21 November 2021 | Eindhoven | [134] | ||
| 23 | 24.90 | Felicity Galvez | 17 December 2010 | Dubai | [135] | ||
| 24 | 24.94 | Emma McKeon | 29 October 2021 | Kazan | [132] | ||
| 25 | 25.00 | Hinkelien Schreuder | 11 December 2009 | Istanbul | [136] |