World record: What’s the fastest men’s freestyle swimming time for every distance?

Here are the Olympic and world record times for every men’s freestyle swimming event taking place at Tokyo 2021.

When the best swimmers on the planet take to the pool at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in 2021, countless world records could fall. Here’s a complete list of Olympic and world records for every distance in men’s freestyle swimming, taken from the FINA website. You can find our list of women’s freestyle records here.

Men’s 50 m Freestyle

World record: 20.91 (Cesar Cielo Filho, Brazil)

Olympic record: 21.30 (Cesar Cielo Filho, Brazil)

Brazilian sprint specialist Cesar Cielo Filho holds the world record in both the 50 and 100 m freestyle events. In terms of pure speed, Cielo Filho holds the crown as the fastest swimmer in history.

Like most men’s freestyle swimming world records in the books, Cielo Filho lowered the time in both distances during the era when FINA allowed polyurethane swimsuits, which gave swimmers an extra hydrodynamic boost that lead to some crazy-fast times. The suits were banned at the end of 2009.

However, American Caeleb Dressel has been under Cielo Filho’s Olympic record time already this year in the 50 m. Several others have also been close, so it will be a mad dash to the wall in Tokyo.

Men’s 100 m Freestyle

World record: 46.91 (Cesar Cielo Filho, Brazil)

Olympic record: 47.05 (Eamon Sullivan, Australia)

The men’s 100 m freestyle is an example of an Olympic record that was not set in the Olympic final. Unfortunately, Australia’s Eamon Sullivan couldn’t reproduce his then-world record time and had to settle for silver behind France’s Alain Bernard. Cielo Filho came third in that Beijing 2008 Olympic final but would go on to break the world record at the 2009 World Championships in Italy. He, Bernard and Dressel are the only people in history to swim the event in under 47 seconds.

Men’s 200 m Freestyle

World record: 1:42.00 (Paul Biedermann, Germany)

Olympic record: 1:42.96 (Michael Phelps, USA)

Among Michael Phelps’ many records at the Beijing 2008 Olympics was the 200 m freestyle. In the final, he crushed his own world record by nearly a second and lowered Ian Thorpe’s Olympic record by almost two full seconds. The runner-up was more than a body length behind.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Paul Biedermann finished sixth in a then-personal best time of 1:46.00. A year later, Biedermann smashed Phelps’ world record, clocking 1:42.00. The pair are the only two men ever to go below 1:43.00. Only one of the top-10 fastest swims in the history of the men’s 200 m freestyle came after 2009.

Men’s 400 m Freestyle

World record: 3:40.07 (Paul Biedermann, Germany)

Olympic record: 3:40.14 (Sun Yang, China)

Back at the 2009 World Championships, Germany’s Paul Biedermann took seconds off his personal best time to lower the 400 m freestyle world record by 0.01 of a second. In the process, he broke the last remaining individual world record held by the great Ian Thorpe.

The Australian legend’s 400 m time from the 2002 Commonwealth was once thought to be untouchable. Prior to Biedermann’s swim in 2009, only one other person had ever been under 3:42.00 in the 400 m freestyle — Korea’s Taehwan Park clocked 3:41.86 at Beijing 2008. Thorpe accomplished the feat five times in his illustrious swimming career.

The fastest time in the world this year is 3:42.65, so it would be somewhat surprising to see either the world or Olympic record fall in Tokyo.

Men’s 800 m Freestyle

World record: 7:32.12 (Zhang Lin, China)

Olympic record: None

Like the women’s 1500 m freestyle, the men’s 800 m freestyle will be contested at an Olympic Games for the first time at Tokyo 2021. A new Olympic record is a guarantee, but can anyone surpass Zhang Lin’s world record time from the 2009 World Championships?

Men’s 1500 m Freestyle

World record: 14:31.02 (Sun Yang, China)

Olympic record: 14:31.02 (Sun Yang, China)

China’s Sun Yang touched the wall in 14:31.02 to win the gold medal in the men’s 1500 m freestyle at the London 2012 Olympics. He won by almost three full seconds and lowered his own world record in the process. While he still has his six medals, Yang has been involved in multiple doping incidences and is currently serving a four-year, three-month ban from competitive swimming.

The men’s mile should be a tight race in Tokyo, with Florian Wellbrock of Germany, Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk, Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri and others all vying for a podium spot and a chance to break Yang’s record.