The 5 Oldest World Short-Course Records: Yannick Agnel Holding On in 400 Freestyle (Men’s Edition)
While the Asian Games in Tokyo remain on the year’s long-course schedule, much of the rest of the year will be focused on short-course competition, beginning with the World Cup series along the Silk Road. A visit to Baku, Azerbaijan (Oct. 1-3) will jumpstart the World Cup, with stops following in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Oct. 8-10) and Astana, Kazakhstan (Oct. 15-17). Six weeks later, the World Short Course Championships will unfold at the famed Water Cube in Beijing, the site of the 2008 Olympic Games.
For the first time, USA Swimming will conduct a short-course trials competition for the World Champs, that meet slated for Oct. 28-31 at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois. Between the international meets and the U.S. Trials, there is a good chance of seeing world-record performances. Here is a look at the five oldest individual men’s short-course world records.
1. Yannick Agnel (400 Freestyle: 3:32.25) – Nov. 15, 2012
- Frenchman Yannick Agnel clocked this time in the 400 freestyle at his National Championships. In the 13-plus years since, only one person has come within a second of the record, Lithuania’s Danys Rapsys in 3:33.20. However, this mark could be ripe for breaking, especially if Leon Marchand – and his massive underwaters – makes a run at the mark. Remember, Marchand is the record holder in the 500-yard freestyle, behind a stunning 4:02.31.
2. Daiya Seto (400 Individual Medley: 3:54.81) – Dec. 20, 2019
- During the final of the International Swimming League’s inaugural season, Japan’s Daiya Seto broke Ryan Lochte’s nine-year-old world record in the 400 IM with the first sub-3:55 effort in history. Seto’s time hasn’t been challenged over the past seven years, although American Shaine Casas went 3:56.13 last year to become the No. 3 performer of all-time. Again, this record is one that could be threatened by Leon Marchand, who owns the long-course record at 4:02.50.
3. Caeleb Dressel (100 Individual Medley: 49.28) – Nov. 22, 2020
- Although best known for his prowess in the sprint freestyle and butterfly, Caeleb Dressel has always possessed tremendous all-around skill. His world record in the 100 medley is a half-second faster than anyone in history, Leon Marchand ranking second at 49.92. Dressel also owns the second-fastest time in the event, a 49.88 he produced a week before his world record.
4. Kyle Chalmers (100 Freestyle: 44.84) – Oct. 29, 2021
- Australian Kyle Chalmers used the 2021 World Cup stop in Kazan to rip a world record in his prime event, going 44.84 in the 100 freestyle. At last year’s Russian Championships, Egor Kornev took a swipe at the standard, when he clocked in at 44.99. Chalmers’ record, due to a stacked international field in the event, is probably one of the most vulnerable on the books.
5. Ilya Shymanovich (100 Breaststroke: 55.28) – Nov. 26, 2021
- The record by Ilya Shymanovich in the 100 breaststroke is one of several short-course standards that was established during International Swimming League competition. The Belarusian has always been a specialist in the 25-meter pool and there is no clear-cut threat to Shymanovich’s record, although Dutchman Caspar Corbeau clocked 55.54 at last December’s European Championships.
