Amazing First Quarter of Swimming Produces Many World and American Record Times

By Jason Marsteller

PHOENIX, Arizona, April 15. AFTER taking a moment to adjust our clocks back to our normal hours following the FINA World Championship coverage from Australia for both our print and web site editions, Swimming World Magazine took some time to reflect on an amazing initial quarter of the year.

On 17 instances so far, a world record has been broken or tied with the men accounting for eight and the women notching nine.

Men's World Record Progressions:
Event Type Name Country Time Location Date
M 200 Free LCM Ian Thorpe Australia 1.44.06 Fukuoka, Japan 7/25/2001
M 200 Free LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.43.86 Melbourne, Australia 3/27/2007

M 100 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol United States 53.17 Indianapolis, United States 4/2/2005
M 100 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol United States 52.98 Melbourne, Australia 3/27/2007

M 200 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol United States 1.54.44 Victoria, Canada 8/19/2006
M 200 Back LCM Ryan Lochte United States 1.54.32 Melbourne, Australia 3/30/2007

M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.53.80 Victoria, Canada 8/17/2006
M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.53.71 Missouri, United States 2/17/2007
M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.52.09 Melbourne, Australia 3/28/2007

M 200 IM LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.55.84 Victoria, Canada 8/20/2006
M 200 IM LCM Michael Phelps United States 1.54.98 Melbourne, Australia 3/29/2007

M 400 IM LCM Michael Phelps United States 4.08.26 Athens, Greece 8/14/2004
M 400 IM LCM Michael Phelps United States 4.06.22 Melbourne, Australia 4/1/2007

M 800 FR LCM Australia 7.04.66 Fukuoka, Japan 7/27/2001
Grant Hackett 1.46.11
Michael Klim 1.46.49
William Kirby 1.47.92
Ian Thorpe 1.44.14
M 800 FR LCM United States 7.03.24 Melbourne, Australia 3/30/2007
Michael Phelps 1.45.36
Ryan Lochte 1.45.86
Klete Keller 1.46.31
Peter Vanderkaay 1.45.71

Overall, Michael Phelps had a hand in six of the men's eight global standards of the year to demonstrate his dominance of the sport.

Women's World Record Progressions:
Event Type Name Country Time Location Date
W 100 Free LCM Britta Steffen Germany 53.30 Budapest, Hungary 8/2/2006
W 100 Free LCM Libby Lenton Australia 52.99 Sydney, Australia 4/3/2007

W 200 Free LCM Franziska Van Almsick Germany 1.56.64 Berlin, Germany 8/3/2002
W 200 Free LCM Federica Pellegrini Italy 1.56.47 Melbourne, Australia 3/27/2007
W 200 Free LCM Laure Manaudou France 1.55.52 Melbourne, Australia 3/28/2007

W 50 Back LCM Janine Pietsch Germany 28.19 Berlin, Germany 5/25/2005
W 50 Back LCM Leila Vaziri United States 28.16 Melbourne, Australia 3/28/2007
W 50 Back LCM Leila Vaziri United States 28.16 Melbourne, Australia 3/29/2007

W 100 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin United States 59.58 Fort Lauderdale, United States 8/13/2002
W 100 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin United States 59.44 Melbourne, Australia 3/27/2007

W 400 IM LCM Yana Klochkova Ukraine 4.33.59 Sydney, Australia 9/16/2000
W 400 IM LCM Katie Hoff United States 4.32.89 Melbourne, Australia 4/1/2007

W 800 FR LCM Germany 7.50.82 Budapest, Hungary 8/3/2006
Petra Dallman 1.59.14
Daniela Samulski 1.58.27
Britta Steffen 1.57.77
Annika Liebs 1.55.64
W 800 FR LCM United States 7.50.09 Melbourne, Australia 3/29/2007
Natalie Coughlin 1.56.43
Dana Vollmer 1.57.49
Lacey Nymeyer 1.59.19
Katie Hoff 1.56.98

W 400 MR LCM Australia 3.56.30 Melbourne, Australia 3/21/2006
Sophie Edington 1.01.06
Leisel Jones 1.05.51
Jessicah Schipper 56.86
Libby Lenton 52.87
W 400 MR LCM Australia 3.55.74 Melbourne, Australia 3/31/2007
Emily Seebohm 1.00.79
Leisel Jones 1.04.94
Jessicah Schipper 57.18
Libby Lenton 52.83

Although one record may be in doubt with the 100 freestyle going to Libby Lenton while swimming against Phelps in the Duel in the Pool leadoff leg of the mixed relay, the women still put together an incredible first three months of action.

If you count the 100 free leadoff from Lenton, four women tied for the most world-record swims of the year so far. Lenton with the 100 free and as the anchor leg of the 400 medley relay for Australia, Natalie Coughlin in the 100 back and as the lead leg of the 800 freestyle relay, Katie Hoff in the 400 IM and as the anchor leg of the 800 freestyle relay and Leila Vaziri with a pair of 28.16s in 50 back competition at Worlds, each have notched a pair of global-standard performances this quarter.

The list grows even more lengthy when you take a look at the American record progression thus far.

In sum, an American record has been tied or broken 36 times in the first quarter of the year. The men accomplished the feat 13 times, while the women had a breakout year at NCAAs to help themselves to 23 American standards.

Men's American Record Progressions:
Event Type Name Time Location Date
M 50 Free SCY Tom Jager 19.05 Nashville 3/23/1990
SCY Anthony Ervin 19.05 Athens 3/28/2002
M 50 Free SCY Ben Wildman-Tobriner 19.03r Minneapolis 3/15/2007
M 50 Free SCY Ben Wildman-Tobriner 18.98 Minneapolis 3/15/2007
M 50 Free SCY Ben Wildman-Tobriner 18.87r Minneapolis 3/15/2007

M 200 Free LCM Michael Phelps 1.45.20 Montreal 7/26/2005
M 200 Free LCM Michael Phelps 1.43.86 Melbourne 3/27/2007

M 1000 Free SCY Chris Thompson 8.44.11 College Station 3/22/2001
M 1000 Free SCY Robert Margalis 8.42.64 St. Petersburg 3/1/2007

M 100 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol 53.17 Indianapolis 4/2/2005
M 100 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol 52.98 Melbourne 3/27/2007

M 200 Back LCM Aaron Peirsol 1.54.44 Victoria 8/19/2006
M 200 Back LCM Ryan Lochte 1.54.32 Melbourne 3/30/2007

M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps 1.53.80 Victoria 8/17/2006
M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps 1.53.71 Missouri 2/17/2007
M 200 fly LCM Michael Phelps 1.52.09 Melbourne 3/28/2007

M 200 IM LCM Michael Phelps 1.55.84 Victoria 8/20/2006
M 200 IM LCM Michael Phelps 1.54.98 Melbourne 3/29/2007

M 400 IM LCM Michael Phelps 4.08.26 Athens 8/14/2004
M 400 IM LCM Michael Phelps 4.06.22 Melbourne 4/1/2007

M 800 FR SCY Texas 6.18.00 College Station 3/23/2001
Goldblatt, Dusing, Kemp, Rauch
M 800 FR SCY Stanford 6.17.92 Minneapolis 3/16/2007
Grant, Beal, Sun, Phillips

M 800 FR LCM U.S. 7.05.28 Victoria 8/18/2006
Phelps, Lochte, Vanderkaay, Keller
M 800 FR LCM U.S. 7.03.24 Melbourne 3/30/2007
Phelps, Lochte, Keller, Vanderkaay

Based on the aforementioned world-record haul by Phelps, he led the men with six national standards in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Ben Wildman-Tobriner chipped in three as he lowered the 50 free American record, previously held by Tom Jager and Anthony Ervin with matching 19.05s, three times at NCAAs.

Women's American Record Progressions:
Event Type Name Time Location Date
W 100 Free LCM Amanda Weir 53.58 Irvine 8/5/2006
W 100 Free LCM Natalie Coughlin 53.40 Melbourne 3/29/2007

W 200 Free LCM Lindsay Benko 1.57.41 Barcelona 5/24/2003
W 200 Free LCM Katie Hoff 1.57.29 Melbourne 3/27/2007
W 200 Free LCM Katie Hoff 1.57.09 Melbourne 3/28/2007
W 200 Free LCM Natalie Coughlin 1.56.43r Melbourne 3/29/2007

W 200 Free SCY Natalie Coughlin 1.42.65 Auburn 12/6/2002
W 200 Free SCY Natalie Coughlin 1.41.66 Long Beach 1/14/2007

W 50 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin 28.35 Zagreb 6/3/2006
W 50 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin 28.30 Melbourne 3/27/2007
W 50 Back LCM Leila Vaziri 28.25 Melbourne 3/28/2007
W 50 Back LCM Leila Vaziri 28.16 Melbourne 3/28/2007
W 50 Back LCM Leila Vaziri 28.16 Melbourne 3/29/2007

W 100 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin 59.58 Fort Lauderdale 8/13/2002
W 100 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin 59.44 Melbourne 3/27/2007

W 200 Back LCM Natalie Coughlin 2.08.53 Fort Lauderdale 8/16/2002
W 200 Back LCM Margaret Hoelzer 2.07.70 Melbourne 3/30/2007
W 200 Back LCM Margaret Hoelzer 2.07.16 Melbourne 3/31/2007

W 50 Breast LCM Jessica Hardy 30.85 Montreal 7/31/2005
W 50 Breast LCM Jessica Hardy 30.85 Melbourne 3/30/2007
W 50 Breast LCM Jessica Hardy 30.63 Melbourne 4/1/2007

W 100 Fly LCM Dara Torres 57.58 Indianapolis 8/9/2000
W 100 Fly LCM Natalie Coughlin 57.34 Melbourne 3/26/2007

W 400 IM LCM Kaitlin Sandeno 4.34.95 Athens 8/14/2004
W 400 IM LCM Katie Hoff 4.32.89 Melbourne 4/1/2007

W 200 FR SCY Georgia 1.28.10 West Lafayette 3/17/2005
Joyce, Kearns, Georoff, Weir
W 200 FR SCY Arizona 1.27.23 Minneapolis 3/8/2007
Jackson, Nymeyer, Turner, Kelly

W 400 FR SCY Georgia 3.13.38 Athens 3/18/2006
DeScenza, Harm, Cole, Joyce
W 400 FR SCY California 3.12.13 Minneapolis 3/10/2007
Silver, Reilly, Hardy, Vollmer

W 400 FR LCM U.S. 3.35.80 Victoria 8/19/2006
Weir, Coughlin, Joyce, Nymeyer
W 400 FR LCM U.S. 3.35.68 Melbourne 3/25/2007
Coughlin, Nymeyer, Weir, Joyce

W 800 FR SCY Georgia 7.01.03 West Lafayette 3/18/2005
DeScenza, Joyce, Hill, Weir
W 800 FR SCY California 7.00.89 Minneapolis 3/9/2007
Vollmer, Silver, Hayter, Reilly

W 800 FR LCM U.S. 7.53.42 Athens 8/18/2004
Coughlin, Piper, Vollmer, Sandeno
W 800 FR LCM U.S. 7.50.09 Melbourne 3/29/2007
Coughlin, Vollmer, Nymeyer, Hoff

W 200 MR SCY Auburn 1.36.69 Auburn 3/21/2003
Anderson, Swander, Hoelzer, Short
W 200 MR SCY Arizona 1.36.09 Minneapolis 3/9/2007
Degolia, Chandler, Jackson, Kelly

W 400 MR SCY Stanford 3.31.74 Austin 3/21/2002
Wagner, Kirk, Ripple, Boutwell
W 400 MR SCY California 3.30.18 Minneapolis 3/8/2007
Rogers, Hardy, Vollmer, Silver

The NCAA relay effort really helped rewrite the American record book for the women. Overall, seven relay records were replaced (both LCM and SCY) with all five SCY standards falling in Minneapolis.

Coughlin stood out from the crowd as she had a hand in eight separate American records at some point during the year. Jessica Hardy, Katie Hoff and Dana Vollmer tied for second with four American standards set throughout the first quarter.

I wonder what these amazing athletes have in store for us the last three-quarters of the year.

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