A Historic Wave of World Records At The World Cup

The 2025 Swimming World Cup in short course meters concluded last Saturday in Toronto. After three stops, 13 world records were broken. The final day in Toronto was particularly memorable, with an incredible five world records, two of which shattered historic barriers (Caspar Corbeau became the first man ever to swim the 200 breaststroke in under 2:00, and Kate Douglass became the first woman to go under 50 seconds in the 100 freestyle).

All World Records – 2025 World Cup

• Oct. 11, Carmel: Women’s 50 fly, Gretchen Walsh (USA) 23.72 (previous WR Gretchen Walsh (USA) 23.94, 2024)
• Oct. 18, Westmont: Women’s 200 free, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) 1:49.77 (previous WR Siobhan Haughey (HKG) 1:50.31, 2021)
• Oct. 18, Westmont: Women’s 100 back, Regan Smith (USA) 54.02 (tying the WR held by Regan Smith (USA) 54.02, 2024)
• Oct. 19, Westmont: Women’s 200 back, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 1:57.87 (previous WR Regan Smith (USA) 1:58.04,2024)
• Oct. 19, Westmont: Women’s 100 free, Kate Douglass (USA) 50.19 (previous WR Cate Campbell (AUS) 50.25, 2017)
• Oct. 23, Toronto: Men’s 200 back, Hubert Kos (HUN) 1:45.12 (previous WR Mitch Larkin (AUS) 1:45.63, 2015)
• Oct. 23, Toronto: Men’s 100 fly, Josh Liendo (CAN), 47.68 (previous WR Noe Ponti (SUI) 47.71, 2024)
• Oct. 24, Toronto: Women’s 200 free, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) 1:49.36 (previous WR
• Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) 1:49.77, 2025)
• Oct. 25, Toronto: Women’s 800 free, Lani Pallister (AUS) 7:54.00 (previous WR Katie Ledecky (USA) 7:57.42, 2022)
• Oct. 25, Toronto: Women’s 200 back, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 1:57.33 (previous WR Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 1:57.87, 2025)
• Oct. 25, Toronto: Men’s 100 back, Hubert Kos (HUN) 48.16 (previous WR Coleman Stewart (USA) 48.33, 2021)
• Oct. 25, Toronto: Men’s 200 breast, Caspar Corbeau (NED) 1:59.52 (previous WR Kirill Prigoda (RUS) 2:00.16, 2018)
• Oct. 25, Toronto: Women’s 100 free, Kate Douglass (USA) 49.93 (previous WR Kate Douglass (USA) 50.19, 2025)

These 13 world records represent a significant improvement over last year, when eight world records were set across three stops.

In fact, it’s the highest number since 2013, when 22 world records were broken — although that year had eight stops, yielding an average of 2.75 world records per meet, which is less than the 4.33 average seen in 2025.

Another interesting point: excluding the 2009 World Cup series, which featured an unusually high number of world records due to the high-tech suits, the 2025 World Cup achieved the highest average of world records per stop in its history. With the exception of 2009, we had never had an average of more than three world records per meet.

 

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The eight world records in Toronto also made history. Again, excluding 2009, this marks the most world records set in a single World Cup stop. Also, Westmont, with four world records, appears in the list.

Most world records set in a single World Cup stop

As if that weren’t enough, the five world records on the final day in Toronto were historic. With the exception of 2009, October 25, 2025, marks the day with the most world records ever in a single World Cup session. Prior to this, the maximum had been four world records in one day, on January 26, 2002 (Berlin) and on August 7, 2013 (Eindhoven).

As shown in the table below, there are multiple instances of days with five or more world records in major meets such as the Olympics and World Championships — including the 2024 Short Course Worlds, where several days saw six or seven world records. Those meets include stacked heats, semifinals and relays, which offer more opportunities for records than the World Cup format. That makes five world records in a single day, as happened in Toronto, truly historic.