SCY Is Good For Something: US Women Hold 10 Out Of 23 SCM World Records

2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The US women hold almost half of the short course meter World Records and have already put on a show through just one day at the 2024 World Championships. The US women hold 10 out of the 23 records in total. With much debate coming from the collegiate system of short course yards, it seems that SCY has at least some benefit.

Ten records is almost double the number that the US holds in the long course pool, as the US women hold six (out of 20) LCM World Records. Although it should be noted that LCM has three less events with the absence of the 100 IM, the 4×50 free, and 4×50 medley relays, the US only holds one of those records. Even eliminating Walsh’s 100 IM, the numbers still compare with nine SCM and six LCM.

In addition to the US women holding 10 records, Maggie MacNeil of Canada swam SCY during her time at Michigan and LSU. MacNeil holds the 50 back and 100 fly SCM World Records. Fellow Canadian Summer McIntosh may also have seen the benefits of SCY as the teen trains out of Florida and notably competed at the 2022 Winter Junior Championships. Although there has been some discourse on “bathtub” swimming, it seems that there are benefits of training to race in a shorter pool.

All ten of the SCM records from the US women have been set in the last two years. Katie Ledecky set the 800 and 1500 freestyles back in 2022 while Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, and Gretchen Walsh each earned two individual records at some point this fall and now into the winter.

Women’s SCM World Records

  1. 800 freestyle, 7:57.42, Katie Ledecky, 2022 World Cup- Indy
  2. 1500 freestyle, 15:08.24, Katie Ledecky, 2022 World Cup- Toronto
  3. 100 backstroke, 54.27, Regan Smith, 2024 World Cup- Singapore
  4. 200 backstroke, 1:58.83, Regan Smith, 2024 World Cup- Singapore
  5. 200 breaststroke, 2:12.72, Kate Douglass, 2024 World Cup- Singapore
  6. 50 butterfly, 23.94, Gretchen Walsh, 2024 World Championships
  7. 100 individual medley, 55.98, Gretchen Walsh, 2024 Virginia vs Florida Dual Meet
  8. 200 individual medley, 2:01.63, Kate Douglass, 2024 World Championships
  9. 4 × 100 freestyle relay, 3:25.01, Kate Douglass, Katharine Berkoff, Alex Shackell, Gretchen Walsh,  2024 World Championships
  10. 4 × 100 medley relay, 3:44.35, Claire Curzan, Lilly King, Torri Huske, Kate Douglass, 2022 World Championships

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Steve Nolan
2 months ago

Finally, the SCM records are catching up to the SCY ones.

SuperSwimmer 2000
2 months ago

What the hell kind of headline is that? SCY is good on its own merits, not just because a handful of college swimmers have SCM world records. It’s its own thing.

Meatball
2 months ago

Off-topic but Gretchen Walsh’s 50-yard free high school national record (21.59) was just broken by Julie Mishler(21.56) from Indiana!! Big things are coming for the USA.

Last edited 2 months ago by Meatball
KCCas
2 months ago

With the addition of those held by MacIntosh and MacNeil, it will be 13 of 23 SCM world records – just one more reason for the new administration to “encourage” the Great White North to become the 51st state! (sarcasm intended)

Dan
Reply to  KCCas
2 months ago

Don’t forget Alia Atkinson and Siobhán Haughey for total of 15 out of 23

Kevin
2 months ago

Of course it has benefits. Same number of turns, SCY can be 65.6% underwater, SCM can be 60%, LCM only 30%. So of course it should translate better. I don’t think it’s the SC part that most people really care about, it’s the Y part. The mile, the half marathon, and the full marathon are basically the only “yards” running that happens anymore and the last 2 are just traditional distances that will never go away. But there is no 1/4 marathon, the closest is a 10k. Most of the ultra events are even distance in km too.

I still wish the US would have started the push for SCM in the 90s. If the NCAA said they were going… Read more »

Walter
Reply to  Kevin
2 months ago

My local pool was built as 25 meters in the 70s and sometime along the way rebuilt as 25 yards.

Kevin
Reply to  Walter
2 months ago

Yeah, I’ve seen that happen to other pools too because there is no reason to have SCM pools in the US. NCAA’s (and hence HS and club) is all about SCY. The Olympics is LCM as are the more celebrated World Championships (I personally would like SC Worlds to hold the same prestige but they don’t). So the incentives are SCY or LCM pools. The NCAA was the only org that really had the clout to make SCM the thing to do and they didn’t and won’t. Had the NCAA D1 been SCM for the championship and conference and several yearly invites and a good number of dual meets, the 25 meter pool likely would have stayed 25 meter.

I… Read more »

JimSwim22
Reply to  Kevin
2 months ago

The time to push for it would have been the 70s when there was serious discussion about the US actually going metric in all facets of public life.

VA Steve
Reply to  Kevin
2 months ago

Most of our summer swim (community) pools are SCM.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
2 months ago

comment image

Ashe
2 months ago

Who owns 100 breast? Does Lily not?

Admin
Reply to  Ashe
2 months ago

Alia Atkinson, 1:02.36 from 2014 and again in 2016, tied with Ruta Meilutyte, 1:02.36 from 2013.

Lilly never held it, but is #3 all time.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 months ago

Lilly King is still up to snuff on the breaststroke leg of the women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay but not to 2017 levels.

swimgeek
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 months ago

Meanwhile, doesn’t KD take her 200 out in 1:04.0?

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
Reply to  swimgeek
2 months ago

Without Torri Huske, Kate Douglass is needed on the freestyle leg of the 4 x 50/100 meter medley relay:

R. Smith – L. King – G. Walsh – K. Douglass

EXCALIBUR
Reply to  Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
2 months ago

best quartet of the Lot

Sparkle
2 months ago

I think Gretchen is going to take this up to 12 with the 50 free and 100 fly by the end of the week. The 100 free is also a possibility but we shall see

This Guy
Reply to  Sparkle
2 months ago

I think Walsh should lead off the 200 medley and get that $25,000 WR bonus for the 50 back

Alex Dragovich
Reply to  Sparkle
2 months ago

Not hating by any stretch but I think 100 meters still has too much on top of the water swimming for her freestyle to beat the current WR time. Would be great to be proven wrong though, and I do think she will be faster than the current WR time eventually.

Joel
Reply to  Sparkle
2 months ago

Another one not realising how good Campbell’s WR is.

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

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