Tess Howley Breaks WUGs Record In Women’s 200 Fly, Becomes 3rd Fastest American In History

2025 World University Games

• July 17th-23rd, 2025
  • Prelims: 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST)
  • Finals: 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EST)
• Berlin, Germany
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Entries List
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

Tess Howley swam a blistering fast 200 fly in the World University Games semifinal, touching in 2:05.20 to break the 18-year-old WUGs record and become the 3rd fastest American in history.

Women’s 200 Butterfly– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 2:01.81- Zige Liu, CHN (2009)
• Junior World Record: 2:03.03- Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World University Games Record: 2:06.83- Audrey Lacroix, CAN (2007)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Tess Howley (USA)- 2:05.20 **NEW WUGS RECORD
2. Lindsay Looney (USA)-2:07.98
3. Ciara Schlosshan (GBR)- 2:09.48
4. Yu Liyan (CHN)- 2:09.56
5. Paola Borrelli (ITA)- 2:09.82
6. Ayami Suzuki (JPN)- 2:11.11
7. Laura Ilyes (HUN)- 2:11.39
8. Antonella Crispino (ITA)- 2:11.74

She won the event by almost three seconds ahead of fellow American Lindsay Looney, locking up the middle lane for tomorrow’s final.

Howley’s time would have won U.S. Nationals last month, and currently ranks as the 2nd fastest 200 fly in the world this year. The only swimmer who has been faster is Canadian Summer McIntosh.

She moves up to the 3rd fastest American in history, passing Hali Flickinger‘s 2:05.65 from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She now sits about a second behind Mary DeScenza‘s 2:04.14 from the 2009 World Championships, and a second-and-a-half behind Regan Smith‘s 2:03.84 American Record from the 2024 Olympics

Top 5 Americans:

1. Regan Smith– 2:03.84
2. Mary Descenza– 2:04.14
3. Tess Howley– 2:05.20
4. Hali Flickinger– 2:05.65
5. Kathleen Hersey– 2:05.78

Howley broke Audrey Lacroix‘s record form 2007. The FISU website lists the record as 2:05.83, but all the official results from the meet have the time listed as 2:06.83, and Swimming Canada’s ranking hub has Lacroix’s best time at 2:05.95 from the 2009 World Championships.

Regardless of what the former time actually was, Howley broke the record by at least half-a-second

Split Comparison

This swim marks more than a second-and-a-half drop for Howley, who swims for the University of Virginia. She came into the season at 2:06.85 from July of 2023. At Nationals, she dropped about a tenth to swim 2:06.79, finishing 3rd.

This is Howley’s only event this week, and she will get another crack at the record in tomorrow’s event final.