Australia’s dominance in the women’s 100 freestyle and 400 free relay is nothing new.
The Aussies are the reigning Olympic and world champions in the 400 free relay, having reset the world record numerous times in recent years, and have both the reigning Olympic (Emma McKeon) and world (Mollie O’Callaghan) champions in the 100 freestyle.
Last week, as has become the norm, the result of the women’s 100 free during the Australian World Championship Trials in Melbourne was impressive. Three swimmers (O’Callaghan, McKeon and Shayna Jack) cracked the 53-second barrier.
In 2023, every other country in the world combined has three swimmers sub-53.
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Swimming Stats’ Instagram page has published the list of countries with the most sub-53 swimmers since 2010, that is, since the polyurethane super-suits were banned. Australia lead the pack easily with seven swimmers, the same as the next two countries combined (the United States and the Netherlands).
No wonder, the United States and Netherlands were the only countries to beat the Australians in the 400 free relay in a major meet since 2010 (long course meters).
Over the last six World Aquatics Championships, Australian teams won the event on three occasions, the U.S. twice (2013 and 2017), and the Dutch once in 2011. At the Olympic Games, Australia has demolished their opponents in the last three editions (2012, 2016 and 2021).
After the suit ban, the first woman to break the 53-second barrier was the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo in 2012. In 2013, Australian Cate Campbell won the World Championships in a time of 52.33, and since then, in every year, Australians have been churning out sub-53 swims, something no country has come close to achieving.
For example, the U.S. has only had at least one swimmer venture into the 52s in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 during that timeframe.
Sub-53 swimmers In Women’s 100 Freestyle
Since 2010
| Swimmer | Country | Best Time | Year |
| Sarah Sjostrom | SWE | 51.71 | 2017 |
| Emma McKeon | AUS | 51.96 | 2021 |
| Cate Campbell | AUS | 52.03 | 2018 |
| Simone Manuel | USA | 52.04 | 2019 |
| Bronte Campbell | AUS | 52.27 | 2018 |
| Siobhan Haughey | HKG | 52.27 | 2021 |
| Mollie O’Callaghan | AUS | 52.48 | 2023 |
| Penny Oleksiak | CAN | 52.59 | 2021 |
| Mallory Comerford | USA | 52.59 | 2017 |
| Shayna Jack | AUS | 52.60 | 2022 |
| Pernille Blume | DEN | 52.69 | 2017 |
| Femke Heemskerk | NED | 52.69 | 2015 |
| Taylor Ruck | CAN | 52.72 | 2018 |
| Charlotte Bonnet | FRA | 52.74 | 2018 |
| Anna Hopkin | GBR | 52.75 | 2021 |
| Ranomi Kromowidjojo | NED | 52.75 | 2012 |
| Madison Wilson | AUS | 52.76 | 2021 |
| Rikako Ikee | JPN | 52.79 | 2018 |
| Yufei Zhang | CHN | 52.90 | 2020 |
| Meg Harris | AUS | 52.92 | 2021 |
| Torri Huske | USA | 52.92 | 2022 |
| Marrit Steenbergen | NED | 52.98 | 2023 |
| Abbey Weitzeil | USA | 52.99 | 2021 |
In addition to current Olympic champion McKeon and current world champion O’Callaghan, Cate Campbell broke the world record in 2016 to go along with her world title in 2013, while her sister Bronte Campbell was the world champion in 2015. And it seems that Australia’s hegemony in the 100 free and the 4×100 free is far from over.
Trivia: The first female swimmer in history to crack the 53-second barrier, as it couldn’t be otherwise, was an Australian swimmer. Libby Trickett clocked 52.99 at the 2007 Duel in The Pool in Sydney. However, that was never recognized as a world record, as it was set leading off the 4×100 freestyle mixed relay.
It will be a huge disappointment if such a huge wave of sprinting talents won’t produce a world record holder. “52” was exotic club a decade ago. Not any more.
Classic Yozhik.
“Wow this is so impressive that anything less than a WR is failure”.
You are the Simone Biles of mental gymnastics.
It’s still exotic in some countries.
Only 2 women have broken into the ’51’, Sjostroem in a relay lead where Sweden finished 5th.
McKeon in the Olympic final to win Gold medal.
Won’t produce a world record holder?
You mean they may intentionally forgo a world record?
‘”52″ was exotic club a decade ago.’
This is not the thread, nor the website, to be discussing strip joints.
Cate Campbell held the 100m Freestyle WR before Sjostrom
are you the person who commented under the ig post, saying that this stat is insignificant?
Crazy that a 52.7 would not get you an individual swim for AUS at the 2023WCs!!!
Both C1 and C2 plan to compete for relays spots in 2024.Clearly,they need to be back in 52 range to make the team.
Imagine the 100m Final at next years 2024 Australian Trials
McKeon
MOC
Jack
Cate
Bronte
Harris
Wilson
Ariane/Wusnch/Throssell
In the 2021 Olympic Trials, the top 4 were in 52s,Bronte at 53.0 and a young MOC at 53.2.
Crazy fast! Some very good swimmers are not making it out of heats next year. In addition to Wunsch who has made the step up, we’ve got other youngsters like Casey, Jansen and DeLutis who are all knocking on the door.
that quartet could definitely be close to the wjr at junior worlds this year if everyone swims at their best
Ruck (53.63) – Wunsch (54.05)
Oleksiak (53.70) – Jansen (53.76 split at jr pan pacs)
Smith (54.65) – Casey (PB is a 54.30)
Sanchez (54.21) – DeLutiis (54.21 split at age nationals)
I still don’t quite think a 52 will be required for top 6, but I can see a 53.1 missing out
Add in Brittany Elmslie,Mel Schlanger and Alicia Coutts ,who were not 52 swimmers but contributed to relay WRs in the 2010s.
Don’t forget 2004 where it all really started with Alice, Libby, Petria and Jody.
Jodie Henry had one of the most amazing final legs ever to come from behind an claim gold.
And how many times have each of these Australian swimmers broken 53? I’m unsure. Anyone know?
A quick count of FINA records says:
C Campbell – 51
McKeon – 18
B Campbell – 9
MOC – 8
Jack – 4
Lenton/Trickett – 3
Wilson – 2
Harris – 1
Total – 96
Thanks so much Sub13.
51 times! Crazy stuff.
And 96 total. That needs to be in the article.
What about Sjostrom?
FINA says Sjostrom has 37
Cate Campbell would have had a lot more had she led relays like Dressel.
But she was even more valuable as an anchor. Manuel on the other hand probably should have been leading off.
Count using the nuoto rankings is usually a bit higher (adjusted for trials swims that aren’t added yet):
55 Campbell, Cate
19 McKeon, Emma
10 Campbell, Bronte
8 Lenton Trickett, Lisbeth
8 O’Callaghan, Mollie
4 Jack, Shayna
2 Wilson, Madison
1 Harris, Meg
Non-Australians:
37 Sjoestroem, Sarah
8 Oleksiak, Penny
6 Manuel, Simone A.
6 Haughey, Siobhan
6 Comerford, Mallory E.
6 Blume, Pernille
5 Steffen, Britta
4 Heemskerk, Femke
3 Ruck, Taylor M.
2 Zhang, Yufei
2 Kromowidjojo, Ranomi
2 Huske, Torri
2 Hopkin, Anna
1 Weitzeil, Abbey R.
1 Ikee, Rikako
1 Halsall, Francesca
1 Bonnet, Charlotte
Interesting. I wonder why there is such a huge discrepancy for Libby? 3 vs 8
fina rankings has 4 entries for her. the others are missing because the rankings don’t have any national championship results pre 2011, with WRs being the sole exception. but 2 of the missing times were mixed relay leadoffs against men, and probably shouldn’t count in this discussion
The 52s reported from WA ranking should be 4 and of the other 4 that nuoto includes 2 are mixed relays and 2 are just missed by WA.
World Aquatics rankings:
52.62 LENTON, Libby 2009-07-26 13th FINA World Championships 2009
52.84 LENTON, Libby 2009-07-30 13th FINA World Championships 2009
52.88 LENTON, Libby 2008-03-27 Australian National Championships (50m)
52.93 LENTON, Libby 2009-07-31 13th FINA World Championships 2009
Other four from nuoto:
153 52.89 934 Lenton Trickett, Lisbeth 1985-01-28 24.2 AUS 2009-05-09 2009 Duel in the Pool
172 52.95 931 Lenton Trickett, Lisbeth 1985-01-28 24.2 AUS 2009-05-09 2009 Duel in the Pool
190 52.99 929 Lenton Trickett, Lisbeth 1985-01-28 22.1 AUS 2007-04-03 AUS v USA Sydney
190 52.99 929 Lenton Trickett, Lisbeth 1985-01-28 24.0… Read more »
Sub 53 teenage swims:
16: 2 – Oleksiak
17: 2 – 1 Oleksiak, 1 Ruck
18: 9 – 6 MOC, 2 Ruck, 1 Ikee
19: 8 – 2 Sjostrom, 2 MOC (so far), 2 Huske, 1 Halsall, 1 Harris
C1 first went sub 53 at 20.
For MOC to be =5th already is obscene, the next best at her age would be Oleksiak/Ruck with 3.
Mollie could break Cate’s record, I really doubt any other current swimmer could.
C1 does have 12 sub 52 relay splits, including that alien 50.93, that may live for the next generation.
Next best is Heemskerk with 5.
So more than half of all sub 53 second swims are by Australians 107 vs 93. If you remove Trickett, Steffen and Halsall (super suit/mixed relay times) from the list it becomes 99 vs 87.
Also Netherlands and USA aren’t the only two countries to defeat Australia since 2010 as Australia finished fifth at 2011 worlds behind Germany (3rd) and China (4th). Definitely the low point in the 20 years since Australia became relevant in this event in 03/04.
Cate Campbell has been sub 53 at least 50 times.
Correction, at least 55 times
Manuel did it just 6 times…but boy, did she made those 6 times count!!!
Some just peak the right time. MacNeil has only been 55 in the 100 fly twice: one got her a WC, the other an Olympic gold.