After 14-year-old Luka Mijatovic swam a record-breaking 4:17.07 in the 500-yard freestyle, we reported how that performance made him 2.9 percent faster than the second-fastest swimmer in 13-14 history.
We also said pulling #1 and #2 from the all-time age group rankings was a project for another day.
That day has arrived.
A couple of disclaimers up front:
- USA Swimming’s all-time top 100 age group performers lists are not wholly accurate. Corrections were administered by hand and are therefore imperfect.
- I majored in mechanical engineering, not data science.
Top 25 Dominant NAG Records
| Rank | Event | Category | Age Group | Name | Date | Time | % over 2nd | % over 10th |
| 1 | 50 BK LCM | Male | 11-12 | Ronald Dalmacio | 4/22/2017 | 27.45 | 3.38 | 5.48 |
| 2 | 200 BR SCY | Male | 11-12 | Ethan Dang | 12/7/2014 | 2:05.56 | 2.97 | 5.76 |
| 3 | 200 IM LCM | Male | 10 & Under | Ayden Tan | 4/14/2023 | 2:27.38 | 2.96 | 4.72 |
| 3 | 50 FL LCM | Male | 11-12 | Michael Andrew | 3/25/2012 | 26.22 | 2.96 | 4.41 |
| 5 | 100 BR LCM | Female | 11-12 | Carly Geehr | 7/26/1997 | 1:09.87 | 2.92 | 4.77 |
| 6 | 500 FR SCY | Male | 13-14 | Luka Mijatovic | 4/1/2023 | 4:17.07 | 2.91 | 3.89 |
| 7 | 50 FL SCY | Male | 11-12 | Thomas Heilman | 12/8/2019 | 22.87 | 2.64 | 5.57 |
| 8 | 200 FL SCY | Male | 13-14 | Thomas Heilman | 12/11/2021 | 1:42.77 | 2.49 | 5.53 |
| 9 | 100 FL SCY | Male | 13-14 | Thomas Heilman | 12/10/2021 | 45.81 | 2.43 | 6.28 |
| 10 | 200 FL LCM | Male | 13-14 | Michael Phelps | 3/28/2000 | 1:59.02 | 2.38 | 4.11 |
| 11 | 400 FR LCM | Male | 13-14 | Luka Mijatovic | 8/2/2023 | 3:52.01 | 2.36 | 3.51 |
| 12 | 100 FL LCM | Male | 13-14 | Thomas Heilman | 12/3/2021 | 53.27 | 2.31 | 4.50 |
| 13 | 400 FR LCM | Female | 15-16 | Katie Ledecky | 7/28/2013 | 3:59.82 | 2.29 | 3.32 |
| 14 | 50 BK SCY | Male | 11-12 | Ronald Dalmacio | 3/17/2017 | 23.65 | 2.27 | 5.29 |
| 15 | 100 FL LCM | Female | 15-16 | Claire Curzan | 4/10/2021 | 56.20 | 2.23 | 3.29 |
| 16 | 200 BK SCY | Male | 13-14 | Michael Andrew | 4/16/2014 | 1:43.15 | 2.19 | 4.02 |
| 16 | 50 FR LCM | Female | 15-16 | Claire Curzan | 5/14/2021 | 24.17 | 2.19 | 4.16 |
| 18 | 200 FR SCY | Male | 13-14 | Thomas Heilman | 12/10/2021 | 1:34.68 | 2.14 | 4.31 |
| 19 | 1000 FR SCY | Female | 17-18 | Katie Ledecky | 12/13/2015 | 8:59.65 | 2.02 | 4.86 |
| 19 | 100 FL SCY | Male | 15-16 | Thomas Heilman | 12/9/2022 | 44.67 | 2.02 | 3.77 |
| 21 | 100 FL SCY | Male | 11-12 | Thomas Heilman | 1/25/2020 | 50.82 | 1.99 | 4.71 |
| 22 | 1000 FR SCY | Female | 15-16 | Katie Ledecky | 12/5/2013 | 9:14.22 | 1.92 | 3.06 |
| 22 | 800 FR LCM | Female | 17-18 | Katie Ledecky | 1/17/2016 | 8:06.68 | 1.92 | 3.49 |
| 24 | 100 BK SCY | Female | 11-12 | Regan Smith | 11/13/2014 | 54.21 | 1.88 | 3.14 |
| 25 | 100 FL LCM | Male | 10 & Under | Andrew Rogers | 6/13/2015 | 1:05.98 | 1.87 | 4.32 |
Compared to all of the NAG records on the books, Mijatovic’s record ranks 6th when compared by percentage over the second-fastest performer. However, it is the most dominant record for the 13-14 age group, leading a slew of records held by Thomas Heilman, Michael Phelps, and Katie Ledecky, to name a few.
Topping the list is Ronald Dalmacio’s 50-meter backstroke record for 11-12 boys. His time of 27.45 puts him 3.38% ahead of the second-fastest swimmer (28.41). Ranking 2nd is another 11-12 boys record: Ethan Dang’s 2:05.56 in the 200-yard breaststroke is 2.97% ahead of Reece Whitley (2:09.40).
The most dominant girls’ record is 5th overall. Carly Geehr holds the girls’ 11-12 100-meter breaststroke record (1:09.87), which is 2.92% ahead of number two (1:11.96). Geehr was one of the youngest Americans to ever make an international team, being named to the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships at just 12 years old. The NAG stands at the time she swam to qualify for that team.
Notably, the next distance event record is also held by Mijatovic. The first Katie Ledecky record appears at 13th with the 400-meter freestyle (15-16), which she swam en route to her first world title.
Quick Trends:
- On average, 11-12 age group records are the most dominant, followed by 13-14, 10 & Under, and 17-18. (Calculated by taking an average of rank.)
- Boys’ records are more dominant than girls’.
- Short course records are more dominant than long course records.
I’d love to know how far ahead some of the epic longstanding NAGs were when they were set….Chas Morton, John Moffett, Bobby Hackett, Sippy Woodhead, Mary T.
puberty definitely is a large factor with 11-12 times and to a lesser extent 13-14/10&u. Would be interesting to see height of kids at time of NAG relative to adult height.
Back in the day chas Morton 11-12 100 fly 58 lc. No one else under 1:00 for years
This is cool.
This is a bit misleading because there can be a record that was broken which had complete domination over the previous one. Better to look at the age of the former record broken plus the age of the record itself.
For example Luka’s 15:27 1500 is extremely dominating and the one he broke that was almost 50 years old was far away from 2nd performance when he broke it.
Didn’t SS do a breakdown of world records using this logic in the recent past? I seem to remember their using a comparison to 100th best time or something like that? Might be worth examining from that perspective as well (and don’t quote me on the exact analysis used previously, but it was something in that vein).
Why does it matter about the age of the record?
Some of the longstanding ones (that have finally gone down in recent years) lasted all those years because they were far ahead of everyone else for most of that time.
I think that’s what the % over 10th is for, which takes care of outliers at the top
I like the “vs 10th” column. Heilman’s 13-14 100 fly could be the craziest NAG, but just happened to compete with Peak MA.
In ‘87 Pablo won the 100 fly at NCAA’s in 46.47
In ‘21 14 year old Tom Heilman dropped a 45
Anyone born before 1970 reading this….😞
Ahem. Bobby Hackett’s 15:03.91 15-16 NAG in the 1500 LCM from…1976!!!?
And BTW it was not set on 1/1/76, since it was at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. I know it is ancient history, but that was my point.
The article is about the biggest percentage spread between the #1 and #2 performers of NAG rankings, not oldest record. 2% above that is roughly 15:21. Plenty of people inside that mark and would barely make the list at just 2%