With Frenchman Leon Marchand‘s recent dismantling of Michael Phelps‘ 400 IM World Record, swimming has finally entered the era where the name Phelps is no longer associated with individual World Records.
In his storied career, Phelps broke 29 individual World Records, all between 2001 and 2009, and all in long course meters. At the height of his career, he held five individual World Records: the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.
World Records
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3:08.24 (2008, Beijing)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 6:58.55 (2009, Rome)
Olympic Records
- 200 Freestyle: 1:42.96 (2008, Beijing)
- 200 IM: 1:54.23 (2008, Beijing)
- 400 IM: 4:03.84 (2008, Beijing)
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3:08.24 (2008, Beijing)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 6:58.56 (2008, Beijing)
World Championship Course Records (Long Course Meters)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 6:58.55 (2009, Rome)
Pan Pacific Championships Records
- 200 Butterfly: 1:53.80 (2006, Victoria)
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3:11.74 (2010, Irvine)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 7:03.48 (2010, Irvine)
- 400 Medley Relay: 3:29.94 (2014, Gold Coast)
American Records
- 200 Freestyle: 1:42.96 (2008, Beijing)
- 200 Butterfly: 1:51.51 (2009, Rome)
- 400 IM: 4:03.84 (2008, Beijing)
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3:08.24 (2008, Beijing)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 6:58.55 (2009, Rome)
US Open Records
- 200 Freestyle: 1:44.10 (2008, Omaha)
- 200 Butterfly: 1:52.20 (2008, Omaha)
- 400 IM: 4:05.25 (2008, Omaha)
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3:11.74 (2010, Irvine)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 7:03.48 (2010, Irvine)
- 400 Medley Relay: 3:32.48 (2010, Irvine)
Australian All-Comers Records
- 200 Freestyle: 1:43.86 (2007, Melbourne)
- 200 Butterfly: 1:52.09 (2007, Melbourne)
- 200 IM: 1:54.98 (2007, Melbourne)
- 400 IM: 4:06.22 (2007, Melbourne)
- 800 Freestyle Relay: 7:03.24 (2007, Melbourne)
- 400 Medley Relay: 3:29.94 (2014, Gold Coast)
NAG Records: LCM 13-14
- 200 Butterfly: 1:59.02 (2000)
- 400 IM: 4:24.77 (2000)
NAG Records: LCM 17-18
- 200 Freestyle: 1:45.99 (2003)
- 100 Butterfly: 51.10 (2003)
- 200 IM: 1:55.94 (2003)
- 400 IM: 4:09.09 (2003)
While all of the individual World Records are now associated with other names, he is still a member of two World Record relays in the 400 freestyle relay from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as the 800 freestyle relay from the 2009 World Championships. Phelps split a 47.51 leading off the American relay in Beijing, an American Record at the time, which was anchored by the legendary 46.06 relay split by Jason Lezak, which to this day is the fastest split of all time. Phelps led off the 800 freestyle relay in Rome a year later, splitting a 1:44.49, which while impressive trailed Germany’s Paul Biedermann by a full 1.68 seconds, who split a 1:42.81, the 2nd-fastest flat-start 200 freestyle in history.
Biedermann had already broken Phelps’ World Record in the 200 freestyle by that time in the meet, posting a 1:42.00, which stands today, relegating Phelps to the 2nd-fastest performer in history. Phelps, for his part, remains the American and Olympic Record holder in the event with his 1:42.96 from the Beijing Olympics.
At the same World Championships, Ryan Lochte bested Phelps’ World Record in the 200 IM with a 1:54.10. Two years later at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, Lochte lowered the mark again to a 1:54.00, which stands today, beating Phelps head-to-head. Phelps took silver in a 1:54.16, the 3rd-fastest performance in history.
Thomas Heilman took down Phelps’ 100 and 200 LCM butterfly 15-16 NAG Records this summer, and is already within striking distance of his 17-18 NAG Record in the 100 fly. The 200 fly 17-18 NAG Record is held by Luca Urlando from 2019 in a 1:53.84, which Heilman eclipsed at the World Championships in Fukuoka with a 1:53.82.
There is a good chance Phelps’ Olympic Records in the 200 and 400 IM will fall at the hands of Leon Marchand next summer in Paris, while Great Britain could finally take down the 800 freestyle relay Olympic and World Records. Team GBR put up a 6:58.58 at the Olympics in Tokyo, missing the Olympic Record by just 0.02 and the World Record by 0.03, notching the 3rd-fastest performance in history. This summer in Fukuoka, the same squad posted a 1:59.08, the 4th-fastest performance in history. Romanian David Popovici may also take down Phelps’ 200 freestyle Olympic Record, having been a 1:42.97 at the European Championships in 2022.
Maximus Williamson and Henry McFadden each appear capable of breaking Phelps’ 200 freestyle 17-18 NAG Record, set in 2003 in a 1:45.99. At 16-years-old, Williamson already holds a lifetime best of 1:47.29, while McFadden at 17 has been a 1:46.94.
Phelps’ American Records and 13-14 NAG Records seem the safest, for now, while his US Open Records also appear relatively safe, though Marchand could make a run at the 400 IM, and either Marchand or Heilman could be the one to crack the 200 fly record, both set at the 2008 US Olympic Trials. Similarly, his 17-18 NAG Record in the 200 and 400 IMs appear safe, though Williamson could pose a threat to them in one or two years’ time. For those with a particularly close eye, Phelps also holds three individual and two relay Americas Records, meaning those are the fastest performances ever by a swimmer representing a country from the Americas (from Greenland to Chile). Those five records are the same events in which he still holds American Records: 200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 400 IM, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay.
Phelps still owns two records from the Central Maryland Swim League (CMSL – summer league swimming)
Boys 8 & under 25m Back:
17.44 (July 31, 1994)
Boys 9-10 25m Breast:
16.49 (July 31, 1996)
23 Olympic Golds
8 Gold medals at 1 Olympics
5 Individual golds in 1 Olympics
GOAT.
His 23 olympic gold medals will be alive forever and that’s what matters.
And that record will last for decades.
Even if they keep adding useless mixed relays.
I think a fun question is which of *all* of his records will last the longest. Team, pool, etc. I think the NBAC 17-18 200 IM record might be the answer, but I am very willing to hear other arguments.
I think pool records will obviously be the longest to go. Think of former Olympic pools that don’t host national or international level competitions anymore: is anyone going to swim faster than 4:08 in Athens or 1:42 in Beijing (don’t even get me started on relays)? So that is a slippery slope, although I feel like I don’t hear about facility records outside of the USA. International SwimSwam readers can correct me if I’m wrong.
With that being said, I think the record that will last the longest will be the University of Maryland pool record in the 200 IM – 1:55.94. The reasons I believe this to be so are:
- Swimmers are getting faster every year, so eventually
… Read more »Replying to my own comment because I couldn’t edit:
I realized I had some backwards logic saying pool records shouldn’t count and then advocating for one myself, so I’ll say the 17-18 NAGs will last the longest, specifically the aforementioned IM swim from 2003.
It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but I believe he has some pool records at George Mason. Given their conference and the non-NCAA meets held there, I don’t see those pool records going anywhere for a loooong time.
It doesn’t matter the records held anymore. He’s a top 10 all time most iconic sports figure ever.
Looking forward to the day in the next 50 years a swimmer can be as dominant and versatile as Phelps was. He is a horrible representation of the sport
Dude WTF do you have against Phelps. he made some bad decisions early in his career but he was a teenager and he turned it around and is now a fantastic ambassador for the sport.
I have multiple things against him.
– He doesn’t post about swimming unless it involves around him (Marchand, Milak breaking his wrs)
– rather hang out with Football teams then college swim teams
– BFFS with Ray Lewis
– said 2000 Olympics was the last time he wished anyone good luck
– didn’t defend Le Clos when everyone attacked him in 2016 when he had parents with cancer
– didn’t speak up about Bowman text messages
– overall arrogant
– doesn’t support swimmers unless they’re close with him
I can go on
What’s wrong with Ray Lewis? It’s not like he killed somebody.
I’m pretty sure you’ve got the wishing people good luck story all wrong.
He’s not obligated to post about anything. Your lucky he does, because when Michael Phelps posts, people read.
When you are a great competitor, you don’t wish your rivals good luck.
What’s wrong with Ray Lewis?
He’s not obligated to speak on Bowman or Le Clos.
I would say that being the greatest Olympian of all time is a good reason to be “arrogant”. Regardless, show me this objective “arrogance”
Pls don’t go on if ur points make about as much sense as those.
Let me rephrase those for you
- Was the number one most popular swimmer in the world for his entire adult life and needs a break from the sport
- A statement based on zero fact
- Has a friend (oh no!)
- Doesn’t talk to people behind the blocks (speaking from experience probably less than 20% of male swimmers talk to people behind the blocks at all levels of the sport)
- Didn’t defend Le Clos after he openly taunted him and then got hate for openly taunting him (also didn’t say anything negative about him)
- Decided not to publicly call out a man who he basically equates to his own father (Bowman refers to Phelp’s kids as his grandkids, and if Phelps
… Read more »Add on another zero and you might find someone but probably not. In the meantime you can change your name to “Jalen the whiner.”
Can NAGs be broken by non-Americans if they swim in an American club, or even if they don’t? Because on USA Swimming’s website they include swimmers from other countries in the top 100 all time lists. This would obviously make breaking MP’s records more likely.
In other news, today is Summer McIntosh’s birthday… time for some new 17-18 records (at least Canadian ones).
Need to be a US citizen. They can break the record, but it doesnt count as a NAG.
“The 200 fly 17-18 NAG Record is held by Luca Urlando from 2019 in a 1:53.84, which Heilman eclipsed at the World Championships in Fukuoka with a 1:53.82.“ if Heilman swam .82, isn’t he the record holder?
He’s not 17 yet.
Oh ok
Heilman is 16