What the archive covers, where the data comes from, and how to read dates and record status.
Coverage varies by meet, event and year. A published meet may still lack some rounds, splits or exact race dates. Swimmer best times and annual charts use the results available here; a missing swim or year does not establish that the swimmer did not compete.
Race dates describe individual swims. Dates labeled “Meet” describe the competition’s start and end, and do not establish which day a race took place. When only one meet boundary is known, it is labeled “Meet began” or “Meet ended.” Unknown race dates stay blank.
Event fastest lists use meet start dates for their date and year context. Profile charts use the available swim or meet dates; missing seasons are not filled in.
Current marks and historical progressions, with World Aquatics references and official results attached where available. Historical progressions also include imported Wikipedia tables.
World Aquatics recordsUSA Swimming’s American record book. Historical progressions draw on USA Swimming media guides; individual marks can link to official timing sheets and meet results.
USA Swimming Data HubRecords for swims on U.S. soil, regardless of nationality. This is a separate book from U.S. national records.
USA Swimming Data HubThe European record book, using European Aquatics lists and attached meet evidence where available.
European Aquatics recordsThe Asian record book, assembled from continental source snapshots and linked official timing sheets or federation publications. Notes identify source and recognition gaps.
World Aquatics recordsThe Americas continental record book, with source references and linked meet evidence where available. Americas records and U.S. national records have different scopes.
World Aquatics recordsNCAA record-book marks and sourced updates from official results. A college swimmer’s international time does not automatically qualify as an NCAA record. Historical meter-course categories have not been added here.
NCAA recordsIndividual-event “Fastest 25” lists show each swimmer’s best available time from published meets, including heats and finals. “Fastest by Year” shows the fastest available swim for each year. Neither list establishes complete all-time coverage. Event medalist history covers available Olympic and World Championship finals.
The separate World Rankings page reads saved World Aquatics rankings snapshots. Refreshes run independently of visits, and some selections may not be saved yet. The saved date describes when we retrieved the list, not when each swim happened. Coverage follows the source and the selected event, course, period and list mode.
A source link can point to an individual timing sheet, a meet results book or a governing-body record list. The linked document’s scope matters. A link alone does not mean every stored field has been independently checked.
Record eligibility and ratification follow the relevant governing body. Pending recognition and source gaps are shown in record notes where recorded. A faster stored result does not automatically become a recognized record.
LCM means a 50-meter pool, SCM a 25-meter pool, and SCY a 25-yard pool. Times stay in their original course. Unavailable courses are not filled with converted estimates.
Historical record progressions include imported Wikipedia tables, with attribution under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official sources attached to individual marks provide additional evidence; source coverage varies across the archive.