Big Names Figure to Deliver World Records at World Cup Series
Later this week, many of the world’s top swimmers will be in action for the first stop of the World Cup series in North America. The three events (Carmel; Westmont; Toronto) will welcome Olympic champions, world champions and world-record holders, and will provide a spark to the end of the 2025 campaign. A year after six world records were set in World Cup competition, how many will go down over the next few weeks?
The presence of short-course superstar Gretchen Walsh is a major addition to this year’s circuit. At last year’s World Short Course Championships in Budapest, Walsh broke nine world records. There is no World Championships this year, so Walsh is likely targeting the World Cup as a showcase of her speed and talent in the 25-meter pool.
In addition to Walsh, the World Cup will feature eight swimmers who currently are world-record holders in at least one short-course event. That list includes: Summer McIntosh (Canada), Regan Smith (USA), Kate Douglass (USA), Ilya Shymanovich (Belarus), Leon Marchand (France), Daiya Seto (Japan), Noe Ponti (Switzerland) and Luke Hobson (USA). Meanwhile, Olympic champions Kaylee McKeown (Australia), Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia), Lani Pallister (Australia), Adam Peaty (Great Britain) and Thomas Ceccon (Italy) are going to be in action.
With this kind of talent assembled, the World Cup of 2025 could be the fastest we have seen in recent years – perhaps ever. While 2009 saw more than 30 world records established in World Cup competition, the 2013 season witnessed 13 global standards. Where will 2025 fall on the list?
Here is a look at the athletes competing:
World-Record Holders (Long Course)
Women
Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 50 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 400 freestyle, 200 medley, 400 medley
Regan Smith (USA) – 100 backstroke
Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 100 butterfly
Men
Leon Marchand (France) – 200 medley, 400 medley
Adam Peaty (Great Britain) – 50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke
Thomas Ceccon (Italy) – 100 backstroke
World-Record Holders (Short Course)
Women
Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 400 medley
Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 50 freestyle, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly, 100 medley
Regan Smith (USA) – 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Kate Douglass (USA) – 200 breaststroke, 200 medley
Men
Ilya Shymanovich (Belarus) – 100 breaststroke
Leon Marchand (France) – 200 medley
Daiya Seto (Japan) – 400 medley
Noe Ponti (Switzerland) – 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly
Luke Hobson (USA) – 200 freestyle
World Records Set at Past World Cups
2001-2002
22
2002-2003
2
2003–2004
4
2004-2005
5
2005-2006
1
2007
5
2008
12
2009
36
2010
0
2011
1
2012
0
2013
10
2014
6
2015
0
2016
4
2017
7
2018
5
2019
0
2021
1
2022
2
2023
2
2024
6
