The Swimming World Cup 2024 wrapped up with a splash of record-breaking performances that have set new standards in competitive swimming. Held across three iconic cities—Shanghai, Incheon, and Singapore—this championship gathered the world’s top swimmers, who went head-to-head in an intense series of events from mid-October to early November. 

These three stops showcased swimmers pushing boundaries and rewriting history in the world of competitive swimming. The ten major records left fans and athletes alike in awe, highlighting the incredible achievements and thrilling moments of the events. Here are all the key details of these significant competitions.

New world record in 200M backstroke by Regan Smith

Regan Smith set the world record in 200 m backstroke with a time of 1:58.83 and broke Australian Kaylee McKeown’s previous record of 1:58.94. Not only did Smith make history by surpassing McKeown’s record, but she also broke her own record in Incheon which was 1:59.60.

This feat marks Regan Smith’s third world record in the series, after a 100m backstroke in both Incheon and Singapore. Smith also broke Ukrainian Daryna Zevina’s record, which she set in 2016. With four records under her belt, she is now entered into the top swimming icons list like Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske, trailing only Australian Mollie O’Callaghan, who holds six.

Despite Smith’s astonishing achievements, she missed the overall World Cup title by a small margin. Kate Douglass won the title after winning 100 m freestyle, and after her gaining the title, record breaker Noe Ponti also stunned the fans by setting a new world record.

New world record in 50M butterfly by Noe Ponti

Switzerland swimming star Noe Ponti has broken all the previous records in the 50-meter butterfly in Singapore. The OCBC Aquatic Centre witnessed the win of Ponti, breaking the world record of his own, which he set in Shanghai (prelims).

Ponti entered the final stop in second place, behind France’s Leon Marchand, but Ponti took the lead and wrote history. Ponti’s new record at the 50 m butterfly technique is 21.50 seconds, which knocked off his record by 0.17 seconds.

While Ponty set a record in the 50m butterfly, Regan Smith once again emerged as the winner in the 100m in the pool.

Women’s 100M world record made by Regan Smith

USA’s swimming sensation Regan Smith broke her record of 100-meter backstroke in the world championship. The eight-time Olympic medalist broke her record of 54.41 seconds and lowered it to 54.27.

This made Smith another world record breaker in Incheon, South Korea. With this, Smith has become the record holder at 100 meters twice in the World Cup.

In the series of breaking records, France’s star Leon Marchand was also not far behind and made history in the 100M Individual Medley.

Leon Marchand breaks the World Cup record in the Men’s 100m IM

Swimming King Leon Marchand has broken at the Swimming World Cup 2024 Singapore in the 100M Individual Medley. With this new record, Marchand has become a seven-time World Cup gold winner. 

Despite winning the 200 m backstroke, he clinched the gold by defeating Italian Thomas Ceccon by only two seconds. Marchand ended up making history in men’s 100m IM and held a world record-holder position with 49.92 seconds.

Marchand has now won the triple crown, set up a World Cup record in 2024, and has become the second-ever swimmer to cross the under 50 s mark in the 100 IM. With Marchand’s history in the pool, Kate Douglass was no less than anyone and got a gold in the 200m breaststroke.

Kate Douglass breaks the women’s 200m breaststroke World Record

American swimmer Kate Douglass has broken her record and clinched gold at the Swimming World Cup 2024. Only in one week, she has broken the world record twice in 200 breast (SCM), with a margin of only two seconds from the previous record.

Douglass recorded a time of 2:12.72 and smashed her record of 2:14.16. With this world record, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has become the fastest in 15 years.

Kate Douglass also won the 100 m medley (women) in the Asian City state. Pan Zhanle also performed well in the 800m freestyle.

World Cup Record created in Men’s 800M by Pan Zhanle

Chinese freestyle swimmer Pan Zhanle has made his country proud by holding a world record in the 800 meter freestyle technique. He shattered a previous record of Olympian Gabriele Detti of 7:35.58. Zhanle set a new world record of 07:35.30 and showcased his freestyle skills at the second stop of the World Cup 2024.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Swimming – Men’s 100m Freestyle Final – Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France – July 31, 2024. Zhanle Pan of China reacts after winning the race and establishing World record. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Zhanle defeated his counterpart Kim Junwoo from Korea, who maintained a lead for more than half of the race. While Zhanle impressed the swimming world, Leon Marchand holds several world records, including the men’s 200m individual medley.

Leon Marchand breaks the World Cup record in the Men’s 200M IM

Leon Marchand again crushed the previous records after clinching a medal in the 100 m IM. Marchand took down the previous record of Ryan Lochte in the 200m individual medley in Singapore. The previous record of 1:49.63 stood for almost 12 years, which is now registered in the name of French swimmer Leon Marchand. 

Marchand stopped the clock for 200m IM at 1:48.98, which is only 0.75 sec behind the previous world record. He has also crossed his set record of 1:50.30 (European and World Cup record). 

With the 200m IM, Marchand has received a two-time world record breaker in the Swimming World Cup 2024, along with the 100m IM. The men’s 100m IM was won by Marchand, and the women’s 100m IM was won by an American swimmer.

Gretchen Walsh made the world record in women’s 100M IM

The 100-meter individual medley world record has been shattered by Gretchen Walsh. The American swimming sensation has made her fans proud as she clinched gold in the 100m IM at the Shanghai stop of World Cup 2024. 

Walsh set a record time of 55.98 after demolishing the previous world record of 56.51, which was previously achieved by Katinaka Hosszu in 2017. With this, Walsh became the first-ever swimmer to swim under 56 seconds.

In the series of ten major world records across all three stops, Noe Ponti clinched another medal, now in the 100m butterfly.

New World Cup and European record in Men’s 100M Butterfly by Noe Ponti

Ponti’s swift 48.40 swim in Shanghai eclipsed previous European standards, making him one of the fastest in this discipline on the continent. He bagged gold at the World Cup for 100 m fly in Shanghai. 

Swiss pride Noe Ponti wasted no time after bagging a gold in the 50m butterfly, he again registered another world record in his name. Ponti entered this world record by surpassing Caeleb Dressel’s world record of 47.78 and Le Clos’ record of 48.08.

Ponti has crossed his European record in men’s 100m butterfly technique of 48.40 seconds, and he is now ranked 3rd fastest man in 100m fly in history. With this, we have come to an end to our list of ten major world records. With lots of enthusiasm, Kaylee McKeown made a record in the 50m backstroke.

New 50M Backstroke World Cup Record by Kaylee McKeown

Another major world record breaker is Kaylee McKeown from Australia. McKeown clinched her gold medal and became the world record holder in the 50-meter backstroke with 25.36 seconds. With this, she has become the first woman to hold world records in every backstroke.

The 22-year-old smashed the 50m mark by clocking out at 26.86 seconds in the 2023 World Cup in Budapest. McKeown crossed the mark of 25.71 seconds against Regan Smith’s 25.48 seconds.

All the exceptional performances not only demonstrated the growth of all the swimmers but also placed them in the international spotlight as a formidable competitor. The Swimming World Cup 2024 ended on November 02 and was organized in three different cities in three distinct periods with many record-breaking events in Incheon, South Korea, and Singapore.