What does a swim need to count as a world record?
I · Intermediate · Penalties, kit, records and the pool · 7 of 7A world record must be swum in an approved suit, timed by automatic equipment, in a pool of certified length with fresh water, and followed by a negative doping test. Records are kept separately for 50 m and 25 m pools. Only the first swimmer of a relay can set an individual record in it. Equalling a record makes a joint holder.
How it works
- Two lists: records are kept for 50 m pools and for 25 m pools.
- The events: the Olympic distances in each stroke, the 200 m and 400 m individual medley and the relays: freestyle, medley and mixed. The 25 m list adds the 100 m individual medley and 4 x 50 m relays.
- Swimwear: the athlete must have worn only permitted swimwear.
- Timing: recorded by automatic officiating equipment, or by the semi-automatic system if the automatic one malfunctioned.
- The water: less than 3 grams of salt a litre, and never sea or ocean water.
- The pool: the length of the lane must be certified by a surveyor or other qualified official. Where a movable bulkhead is used, the length is confirmed at the end of the session.
- The occasion: ordinary competition, or an individual race against time held in public and advertised at least three days before.
- Doping control: a sample must be collected at once or within 24 hours, and it must be negative. For a relay, all four swimmers are tested.
- Faster or equal: a time equal to the record to a hundredth makes the swimmer a "joint holder".
- Only the winner: if more than one swimmer in a race beats the old record, only the winner may claim it.
- On the way: a record can be set at an intermediate distance, but the swimmer must complete the full race.
- Relays: only the swimmer of the first leg can set an individual record. All four must have the same sport nationality for a relay record.
- Junior records: for swimmers aged 14 to 18 on 31 December of the year of the swim.
Tricky cases
A swimmer finishes second and is also under the old world record. Do they get a record?
No. Where several swimmers beat the old record and there is one winner, only the winner may claim it.
The third swimmer of a relay swims the fastest 100 m ever. Is it a world record?
No. Only the swimmer of the first leg of a relay can set an individual record.
A swimmer passes 800 m in record time during a 1500 m race and then stops. Is the 800 m record theirs?
No. They must complete the full distance of the race.
Is a record set in a 25 m pool the same record as in a 50 m pool?
No. The two are kept as separate lists.
Why the rule exists
A record is a comparison with every earlier swim, so everything that could differ is pinned down: the pool, the water, the suit, the clock. The relay rule follows from the takeover. Only the first swimmer starts from a standstill on the signal, as in an individual race. The others have a flying start.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics rules | As above | SW 12 |
| The Olympic Games and world championships | Records are approved automatically if the conditions are met | SW 12.4 |
| Other competitions | The claim is reported within 7 days and the application made within 14 | SW 12.5 |
| A relay later disqualified | The first swimmer's record can still stand if they were not the one at fault and the fault came after their leg | SW 12.3.4 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Two: Swimming Rules (in force as from February 2026), Article 12. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).