Faster Than Paris: The Events That Have Eclipsed the Winning Time of the 2024 Olympics
The Olympic Games, for more than a century, have offered the most desirable gold medals in the sport. Held every four years, careers can be defined by Olympic titles. For that reason, time is secondary at the Olympics. Placement is what matters most, and if an athlete gets the job done in a “slower” performance, so be it.
We are now 18 months removed from the Olympic Games in Paris, where Leon Marchand delighted the home crowd with four gold medals. Although time is not the focal point of the Olympics, a comparison of the marks recorded in Paris and what has been achieved since provides a glimpse into how the sport is progressing on the road to the next Olympiad.
Since the 2024 Games, nine of the 14 individual men’s events have featured faster times than what it took to claim the gold medal in Paris. The men’s 100 breaststroke has witnessed 15 swims that bettered the winning mark of 59.03, recorded by Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi. China’s Qin Haiyang has gone faster on five occasions, while Martinenghi has been as quick as 58.58. On the women’s side, 11 events have featured faster times than what earned Olympic gold in 2024.
In the 800 freestyle, Katie Ledecky won her fourth straight Olympic title in the event in Paris. Since, she has lowered the world record in the event and she, Summer McIntosh and Lani Pallister have combined for 10 faster times than the Paris gold-medal mark. Meanwhile, McIntosh has been faster since Paris in all three events in which she won Olympic gold – 200 butterfly, 200 IM and 400 IM.
The Events That Have Been Faster Since Paris Olympics:
Men
50 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 21.25)
Cameron McEvoy – 21.14
200 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 1:44.72)
David Popovici – 1:43.53
David Popovici – 1:43.64
Luke Hobson – 1:43.73
Luke Hobson – 1:43.84
Lukas Martens – 1:44.25
Luke Hobson – 1:44.49
Tatsuya Murasa – 1:44.54
Gabriel Jett – 1:44.70
400 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 3:41.78)
Lukas Martens – 3:39.96 (World Record)
Lukas Martens – 3:40.61
Sam Short – 3:41.03
800 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 7:38.19)
Ahmed Jaouadi – 7:36.88
Sven Schwarz – 7:38.12
100 Backstroke (Olympic Gold – 52.00)
Thomas Ceccon – 51.80
Pieter Coetze – 51.85
Thomas Ceccon – 51.90
Yohan Ndoye Brouard – 51.92
Pieter Coetze – 51.99
200 Backstroke (Olympic Gold – 1:54.26)
Hubert Kos – 1:53.19
Pieter Coetze – 1:53.36
Hubert Kos – 1:54.21
Pieter Coetze – 1:54.22
Jack Aikins – 1:54.25
100 Breaststroke (Olympic Gold – 59.03)
Qin Haiyang – 58.23
Qin Haiyang – 58.24
Kirill Prigoda – 58.53
Nicolo Martinenghi – 58.58
Qin Haiyang – 58.61
Nicolo Martinenghi – 58.62
Lucas Matzerath – 58.75
Qin Haiyang – 58.77
Nicolo Martinenghi – 58.84
Denis Petrashov – 58.88
Ludovico Viberti – 58.89
Lucas Matzerath – 58.93
Shin Ohashi – 58.94
Campbell McKean – 58.96
Qin Haiyang – 58.98
100 Butterfly (Olympic Gold – 49.90)
Maxime Grousset – 49.62
Noe Ponti – 49.83
200 Medley (Olympic Gold – 1:54.06)
Leon Marchand – 1:52.69 (World Record)
Leon Marchand – 1:53.68
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Women
400 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 3:57.49)
Summer McIntosh – 3:54.18 (World Record)
Summer McIntosh – 3:55.37
Summer McIntosh – 3:56.26
Katie Ledecky – 3:56.81
800 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 8:11.04)
Katie Ledecky – 8:04.12
Summer McIntosh – 8:05.07
Katie Ledecky – 8:05.62
Katie Ledecky – 8:05.76
Lani Pallister – 8:05.98
Summer McIntosh – 8:07.29
Katie Ledecky – 8:09.85
Summer McIntosh – 8:09.86
Katie Ledecky – 8:10.16
Lani Pallister – 8:10.84
1500 Freestyle (Olympic Gold – 15:30.02)
Katie Ledecky – 15:23.21
Katie Ledecky – 15:24.51
Katie Ledecky – 15:26.44
100 Backstroke (Olympic Gold – 57.33)
Kaylee McKeown – 57.16
200 Backstroke (Olympic Gold – 2:03.73)
Kaylee McKeown – 2:03.33
100 Breaststroke (Olympic Gold – 1:05.28)
Anna Elendt – 1:05.19
Kate Douglass – 1:05.27
200 Breaststroke (Olympic Gold – 2:19.24)
Kate Douglass – 2:18.50
100 Butterfly (Olympic Gold – 55.59)
Gretchen Walsh – 54.60 (World Record)
Gretchen Walsh – 54.73
Gretchen Walsh – 54.76
Gretchen Walsh – 55.09
Gretchen Walsh – 55.29
200 Butterfly (Olympic Gold – 2:03.03)
Summer McIntosh – 2:01.99
Summer McIntosh – 2:02.26
Summer McIntosh – 2:02.62
200 Medley (Olympic Gold – 2:06.56)
Summer McIntosh – 2:05.70
400 Medley (Olympic Gold – 4:27.71)
Summer McIntosh – 4:23.65
Summer McIntosh – 4:25.78
Summer McIntosh – 4:26.98
*Data Retrieved From World Aquatics Database
