Combined World Championships: Hubert Kos, Sam Short Lead Two Events Apiece
Over the past several weeks, most of the world’s top swimmers have raced in their main long course competition for 2026. The Commonwealth Games came first in Glasgow, Scotland, before the European Championships in Paris and the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., took place simultaneously. While there will be a Short Course World Championships in December, the best way to determine the best long course swimmers of the year is to compare times from these three meets plus the upcoming Asian Games.
50 Freestyle
- Cam McEvoy (AUS), 20.97 – Commonwealth Games
- Nikita Sheremet (UKR), 21.13 – European Championships
- Jamie Jack (AUS), 21.35 – Pan Pacs
- Egor Kornev (RUS), 21.37 – European Championships
- Andrej Barna (SRB), 21.37 – European Championships
100 Freestyle
- David Popovici (ROU), 46.56 – European Championships
- Egor Kornev (RUS), 46.74 – European Championships
- Kristof Milak (HUN), 46.87 – European Championships
- Flynn Southam (AUS), 47.13 – Commonwealth Games
- Jack Alexy (USA), 47.14 – Pan Pacs
200 Freestyle
- Luke Hobson (USA), 1:43.85 – Pan Pacs
- Gabriel Jett (USA), 1:43.96 – Pan Pacs
- David Popovici (ROU), 1:44.15 – European Championships
- Tomas Navikonis (LTU), 1:44.55 – European Championships
- Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 1:44.59 – Pan Pacs
Sam Short — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
400 Freestyle
- Sam Short (AUS), 3:40.52 – Pan Pacs
- Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 3:42.42 – Pan Pacs
- Leon Marchand (FRA), 3:43.14 – European Championships
- Aaron Shackell (USA), 3:43.44 – Pan Pacs
- Oliver Papai (HUN), 3:44.46 – European Championships
800 Freestyle
- Sam Short (AUS), 7:37.02 – Pan Pacs
- Johannes Liebmann (GER), 7:37.59 – European Championships
- Sven Schwarz (GER), 7:41.16 – European Championships
- Zalan Sarkany (HUN), 7:41.75 – European Championships
- Bobby Finke (USA), 7:42.52 – Pan Pacs
1500 Freestyle
- Johannes Liebmann (GER), 14:26.79 – European Championships
- Sam Short (AUS), 14:33.97 – Pan Pacs
- Zalan Sarkany (HUN), 14:39.45 – European Championships
- Oliver Klemet (GER), 14:40.64 – European Championships
- Kazushi Imafuku (JPN), 14:42.59 – Pan Pacs
50 Backstroke
- Miroslav Knedla (CZE), 24.11 – European Championships
- Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 24.12 – European Championships
- Pavel Samusenko (RUS), 24.14 – European Championships
- Apostolos Christou (GRE), 24.15 – European Championships
- Pieter Coetze (RSA), 24.18 – Commonwealth Games
100 Backstroke
- Pieter Coetze (RSA), 51.77 – Commonwealth Games
- Apostolos Christou (GRE), 52.27 – European Championships
- Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 52.28 – European Championships
- Pavel Samusenko (RUS), 52.57 – European Championships
- Oliver Morgan (ENG), 52.66 – Commonwealth Games
200 Backstroke
- Hubert Kos (HUN), 1:53.08 – European Championships
- Apostolos Siskos (GRE), 1:53.81 – European Championships
- Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 1:53.96 – European Championships
- Roman Mityukov (SUI), 1:54.07 – European Championships
- Pieter Coetze (RSA), 1:54.22 – Commonwealth Games
50 Breaststroke
- Sam Williamson (AUS), 26.36 – Pan Pacs
- Michael Houlie (RSA)/Van Mathias (USA), 26.42 – Pan Pacs
- None (tie for second)
- Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 26.57 – European Championships
- Koen de Groot (NED)/Simone Cerasuolo (ITA), 26.62 – European Championships
100 Breaststroke
- Van Mathias (USA), 58.02 – Pan Pacs
- Shin Ohashi (JPN), 58.54 – Pan Pacs
- Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 58.58 – European Championships
- Ivan Kozhakin (RUS), 58.58 – European Championships
- Simone Cerasuolo (ITA), 58.90 – European Championships
200 Breaststroke
- Filip Nowacki (GBR), 2:07.70 – European Championships
- Caspar Corbeau (NED), 2:07.78 – European Championships
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS), 2:08.09 – Pan Pacs
- Josh Matheny (USA), 2:08.25 – Pan Pacs
- Shin Ohashi (JPN), 2:08.27 – Pan Pacs
50 Butterfly
- Egor Kornev (RUS), 22.52 – European Championships
- Maxime Grousset (FRA), 22.54 – European Championships
- Grigori Pekarski (BLR), 22.68 – European Championships
- Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 22.72 – European Championships
- Kyle Chalmers (AUS)/Ben Armbruster (AUS), 22.73 – Commonwealth Games
Kristof Milak — Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
100 Butterfly
- Kristof Milak (HUN), 49.48 – European Championships
- Maxime Grousset (FRA), 49.70 – European Championships
- Noè Ponti (SUI), 49.93 – European Championships
- Hubert Kos (HUN), 50.25 – European Championships
- Matt Temple (AUS), 50.39 – Pan Pacs
200 Butterfly
- Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:51.72 – European Championships
- Luca Urlando (USA), 1:53.11 – Pan Pacs
- Carson Foster (USA), 1:53.67 – Pan Pacs
- Richard Marton (HUN), 1:54.06 – European Championships
- Apostolos Siskos (GRE), 1:54.13 – European Championships
200 IM
- Hubert Kos (HUN), 1:54.24 – European Championships
- Hugo Gonzalez (ESP), 1:54.44 – European Championships
- Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN), 1:56.02 – Pan Pacs
- Mikhail Shcherbakov (RUS), 1:56.16 – European Championships
- Duncan Scott (GBR), 1:56.32 – European Championships
400 IM
- Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN), 4:06.75 – Pan Pacs
- Carson Foster (USA), 4:07.11 – Pan Pacs
- Bobby Finke (USA), 4:07.59 – Pan Pacs
- Ilya Borodin (RUS), 4:08.17 – Pan Pacs
- Lewis Clareburt (NZL), 4:08.72 – Commonwealth Games
400 Freestyle Relay
- United States (Sammon, Guiliano, Lasco, Alexy), 3:09.01 – Pan Pacs
- Australia (Southam, Taylor, Turner, Chalmers), 3:09.49 – Commonwealth
- Hungary (Kos, Szabo, Nemeth, Milak), 3:10.03 – European Championships
- Russia (Giryov, Kukushkin, Shehegolev, Kornev), 3:10.02 – European Championships
- Croatia (Hribar, Nenadic, Sivec, Dragoja), 3:11.08 – European Championships
800 Freestyle Relay
- United States (Hobson, Shackell, Sammon, Jett), 6:59.37 – Pan Pacs
- Australia (Giuliani, Taylor, Hawke, Short), 7:01.10 – Pan Pacs
- Great Britain (Richards, McMillan, Guy, Scott), 7:01.52 – European Championships
- France (Marchand, Largeron, Cristofini, Fuchs), 7:02.23 – European Championships
- Germany (Martens, Sorgius, Baschnitt, Jahn), 7:02.28 – European Championships
400 Medley Relay
- Russia (Kolesnikov, Kozhakin, Minakov, Kornev), 3:28.67 – European Championships
- Australia (Allan, Williamson, Temple, Southam), 3:28.71 – Commonwealth Games
- Italy (Ceccon, Martinenghi, Razzetti, D’Ambrosio), 3:28.86 – European Championships
- France (Ndoye-Brouard-Aitkaci, Marchand, Grousset), 3:29.03 – European Championships
- United States (Modglin, Mathias, Urlando, Alexy), 3:29.06 – Pan Pacs
