Get ready for an exciting journey as we dive into the top races of 2025, a year that witnessed some truly remarkable swimming performances!
The 2025 Swammy Awards: A Year of Record-Breaking Swims
This year, we're celebrating the best of the best in the swimming world, and it's not just about world records (although those are pretty awesome too!). Our list is a subjective take on the most thrilling, unexpected, and impactful races of 2025, measured by a variety of factors. So, get comfortable, and let's dive into the meters edition of the Swammy Awards!
Honorable Mentions: The Unexpected Heroes
Before we unveil our top 10, let's shine a spotlight on some swimmers who made waves with their remarkable performances:
Luca Urlando's Golden Moment: Urlando, after battling injuries for years, became the bright spot for the US men's team at the 2025 World Championships. He won the men's 200 fly final, securing the only gold medal for the American men, and became the fourth person in history to swim under 1:50 in the event.
Kate Douglass' Historic 100 Free: Douglass delivered an exceptional performance at the 2025 World Cup in Toronto, becoming the first woman in history to break the 50-second barrier in the 100 free. Her time of 49.93 was a new world record, and it came after she had already broken the record with a 50.19 swim earlier in the week.
Pieter Coetze's Rise to the Top: Coetze, not on most people's radars at the start of the year, emerged as one of the top backstrokers in the world. At the 2025 World University Games in Berlin, he shattered his African record in the 100 backstroke semifinal and then went on to win gold in the final, tying for the third-fastest time in history.
Rylee Erisman's Breakout Performance: American teenager Rylee Erisman had a breakthrough year, especially at the 2025 World Junior Championships. Her 100 freestyle performance was exceptional, and she swam a massive 52.79, just 0.9 seconds off Penny Oleksiak's world junior record.
Marrit Steenbergen's Record-Breaking Career Moment: Steenbergen had an incredible performance at the 2025 European SC Championships, setting five European records and taking down legends Sarah Sjöström and Katinka Hosszu. Her 200 IM final was a highlight, where she dropped three seconds and took three hundredths off Hosszu's record, moving up to the second-fastest performer in history.
Hubert Kos' World Cup Record: Kos made a splash at the 200 backstroke event in the World Cup, breaking Mitch Larkins' 10-year-old record and finally claiming his first individual world record. He also broke the 100 backstroke record at the meet and won the overall World Cup standings.
American Women's Medley Relay: The American women's medley relay team continued their dominance, breaking the world record once again. Despite battling illness, the quartet of Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske came together to set a new record and showcase their versatility as world-class swimmers in multiple strokes.
Top 10 Meters Swims of 2025: The Countdown Begins
Now, let's unveil our top 10 meters swims of 2025, starting with:
Lukas Martens' Super-Suited Record: In April, Martens broke the super-suited world record in the men's 400 freestyle, swimming 3:39.96 and taking over a tenth off Paul Biedermann's 2009 record. He started strong, splitting 1:47.55, and held on to his lead, with a final split of 27.57, to take another supersuit world record.
Lani Pallister's World Record Palooza: The World Cup stop in Toronto was a historic event, with five world records falling in one session. Pallister started the record-breaking night with a 7:54.00 swim in the 800 free, shattering Katie Ledecky's former world record. It was a dramatic and notable achievement, considering Ledecky's dominance in the sport.
Ahmed Jaouadi's Gold Medal Surprise: Jaouadi surprised everyone by winning the men's 800 free final at the 2025 World Championships. He dropped over five seconds from his previous best time and set the third-fastest time in history, taking down his countrymate Ahmed Hafnaoui's textile suit record.
Men's 100 Free Final: A Battle of Champions: The men's 100 freestyle final at the 2025 World Championships lived up to its hype. American Jack Alexy and Romania's David Popovici went head-to-head, with Popovici setting the second-fastest time in history and taking home the gold.
Summer McIntosh's Quest for the 200 Fly Record: McIntosh, known for her ambition to break the 200 fly world record, came close at the 2025 Canadian Trials. She swam a remarkable 2:02.26, becoming the second woman in history under 2:03, and put herself within striking distance of Liu Zige's record.
Summer McIntosh's Record-Breaking Canadian Trials: McIntosh didn't just break one world record; she broke three in five days at the 2025 Canadian Trials. She shattered the women's 400 freestyle record, took down Katinka Hosszu's 200 IM record, and then broke her own world record in the 400 IM. An achievement only matched by Michael Phelps!
Gretchen Walsh's Dominant 100 Fly: Walsh had a record-breaking year, and her 100 butterfly performance was one of the most dominant. She broke her own world record in the prelims and then set an even more impressive time in the finals, becoming the first woman under 55 seconds in the event.
Katie Ledecky's Return to Form: Ledecky, the GOAT, made a powerful comeback at the 2025 TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale. She broke her own world record in the women's 800 freestyle, setting her first personal best in the event in nine years, and it was a sign of things to come for the rest of the year.
Leon Marchand's World Record-Breaking 200 IM: Marchand, despite injuries, swam a remarkable 200 IM at the 2025 World Championships. He shattered the world record in the semifinal, bypassing the 1:53 mark, and then became the first person to swim under 1:53 in the final, taking home the gold.
Women's 800 Freestyle Final: The Epic Battle: The most anticipated race of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore did not disappoint. It was a battle between Katie Ledecky, the female GOAT, and Summer McIntosh, the rising star. Over the first six days of the meet, McIntosh and Ledecky both picked up gold medals, setting the stage for an epic showdown in the 800 free final. Ledecky took the gold, with a new Championship Record, while Pallister won silver and McIntosh claimed bronze.
There you have it! Our top 10 meters swims of 2025. These races were not just about the times; they were about the stories, the comebacks, and the unexpected heroes. What do you think? Who were your favorite swimmers of the year? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to share your top-10 races! We'd love to hear your thoughts and continue the conversation.
