# World record progression 50 yards freestyle

The world record in the men's 50 yards freestyle is not an official record ratified by World Aquatics (previously FINA), which only recognizes records set in meters. Practically, the unofficial world record is now limited today to swimmers competing in the United States, as short course races in yards are only currently used for record keeping in the United States.
The list of United States records in swimming includes records in short course yards, including the "USA record", meaning the fastest time by an American swimmer, and the "US Open record", meaning the fastest time within the United States. The vast majority of records in the 50 yard freestyle in the past 80 years have been set at U.S. collegiate competition. Lists of the current All-Time Top 10 performances for Short Course Yards can be found from myswimsplits.com.
For the earliest records on this list, from the late 19th and early 20th century, it is not uncommon to see inconsistent news reporting about whether a recent time was a world record, and what the prior record was. Interim records between those records reported in this list may exist and merit addition if supported by reliable sources. By the time Duke Kahanamoku swam 22.6 in 1923, the level of certainty in the progression of this list improves.

## Mens 50 yard swim, one turn

| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref |
| - | 28.2 | James Tyers | United Kingdom | July 1895 | Warrington | Warrington, United Kingdom | |
| - | 27.4 | James Tyers | United Kingdom | 29 August 1896 | Warrington | Warrington, United Kingdom | |
| - | 26.4 | John Derbyshire | United Kingdom | 20 August 1898 | Exeter | Exeter, United Kingdom | |
| - | 25.0 | Alick Wickham | Solomon Islands | 9 January 1902 | East Sydney Club Carnival | Sydney, Australia | |
| - | 24.6 | Alick Wickham | Solomon Islands | 26 March 1904 | Public Schools Carnival | Sydney, Australia | |
| - | 24.2 | Lewis Tod Solomons | Australia | 12 February 1910 | Lavender Bay, New South Wales | Sydney, Australia | |
| - | 23.6 | Alick Wickham | Solomon Islands | 19 February 1910 | Australia | Sydney, Australia | |
| - | 23.4 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 6 August 1913 | San Francisco | San Francisco, United States | [7] [8] |
| - | 23.0 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 1917 | Honolulu | Honolulu, United States | |
| - | 22.6 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 6 June 1923 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles, United States | |
| -- | 22.1 | Henry Kozlowski | United States | 27 March 1943 | 1943 NCAA swimming and diving championships (broke 20 year old record) | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| -- | 21.9 | Dick Cleveland | United States | 6 February 1954 | AAU Ohio Swim Championship | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| -- | 21.4 | Steve Jackman | United States | 3 March 1961 | Big 10 Swimming Championships | United States | [12] [13] |
| -- | 21.3 | Steve Jackman | United States | 30 March 1962 | 1962 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships | United States | |
| -- | 21.1 | Steve Jackman | United States | 30 March 1962 (later same day) | 1962 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships | United States | |
| -- | 21.0 | Steve Jackman | United States | 7 March 1963 | Big 10 Swimming Championships | United States | |
| -- | 20.9 | Steve Clark | United States | 26 March 1964 | 1964 NCAA Championships | New Haven, United States | |
| -- | 20.81 | Dan Frawley | United States | 27 March 1969 | 1969 NCAA University Division Swimming and Diving Championships | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | |
| -- | 20.7 | Dan Frawley | United States | March 1969 | -- | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | |
| -- | 20.5 | David Edgar | United States | 17 January 1970 | Meet at U.S. Naval Academy | Annapolis, United States | |
| -- | 20.4 | David Edgar | United States | -- | -- | United States | |
| -- | 20.23 | David Edgar | United States | 4 March 1971 | SEC Championships | Tuscaloosa, United States | |
| -- | 20.06 | John Trembley | United States | 28 March 1974 | 1974 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships | Long Beach, California, United States | |
| -- | 19.70 | Joe Bottom | United States | 24 March 1977 | 1977 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships | Cleveland, United States | |
| -- | 19.36 | Robin Leamy | United States | 26 March 1981 | 1981 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| -- | 19.32 | Matt Biondi | United States | 28 March 1985 | 1985 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| -- | 19.24 | Tom Jager | United States | 28 March 1985 (later same day) | 1985 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| -- | 19.22 | Matt Biondi | United States | 4 April 1986 | 1986 NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships | Indianapolis, United States | |
| -- | 19.16 | Matt Biondi | United States | 2 April 1987 | 1987 NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| -- | 19.15 | Matt Biondi | United States | 2 April 1987 (later same day) | 1987 NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| -- | 19.05 | Tom Jager | United States | 23 March 1990 | United States Short Course National Championships | Nashville, United States | |
| -- | 18.74 | Frédérick Bousquet | France | 24 March 2005 | 2005 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Minneapolis, United States | |
| -- | 18.69 | Cesar Cielo | Brazil | 15 March 2007 | 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Minneapolis, United States | |
| -- | 18.47 | Cesar Cielo | Brazil | 27 March 2008 | 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Seattle, United States | |
| -- | 18.39 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 17 February 2016 | 2016 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships | Columbia, Missouri, United States | |
| -- | 18.23 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 17 February 2016 (later same day) | 2016 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships | Columbia, Missouri, United States | |
| -- | 18.20 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 24 March 2016 | 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Atlanta, United States | |
| -- | 18.11 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 22 March 2018 | 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Minneapolis, United States | |
| -- | 17.81 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 22 March 2018 (later same day) | 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Minneapolis, United States | |
| -- | 17.63 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 22 March 2018 (later same day) | 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | Minneapolis, United States | |

## Men's 50 yard swim, open water

| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref |
| - | 31.8 | W.B. Izard | United States | 20 May 1893 | --- | ---, United States | (straightaway in open still water) |
| - | 31.0 | David Gaul | United States | 15 August 1903 | --- | ---, United States | (straightaway in open water, no turn) |
| - | 28.0 | Zoltán Halmay | Hungary | 6 September 1904 | 1904 Olympics | St. Louis, United States | |
| - | 24.2 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 12 August 1912 | Hawaii Chapter of the AAU | Honolulu, United States | (straightaway in open water, no turn) |
| - | 24.0 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 11 June 1913 | Honolulu | Honolulu, United States | (straightaway in open water, no turn) |
| - | 23.0 | Duke Kahanamoku | United States | 11 June 1915 | Honolulu | Honolulu, United States | (straightaway in open water, no turn) |