The 200 metres butterfly is an event in competitive swimming. World records are ratified by World Aquatics (formerly FINA). The current long course world record holders are Hungary's Kristóf Milák and Canada's Summer McIntosh, while the current short course world record holders are Japan's Tomoru Honda, and McIntosh.
The men's event was first contested at the Olympic Games in 1956, while the women's event was introduced at the 1968 games; the current Olympic champions are France's Léon Marchand, and McIntosh. The men's and women's events have been contested at the World Aquatics Championships since the inaugural championships in 1973; the current world champions (long course) are the US' Luca Urlando, and McIntosh. The men's and women's events have been contested at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) since the inaugural championships in 1993; the current world champions (short course) are Canada's Ilya Kharun and McIntosh.
World record progression
Men long course
Men short course
Women long course
Women short course
All-time top 25 Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 200 m butterfly times and the top 25 athletes:- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 200 m butterfly times- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 200 m butterfly times, by repeat athletes- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 200 m butterfly times
Men long course
Correct as of August 2026 Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 1:50.34 Kristóf Milák 21 June 2022 Budapest 2 1:50.73Milák #2 24 July 2019 Gwangju 3 1:51.10Milák #3 19 May 2021 Budapest 2 4 1:51.21 Léon Marchand 31 July 2024 Paris 5 1:51.25Milák #4 28 July 2021 Tokyo 6 1:51.40Milák #5 23 March 2021 Budapest 3 7 1:51.51 Michael Phelps 29 July 2009 Rome 8 1:51.72Marchand #2 15 August 2026 Paris 9 1:51.75Milák #6 31 July 2024 Paris 4 10 1:51.87 Luca Urlando 30 July 2025 Singapore 11 1:52.01Milák #7 16 August 2022 Rome 12 1:52.03Phelps #2 13 August 2008 Beijing 13 1:52.09Phelps #3 28 March 2007 Melbourne 14 1:52.20Phelps #4 2 July 2008 Omaha 15 1:52.22Milák #8 27 July 2021 Tokyo 16 1:52.37Urlando #2 4 April 2025 Sacramento 17 1:52.39Milák #9 20 June 2022 Budapest 18 1:52.43Marchand #3 26 July 2023 Fukuoka 19 1:52.50Milák #10 23 March 2021 Budapest 5 20 1:52.53 Daiya Seto 18 January 2020 Beijing 211:52.57Marchand #46 December 2025Austin 22 1:52.58Milák #11 20 April 2023 Kaposvár 6 23 1:52.64 Krzysztof Chmielewski 30 July 2025 Singapore 7 24 1:52.70 László Cseh 13 August 2008 Beijing Tomoru Honda 3 December 2022 Tokyo 9 1:52.80 Ilya Kharun 31 July 2024 Paris 10 1:52.96 Chad le Clos 31 July 2012 London 11 1:52.97 Takeshi Matsuda 13 August 2008 Beijing 12 1:53.23 Paweł Korzeniowski 29 July 2009 Rome 13 1:53.40 Masato Sakai 9 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro 14 1:53.42 Tamás Kenderesi 27 March 2019 Debrecen 15 1:53.64 Tyler Clary 8 July 2009 Indianapolis 16 1:53.67 Carson Foster 7 July 2022 Austin 12 August 2026 Irvine 17 1:53.79 Nao Horomura 6 April 2018 Tokyo 18 1:53.82 Thomas Heilman 26 July 2023 Fukuoka 19 1:53.86 Gil Stovall 2 July 2008 Omaha 20 1:53.92 Kaio de Almeida 8 May 2009 Rio de Janeiro 21 1:54.02 Chen Juner 29 July 2025 Singapore 22 1:54.06 Richárd Márton 15 August 2026 Paris 23 1:54.07 Genki Terakado 21 March 2024 Tokyo 24 1:54.10 Jan Świtkowski 5 August 2015 Kazan 25 1:54.13 Apostolos Siskos 15 August 2026 Paris
Men short course
Correct as of December 2025 Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 1:46.85 Tomoru Honda 22 October 2022 Tokyo 2 2 1:48.24 Daiya Seto 11 December 2018 Hangzhou Ilya Kharun 12 December 2024 Budapest 4 4 1:48.27 Chad le Clos 15 December 2022 Melbourne 5 1:48.32le Clos #2 11 December 2018 Hangzhou 6 1:48.46Kharun #2 18 October 2025 Westmont 7 1:48.56le Clos #3 5 November 2013 Singapore 8 1:48.57le Clos #4 22 November 2020 Budapest 9 1:48.61le Clos #5 7 December 2014 Doha 5 10 1:48.64 Alberto Razzetti 12 December 2024 Budapest 6 11 1:48.66 Tom Shields 22 November 2020 Budapest 12 1:48.67le Clos #6 11 August 2017 Eindhoven 13 1:48.76le Clos #7 6 December 2016 Windsor 14 1:48.77Seto #2 21 December 2019 Las Vegas 7 14 1:48.77 Noè Ponti 11 April 2025 Uster 16 1:48.88le Clos #8 1 November 2014 Singapore 17 1:48.92Seto #3 7 December 2014 Doha 8 18 1:49.00 László Cseh 6 December 2015 Netanya 19 1:49.02Shields #2 16 November 2020 Budapest 20 1:49.04le Clos #9 7 August 2013 Eindhoven 21 1:49.05Shields #3 12 December 2015 Indianapolis 22 1:49.06Razzetti #2 16 December 2021 Abu Dhabi 23 1:49.07le Clos #10 17 October 2013 Dubai 24 1:49.08le Clos #11 7 August 2017 Berlin 25 1:49.10le Clos #12 3 September 2016 Moscow 9 1:49.11 Kaio de Almeida 10 November 2009 Stockholm 10 1:49.26 Krzysztof Chmielewski 12 December 2024 Budapest 11 1:49.37 Chen Juner 2 October 2026 Baku 12 1:49.46 Nikolay Skvortsov 12 December 2009 Istanbul 13 1:49.50 Takeshi Matsuda 12 November 2011 Tokyo 14 1:49.69 Trenton Julian 29 October 2022 Toronto 15 1:49.86 Kristóf Milák 16 November 2022 Kaposvár 16 1:49.89 Wang Kuan-hung 16 November 2020 Budapest 17 1:50.13 Paweł Korzeniowski 12 December 2009 Istanbul 18 1:50.23 Andreas Vazaios 8 December 2019 Glasgow 19 1:50.26 Teppei Morimoto 15 December 2022 Melbourne 20 1:50.28 Hidemasa Sano 11 February 2012 Tokyo 21 1:50.30 Michal Chmielewski 7 December 2025 Lublin 22 1:50.32 Dinko Jukić 12 December 2009 Istanbul 23 1:50.39 Li Zhuhao 11 December 2018 Hangzhou Kregor Zirk 12 December 2024 Budapest Andrey Minakov 12 December 2024 Budapest
Women long course
Correct as of September 2026 Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 2:01.65 Summer McIntosh 5 July 2026 Montreal 2 2 2:01.81 Liu Zige 21 October 2009 Jinan 3 2:01.99 McIntosh #2 31 July 2025 Singapore 4 2:02.26 McIntosh #3 10 June 2025 Victoria 52:02.62McIntosh #46 December 2025Austin 6 2:03.03 McIntosh #5 1 August 2024 Paris 3 7 2:03.41 Jessicah Schipper 30 July 2009 Rome 4 8 2:03.84 Regan Smith 1 August 2024 Paris 5 9 2:03.86 Zhang Yufei 29 July 2021 Tokyo 10 2:03.87Smith #2 4 June 2023 Tempe 11 2:03.90Liu #2 30 July 2009 Rome 12 2:04.00McIntosh #6 6 March 2025 Westmont 6 13 2:04.06 Jiao Liuyang 1 August 2012 London 13 2:04.06McIntosh #7 26 July 2023 Fukuoka McIntosh #8 6 June 2026 Austin 7 16 2:04.14 Mary DeScenza 29 July 2009 Rome 17 2:04.18Liu #3 14 August 2008 Beijing 8 18 2:04.27 Katinka Hosszú 29 July 2009 Rome 19 2:04.28Hosszú #2 30 July 2009 Rome 20 2:04.33DeScenza #2 29 July 2009 Rome McIntosh #9 28 May 2024 Toronto 22 2:04.40Liu #4 6 April 2011 Wuhan 23 2:04.41DeScenza #3 30 July 2009 Rome 24 2:04.44Jiao #2 6 April 2011 Wuhan 25 2:04.50Jiao #3 30 July 2009 Rome 9 2:04.69 Natsumi Hoshi 5 April 2012 Tokyo 10 2:04.78 Mireia Belmonte 1 August 2013 Barcelona 11 2:04.83 Ellen Gandy 16 March 2009 Sheffield 12 2:04.88 Madeline Groves 10 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro 13 2:04.95 Elizabeth Dekkers 11 June 2026 Sydney 14 2:05.08 Yu Zidi 20 September 2026 Tokyo 15 2:05.09 Aurore Mongel 29 July 2009 Rome 16 2:05.20 Tess Howley 22 July 2025 Berlin 17 2:05.26 Franziska Hentke 3 July 2015 Essen 18 2:05.36 Jemma Lowe 17 June 2011 Sheffield 19 2:05.38 Gong Jie 6 April 2012 Shaoxing 20 2:05.45 Alys Thomas 9 April 2018 Gold Coast Chen Luying 14 November 2025 Shenzhen 22 2:05.61 Otylia Jędrzejczak 28 July 2005 Montreal 23 2:05.62 Suzuka Hasegawa 30 August 2020 Tokyo 24 2:05.65 Hali Flickinger 29 July 2021 Tokyo 25 2:05.78 Kathleen Hersey 1 August 2012 London
Women short course
Correct as of October 2025 Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 1:59.32 Summer McIntosh 12 December 2024 Budapest 2 2 1:59.61 Mireia Belmonte 3 December 2014 Doha 3 3 2:00.20 Regan Smith 17 October 2025 Westmont 4 2:00.28 Smith #2 10 October 2025 Carmel 5 2:00.34 Smith #3 23 October 2025 Toronto 4 6 2:00.78 Liu Zige 15 November 2009 Berlin 7 2:01.00 Smith #4 12 December 2024 Budapest 5 8 2:01.12 Katinka Hosszú 3 December 2014 Doha 9 2:01.52Belmonte #2 12 December 2013 Herning 10 2:01.60Hosszú #2 12 December 2018 Hangzhou 6 11 2:01.73 Kelsi Dahlia 12 December 2018 Hangzhou 12 2:01.85Smith #5 18 October 2024 Shanghai 13 2:01.96McIntosh #2 12 December 2024 Budapest 14 2:02.15Hosszú #3 7 December 2016 Windsor 15 2:02.20Hosszú #4 12 December 2012 Istanbul 16 2:02.21Hosszú #5 20 December 2013 Saint Petersburg 7 17 2:02.28 Jiao Liuyang 12 December 2012 Istanbul 8 18 2:02.36 Ellen Walshe 23 October 2025 Toronto 19 2:02.40Hosszú #6 20 December 2013 Saint Petersburg 20 2:02.42Hosszú #7 3 December 2014 Doha 21 2:02.50Liu #2 11 November 2009 Stockholm 9 22 2:02.51 Alex Shackell 10 October 2025 Carmel 10 23 2:02.52 Chen Luying 26 September 2024 Wuhan 24 2:02.71Chen #2 18 October 2024 Shanghai 25 2:02.75Hosszú #8 2 August 2017 Moscow 11 2:02.88 Ellen Gandy 22 August 2013 Sydney 12 2:02.91 Elizabeth Dekkers 12 December 2024 Budapest 13 2:02.96 Suzuka Hasegawa 14 January 2017 Tokyo 14 2:03.01 Franziska Hentke 4 December 2015 Netanya Zhang Yufei 17 December 2021 Abu Dhabi 16 2:03.08 Madeline Groves 28 November 2015 Sydney 17 2:03.12 Yuko Nakanishi 23 February 2008 Tokyo 18 2:03.13 Laura Lahtinen 18 October 2024 Shanghai Bella Grant 24 October 2024 Incheon 20 2:03.19 Jemma Lowe 12 December 2012 Istanbul 21 2:03.20 Audrey Lacroix 6 August 2009 Leeds 22 2:03.22 Aurore Mongel 10 December 2009 Istanbul 23 2:03.25 Brianna Throssell 28 November 2015 Sydney 24 2:03.27 Jessicah Schipper 22 November 2009 Singapore 25 2:03.30 Angelina Köhler 7 December 2023 Otopeni
Olympic champions Men
Edition Winner Time Notes Melbourne 1956 2:19.3 Rome 1960 2:12.8 Tokyo 1964 2:06.6 Mexico City 1968 2:08.7 Munich 1972 2:00.70 Montreal 1976 1:59.23 Moscow 1980 1:59.76 Los Angeles 1984 1:57.04 Seoul 1988 1:56.94 Barcelona 1992 1:56.26 Atlanta 1996 1:56.51 Sydney 2000 1:55.35 Athens 2004 1:54.04 Beijing 2008 1:52.03 London 2012 1:52.96 Rio de Janeiro 2016 1:53.36 Tokyo 2020 1:51.25 Paris 2024 1:51.21
Women
Edition Winner Time Notes Mexico City 1968 2:24.7 Munich 1972 2:15.57 Montreal 1976 2:11.41 Moscow 1980 2:10.44 Los Angeles 1984 2:06.90 Seoul 1988 2:09.51 Barcelona 1992 2:08.67 Atlanta 1996 2:07.76 Sydney 2000 2:05.88 Athens 2004 2:06.05 Beijing 2008 2:04.18 London 2012 2:04.06 Rio de Janeiro 2016 2:04.85 Tokyo 2020 2:03.86 Paris 2024 2:03.03
World champions (long course) Men
Edition Winner Time Notes Belgrade 1973 2:03.32 CR Cali 1975 2:01.95 CR West Berlin 1978 1:59.38 CR Guayaquil 1982 1:58.85 CR Madrid 1986 1:56.53 CR Perth 1991 1:55.69 Rome 1994 1:56.54 Perth 1998 1:56.61 Fukuoka 2001 1:54.58 Barcelona 2003 1:54.35 Montreal 2005 1:55.02 Melbourne 2007 1:52.09 Rome 2009 1:51.51 Shanghai 2011 1:53.34 Barcelona 2013 1:54.32 Kazan 2015 1:53.48 Budapest 2017 1:53.33 Gwangju 2019 1:50.73 Budapest 2022 1:50.34 Fukuoka 2023 1:52.43 Doha 2024 1:53.88 Singapore 2025 1:51.87
Women
Edition Winner Time Notes Belgrade 1973 2:13.76 Cali 1975 2:13.82 West Berlin 1978 2:09.87 = Guayaquil 1982 2:08.66 CR Madrid 1986 2:08.41 CR Perth 1991 2:09.24 Rome 1994 2:07.25 CR Perth 1998 2:07.93 Fukuoka 2001 2:06.73 CR Barcelona 2003 2:07.56 Montreal 2005 2:05.61 Melbourne 2007 2:06.39 Rome 2009 2:03.41 Shanghai 2011 2:05.55 Barcelona 2013 2:04.59 Kazan 2015 2:05.56 Budapest 2017 2:05.26 Gwangju 2019 2:06.78 Budapest 2022 2:05.20 Fukuoka 2023 2:04.06 Doha 2024 2:07.35 Singapore 2025 2:01.99 CR
World champions (short course) Men
Edition Winner Time Notes Palma de Mallorca 1993 1:55.42 CR Rio de Janeiro 1995 1:54.79 CR Gothenburg 1997 1:55.55 Hong Kong 1999 1:52.71 CR Athens 2000 1:53.57 Moscow 2002 1:53.14 Indianapolis 2004 1:53.41 Shanghai 2006 1:52.36 CR Manchester 2008 1:51.05 CR Dubai 2010 1:51.56 Istanbul 2012 1:51.01 CR Doha 2014 1:48.61 CR Windsor 2016 1:48.76 Hangzhou 2018 1:48.24 Abu Dhabi 2021 1:49.06 Melbourne 2022 1:48.27 Budapest 2024 1:48.24 =CR
Women