Via James Sutherland on SwimSwam
After an extraordinary 12 months of racing that integrated the Olympics sandwiched between the Lengthy Direction and Brief Direction Global Championships, it’s time to start out liberating our 5th annual Best 100 record—take a look at remaining 12 months’s ratings right here.
As in earlier years, we’ve taken a statistically pushed means essentially reliant upon international ratings and medals gained on the Olympics and, to a lesser extent, Brief Direction Worlds and the 2024 Worlds in Doha. We’ve additionally accounted for components like possible, long run medal alternatives, accidents, and flexibility. Lengthy route is weighted extra closely than quick route, despite the fact that efficiency possible in each codecs is factored in.
After a big contingent of Russian and Belarusian swimmers raced at Brief Direction Worlds in December, the ones swimmers have began to transport again up the ratings once they had been low at the lists remaining 12 months because of loss of pageant.
We’ll be breaking down the highest 100 into more than one installments, so stay an eye fixed out as they’re launched.
Those lists are, by means of nature, subjective. In case you disagree, go away your ideas/ranks within the feedback.
Thanks to Daniel Takata for his lend a hand with the knowledge and compiling the ratings.
Males’s Ratings:
#100 – #91
#90 – #81
#80 – #71
#70 – #61
#60 – #51
#50 – #41
#40 – #31
#30 – #21
#20 – #11
#10 – #1
#20: Carson Foster, USA (2024 Rank: 9) – The flexible Foster has proven he’s were given the power to be the transparent #2 males’s medley swimmer on this planet at the back of Leon Marchand, profitable silver within the 200 and 400 IM on the 2022 Global Championships after which matching that end result within the 400 in 2023 (whilst taking fifth within the 200 IM, not able to recreate his 2022 shape). In 2024, Foster ranked 2d on this planet within the 400 IM (4:07.64) and 4th within the 200 IM (1:55.65), however had his quickest swims of the 12 months come on the U.S. Olympic Trials. In Paris, he gained bronze within the 400 IM however used to be edged out of a medal within the 200 by means of a 10th, taking 4th. On the 2024 LC Worlds, Foster confirmed off his skill within the 200 unfastened, splitting 1:43.94 within the 4×200 unfastened relay, after which at SC Worlds in December, gained a trio of medals together with particular person silvers within the 400 unfastened and 400 IM. The 23-year-old is able to being one of the best on this planet in each medley occasions, has proven an elite stage within the 200 fly in LC, and is powerful within the 200 and 400 unfastened as smartly.
#19: Maxime Grousset, France (2024 Rank: 6) – Grousset rocketed as much as the #6 rating remaining 12 months after a breakout 2023 Global Championships that integrated a 50.14 clocking within the 100 fly and a blazing 49.27 fly relay cut up. On the Olympics, the Frenchman failed to succeed in the rostrum personally in spite of having 3 forged probabilities. He positioned fifth within the 100 unfastened (47.71) and 100 fly (50.65), and scratched out of the 50 unfastened ultimate after to begin with qualifying sixth out of the semis. His quickest occasions of the 12 months ranked eleventh international within the 50 unfastened (21.60), fifth within the 100 unfastened (47.33) and fifth within the 100 fly (50.41). He did give a contribution every other blistering fly cut up for France within the medley relay in Paris, 49.57, to lend a hand the staff win bronze on house soil, and closed the 12 months with a robust swim within the 100 fly at SC Worlds, claiming silver in 48.57. The 25-year-old has medal alternatives within the 50 and 100 of unfastened and fly this 12 months at Worlds, the one query is that if he can put it in combination on the proper time—with an added hurdle being 3 of the occasions somewhat bunched up right through the second one part of this system.
#18: Ryan Murphy, USA (2024 Rank: 7) – Murphy is arising on a decade of being probably the most international’s quickest backstrokers, and in spite of an up and down Olympic performances, he’s nonetheless one of the best as he comes up on his thirtieth birthday in July. Whilst Murphy used to be nonetheless fast remaining 12 months with occasions of 52.08 within the 100 again and 1:54.33 within the 200 again, the remainder of the sector is also catching up. He settled for silver in an in depth 100 again ultimate in Paris in 52.39, after which used to be a shocking tenth within the 200 again, lacking out at the ultimate—which used to be gained by means of Hubert Kos in 1:54.26, simply seven one-hundredths sooner than Murphy used to be on the Olympic Trials. Murphy confirmed his stage continues to be extremely excessive, however could have coughed up his easiest probability at particular person Olympic gold since he swept the backstroke occasions in Rio along with his 200 again omit in Paris. Nonetheless, he’s a risk for gold in each backstroke occasions at Worlds in 2025, and has the potential of creating some noise within the 50 again, too.
#17: Duncan Scott, Nice Britain (2024 Rank: 15) – After profitable Olympic silver within the 200 unfastened and 200 IM in Tokyo, Scott virtually had the very same lead to Paris. He used to be the runner-up to Leon Marchand within the 200 IM, clocking 1:55.31, and within the 200 unfastened, he positioned 4th in 1:44.87, simply 17 one-hundredths again of gold medalist David Popovici. Scott, 27, ranked 2d on this planet remaining 12 months within the 200 IM, and his quickest swim within the 200 unfastened, 1:44.75, ranked tied for 4th. He used to be additionally twenty fourth within the 100 unfastened (47.92), and confirmed off his quick route skill at the Global Cup circuit within the fall, environment new British Information within the 200 unfastened (1:39.83) and 400 unfastened (3:34.46). Scott may be a snatch relay performer, proudly owning the third-fastest 100 unfastened cut up ever (46.14) and having two sub-1:44 legs within the 200 unfastened underneath his belt. He’s a multi-medal risk personally and is essential for Nice Britain within the staff occasions.
#16: Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy (2024 Rank: 45) – Paltrinieri’s rating dropped considerably remaining 12 months after he handiest raced one pool match on the 2023 Global Championships, the 800 unfastened, and positioned eighth. The Italian reasserted himself as probably the most easiest distance swimmers on this planet in 2024, profitable silver on the Olympics within the 1500 unfastened (14:34.55) and bronze within the 800 unfastened (7:39.38), nearing his private easiest occasions in each. Now 30, Paltrinieri ranked third on this planet remaining 12 months in each occasions, and even if the following technology of distance swimmers are beginning to put up related occasions to him, he turns out so as to execute when he must and land at the podium extra occasions than no longer.
#15: Ilya Kharun, Canada (2024 Rank: 42) – Kharun is coming off an enormous 2024, profitable a couple of Olympic bronze medals within the males’s butterfly occasions whilst racking up 5 medals at SC Worlds, together with claiming the primary international identify of his occupation within the 200 fly. Having grew to become 20 in early February, the Canadian local has been continuously making improvements to since heading to Arizona State, taking a large step remaining 12 months with swims of fifty.45 within the 100 fly (#6 on this planet) and 1:52.80 within the 200 fly (#3 on this planet). On the 2025 Worlds, it appears to be like to be Kharun, Kristof Milak and Leon Marchand jockeying for place at the podium within the 200 fly, and Kharun will at all times have an opportunity within the 100 along with his pace and shutting skill. Already underneath 50.5, he might be the following one to start out pushing the 50-second barrier. One thing to wait for shall be if his freestyle development within the NCAA interprets to the world degree.
#14: Josh Liendo, Canada (2024 Rank: 27) – Liendo changed into the 5th guy in historical past to dip underneath the 50-second barrier within the 100 fly remaining 12 months, doing so within the Olympic ultimate no much less to win the silver medal at the back of Kristof Milak. Liendo used to be already a multi-time Global Championship medalist when he joined the College of Florida in 2022, however he’s handiest gotten higher since shifting to Gainesville. He matched his lifetime easiest within the 100 unfastened remaining 12 months with a 47.55 clocking on the Canadian Olympic Trials, rating him ninth on this planet remaining 12 months, and he ranked fifth within the 50 unfastened after hitting a Nationwide Report 21.48 on the Trials. The 22-year-old is a sound medal risk in 3 particular person occasions at Worlds this 12 months, with the agenda (50 unfastened/100 fly semis and ultimate on identical days) being his largest hurdle.
#13: Sam Brief, Australia (2024 Rank: 4) – Brief’s breakout 2023 used to be adopted by means of an injury-plagued 12 months that ended in 0 Olympic medals after he walked away with 3 on the Global Championships in Fukuoka. After profitable gold within the 400 unfastened, silver within the 800 unfastened and bronze within the 1500 unfastened on the 2023 Worlds, Brief used to be 4th within the 400, ninth within the 800 and thirteenth within the 1500 in Paris. He said {that a} “combination of illnesses and injuries” derailed his Olympic Trials and Olympic preparation and that he used to be “likely never going to be on PB form,” however after present process shoulder rehab within the again part of 2024, used to be motivated to come back again sturdy in 2025. Given how some distance he used to be from his easiest occasions within the 800 and 1500 in Paris, the Aussie nonetheless extremely took 4th within the 400 unfastened (3:42.64) on the Video games. Nonetheless simply 21, a go back to his 2023 shape will make Brief a drive to be reckoned with this 12 months.
#12: Hubert Kos, Hungary (2024 Rank: 16) – Kos’ 200 again victory on the 2023 Global Championships used to be probably the most larger surprises or “upsets” of the meet, however that wasn’t the case in Paris because the Hungarian sponsored up his international identify with a definitive Olympic identify. American Ryan Murphy used to be his largest risk on paper, and after Murphy overlooked the general, it used to be Kos’ race to lose. Greece’s Apostolos Christou made it shut for 150-plus meters, however Kos ran away down the stretch to win gold in 1:54.26, a time that ranked him #1 on this planet for the 12 months. Kos, 21, used to be additionally 52.78 within the 100 again (thirteenth on this planet) and 50.84 within the 100 fly (tied for tenth on this planet remaining 12 months), and he’s gave the impression to stray clear of the 200 IM slightly since shifting to the U.S. in desire of the 200 again, however he’s obviously nonetheless were given a high-end skill within the medley match. He used to be 1:57.21 remaining 12 months to rank fifteenth on this planet, however didn’t swim it on the Olympics, as an alternative racing the 100 again (tenth) and 100 fly (sixteenth) to move in conjunction with the 200 again. He’s the most productive on this planet within the 200 again with 3 extra occasions the place he’s in top-10 vary, and he’s handiest getting higher.
#11: Noe Ponti, Switzerland (2024 Rank: NR) – An underwhelming 2023 noticed Ponti overlooked from remaining 12 months’s ratings which used to be clearly an enormous oversight. The 23-year-old used to be on fireplace remaining 12 months, despite the fact that he fell shy of touchdown at the Olympic podium. After profitable bronze within the 100 fly in Tokyo, Ponti used to be 4th in Paris in a time of fifty.55—which got here after he clocked 50.16 in April which now ranks #7 all-time. Ponti additionally positioned fifth within the 200 fly on the Olympics in a PB of one:54.14, rating seventh on this planet in 2024, after which he in reality exploded right through the second one part of the 12 months within the quick route pool. Ponti swept the boys’s 50 and 100 fly in any respect 3 stops of the Global Cup collection, incomes a couple of Triple Crown titles, breaking the sector file within the 50 two times whilst additionally selecting up a 100 IM win, tying with Leon Marchand, at the second one leg. Ponti completed 2d within the total collection at the back of Marchand, after which culminated the 12 months with a dominant efficiency at SC Worlds. Ponti gained gold and set international information within the 50 fly (21.32) and 100 fly (47.71), and added a 3rd identify within the 100 IM. Coming into 2025 with quite a lot of momentum, the 23-year-old must be penciled in because the gold medal favourite within the 50 fly at LC Worlds, a medal risk within the 100 fly, and probably the most males who may rack up a large medal haul at SC Euros.
Learn the overall tale on SwimSwam: SwimSwam’s Best 100 For 2025: Males’s #20-11
