By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
After an unprecedented yr of racing that included the Olympics sandwiched between the Lengthy Course and Brief Course World Championships, it’s time to begin releasing our fifth annual Prime 100 record—try final yr’s rankings right here.
As in earlier years, we’ve taken a statistically pushed method reliant primarily upon world rankings and medals received on the Olympics, and to a lesser extent, Brief Course Worlds and the 2024 Worlds in Doha. We’ve additionally taken into consideration issues akin to potential, future medal alternatives, accidents, and flexibility. Lengthy course is weighted greater than brief course, although efficiency potential in each codecs is factored in.
After a big contingent of Russian and Belarusian swimmers raced at Brief Course Worlds in December, these swimmers have began to maneuver again up the rankings after they have been low on the lists final yr resulting from lack of competitors.
We’ll be breaking down the highest 100 into a number of installments, so hold an eye fixed out as they’re launched.
These lists are, by nature, subjective. For those who disagree, depart your ideas/ranks within the feedback.
Thanks to Daniel Takata for his assist with the info and compiling the rankings.
Males’s Rankings:
- #100 – #91
- #90 – #81
- #80 – #71
- #70 – #61
- #60 – #51
- #50 – #41
- #40 – #31
- #30 – #21
- #20 – #11
- #10 – #1
#70: Lewis Clareburt, New Zealand (2024 Rank: NR) – Clareburt took full benefit of a pared-down subject within the 400 IM ultimately yr’s World Championships in Doha, successful gold in a time of 4:09.72. The 25-year-old Kiwi went on to complete sixth within the 400 IM in Paris (4:10.44), and likewise positioned eleventh within the 200 IM and twenty first within the 200 fly. He’s been hovering across the identical greatest instances for the final three years, so this could be his peak, however it nonetheless retains him within the medal hunt within the 400 IM. Clareburt was 4:08.71 in Could on the Sydney Open, which ranked him 4th on the earth in 2024.
#69: Yamato Fukasawa, Japan (2024 Rank: NR) – Japan has lengthy been a manufacturing facility of manufacturing elite breaststrokers, notably within the 200. Final yr, 4 of the six quickest swimmers on the earth within the 200 breast have been Japanese, and it was Fukasawa who discovered himself on the skin trying in by way of Olympic qualification. The now 24-year-old swam a time of two:07.07 on the Konami Open final February, which ended up tying for fifth-fastest in all of 2024. Regardless of lacking the Olympic crew, Fukasawa did characterize Japan internationally at Brief Course Worlds, claiming bronze within the 200 breast (2:02.01) whereas additionally putting thirteenth within the 100 breast (57.07).
#68: Finlay Knox, Canada (2024 Rank: NR) – Knox pounced on the chance introduced to him within the remaining of the 200 IM ultimately yr’s Worlds in Doha, operating down Carson Foster on the final 50 to win his first world title, resetting his Canadian Document within the course of in 1:56.64. Knox lowered that document to 1:56.07 on the Canadian Olympic Trials, a time that ranked him sixth on the earth for the yr, and ended up eighth on the Olympics (1:57.26). The 24-year-old is extremely versatile, having swam on Canada’s 4×100 free relay (47.96 cut up at LC Worlds), finished each breast and fly on medley relays, and was even ninth within the 50 again at SC Worlds (23.71). He completed the yr off with 4 medals at SC Worlds, together with a person bronze within the 200 IM. If he retains himself within the 1:56-low vary, and possibly even dips into the 1:55s, he’ll be a medal risk within the 200 IM on the massive stage.
#67: Andrei Minakov, Russia (2024 Rank: NR) – Minakov has perenially been among the many quickest males on the earth within the 100 fly, however after breaking by to win silver on the 2019 World Championships after which putting 4th within the occasion on the Tokyo Olympics, his worldwide profession got here to a pause because of the Russian ban. Nonetheless, racing domestically, he nonetheless posted some fast lengthy course instances in 2024, rating seventh on the earth within the 50 fly (22.97), twelfth within the 100 fly (50.86) and thirty first within the 100 free (48.07), and closed out the yr with a powerful displaying at SC Worlds. The 22-year-old set a greatest time within the 100 fly (49.19), putting sixth, and contributed on the world record-breaking 400 medley relay.
#66: Yu Hanaguruma, Japan (2024 Rank: NR) – Hanaguruma is in an identical boat to Fukasawa as one of many elite 200 breaststrokers out of Japan. The 2 set similar lifetime bests final yr, 2:07.07, to rank tied for fifth on the earth in 2024, however Hanaguruma will get the slight higher hand given his swim got here at Japanese Nationals, which certified him for the Olympics over Fukasawa. Regardless of ending a decent fifth within the 200 breast Olympic remaining, Hanaguruma was nicely off his PB set in April, clocking 2:08.79. He has stepped up with huge swims previously, together with successful silver within the 200 breast at each the 2022 Worlds and 2021 World College Video games (held in 2023), and has some upside within the 100 breast after his 59.46 clocking ranked twenty fifth final yr.
#65: Sam Williamson, Australia (2024 Rank: NR) – Williamson has lengthy been checked out as a 50 breast specialist, however he made huge features final yr within the 100-meter occasion. To kick off the yr, he received gold within the 50 breast on the 2024 Worlds, setting an Oceanian Document of 26.32, which ranked #1 on the earth at yr’s finish. He was 59.21 within the 100 breast, putting 4th, after which broke by with a number of sub-59s on the Australian Olympic Trials, culminating with a 58.80 clocking within the remaining. That swim ranked him sixth on the earth for the yr, although he ended up faltering on the Olympics and ending twenty fourth. Having turned 27 in December, Williamson has a legit probability to defend his world title within the 50 breast in Singapore. The 100 is more durable to gauge.
#64: Melvin Imoudou, Germany (2024 Rank: NR): Imoudu had a breakout yr in 2024. The German native got here into the calendar yr having by no means swam at a World Championship or Olympics, and ended the yr having competed at three. In February, he went 1:00.08 on the Doha World Championships to complete 14th within the 100 breast, lacking the ultimate. That lit some type of fireplace as a result of he swam the 100 breast 16 extra instances in lengthy course, and solely went slower than that after. Up up to now, he had solely been underneath 1:00 twice within the occasion. He has now finished it 17 instances. In June, he dropped to 58.84 on the European Championships, which stays his greatest time and ranks him seventh within the occasion. On the Video games in July, he received a swim-off to qualify for the ultimate, the place he finally completed 4th in 59.11. His efficiency on the SC Worlds was underwhelming as compared, ending 18th within the 100 breast and tenth within the 50 breast. If he swims extra like he did on the Video games, he may very well be a severe medal contender within the occasion at Worlds.
#63: Solar Jiajun, China (2024 Rank: 59) – Solar has the uncommon skillset of being elite in dash breast and fly. After successful bronze within the 50 breast on the 2023 Worlds, he broke by with a 58.73 clocking within the 100 breast at Chinese language Nationals in April 2024, qualifying him for the Olympics—albeit #2 on China’s depth chart behind Qin Haiyang. He additionally earned a spot on the crew after clocking 51.52 within the 100 fly, and went on to swim the fly leg of China’s successful 4×100 medley relay in Paris, splitting 51.19. Now 24, Solar was a bit off individually on the Video games and missed second swims, however closed out the yr sturdy, incomes a pair of bronzes on the Shanghai World Cup within the breaststrokes. His medal alternatives are alive within the 50 and 100 breast at Worlds, and till somebody surpasses him, would be the go-to fly swimmer on China’s medley relay.
#62: Hugo Gonzalez, Spain (2024 Rank: 86) – The extremely versatile Gonzalez claimed World Championship gold in Doha within the 200 again, clocking 1:55.30 to edge out Switzerland’ Roman Mityukov. Gonzalez additionally claimed silver within the 100 again (52.70), simply .02 shy of gold, after which just a few months later, ripped a Spanish Document of 1:54.51 within the 200 again, which ranked him third on the earth for 2024. The 25-year-old ended up putting sixth in each backstrokes on the Olympics, although his 200 again PB would’ve been good for silver. He additionally completed the yr ranked eighth on the earth within the 200 IM (1:56.48), and is an outdoor medal risk on the World Championships within the backstroke occasions given how extensive open they’ve been in recent times.
#61: Alberto Razzetti, Italy (2024 Rank: 60) – As a brief course specialist, Razzetti is available in decrease on the record than a few of his latest outcomes would possibly counsel, together with successful 4 medals (three particular person) at Brief Course Worlds. The 25-year-old did win the primary two LC World Championship medals of his profession final yr in Doha, albeit in comparatively weaker fields. On the Olympics, he was fifth within the 400 IM, sixth within the 200 IM, and eighth within the 200 fly, displaying he’s among the many world’s greatest in all three races, however possibly has but to indicate that top finish to earn a medal when it’s greatest on greatest. Nonetheless, he’ll have loads of medal probabilities, probably even gold, at SC Euros.
Learn the complete story on SwimSwam: SwimSwam’s Prime 100 For 2025: Males’s #70-61
