If you thought the Paris Olympics had a lot of swimming records set and broken, think again. The Olympics are just for competition. The first leg of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup has just begun in Shanghai, and boy, oh boy, isn’t it turning into an avalanche of records. How could it not be? After all, there are names like the four-time Olympic gold medalist Léon Marchand, nine-time Olympic medalist Kaylee McKeown, America’s new favorite Regan Smith, and even China’s Qin Haiyang on the roster.

While the prospect of the championship is exciting after the Olympics, it is equally challenging for the athlete. Especially for athletes like McKeown and Marchand, who had a great run in Paris and now, without losing momentum, have to return to the competition pool. Although this stands true, both Kaylee and Marchand, on their first night in Shanghai, showed the world why they are some of the fastest Olympians!

Women’s 50M Backstroke World Cup Record

Kaylee McKeown dove into the pool in Shanghai, and in a matter of moments, she etched her name into the record books once again! Competing in the 50m backstroke at the World Cup, the reigning overall champion clocked an astonishing 25.36 seconds, shattering the previous world record. The mark she surpassed? Kira Toussaint’s 2021 record of 25.81 seconds. But this race was about more than just numbers for Kaylee—it was also about settling an old rivalry.

Facing off against her longtime rival, Regan Smith, Kaylee emerged victorious, with Smith finishing in 25.70 seconds to claim the silver medal. The margin between gold and silver? A razor-thin 0.36 seconds. But that wasn’t the only close call in this thrilling race. Canada’s Ingrid Wilm secured bronze with a time of 26.08, just 0.38 seconds behind Smith. The race showcased Kaylee’s sheer dominance and speed, as well as her ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.

With this record-breaking swim, Kaylee McKeown is now ranked as the second-fastest swimmer ever in the 50m backstroke, trailing only Canada’s Maggie MacNeil. The feat also pushed Mollie O’Callaghan down the rankings, whose time of 25.61 seconds was previously second-best until Kaylee’s latest performance.

Coming into this World Cup heat, Kaylee’s personal best was 25.40 seconds, set at the Australian Short Course Championships. Just two years ago, her top time was 26.00 seconds—a testament to how much she’s evolved since the 2020 Queensland Virtual Short Course Championships. Not only did this win solidify Kaylee’s place in swimming history, but it was also the perfect way to kick off the World Cup. And she wasn’t the only swimmer making waves in Shanghai!

Men’s 100M Butterfly World Cup and European Record

Leon Marchand, with his exalted epoch of the 2023 World Championships, returned this year. The last championship season showed the world that Marchand and his speed are one to look out for. But this time, as he comes off his five Olympic Golds, Marchan is doing more to keep up his winning momentum. He competed in the 100m individual medley in Shanghai. Marchand went up against Switzerland’s Noe Ponti. The competition was rather close.

But as always, at the eleventh second, Leon Marchand won, clocking 50.65. The time he clocked broke the long-standing French record of 50.96 seconds, set in 2013 by Florent Manaudou. As Florent himself once said, “This guy (Marchand) is an inspiration, you know? It feels like the pressure is sliding off him.” And the World Championships was yet another display of the same.

Leon Marchand’s swim in Shanghai was a thrilling one, to say the least. Putting his technical and physique perks to use, he took a slight lead during the breaststroke leg. As they approached the last freestyle leg, Marchand was trying to hold off Ponti from winning. And he sure did! In fact, Marchand broke his record of 51.57 that he set at the European Short Course Championships last year.

This has put Marchand at the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in this event. Standing ahead of him on the charts is Caeleb Dressel with 49.28, Vladimir Morozov with 50.26, and Kliment Kolesnikov with 50.63. Marchand has a long way to number one, but at the rate and speed he is going, nothing is out of reach for the Frenchman. While Marchand and Kaylee settled rivalries and wrote history on the pages of speed, Kaylee’s rival also did wonders. Just in another race!

Women’s 200M Butterfly World Junior Record

After a tough finish in the 50m backstroke, Regan Smith wasn’t about to leave Shanghai without making a splash. Just moments after the high-octane 50m final, Smith dove right back into the pool, this time to face off against some of the world’s best in the 200m butterfly. And boy, did she deliver! Clocking an impressive 2:01.85, Regan claimed the gold, leaving her mark on the meet in more ways than one.

But this victory wasn’t just about winning—it was about conquering a fierce competitor in China’s own junior world record holder, Chen Luying. From the moment the race started, Chen took charge, leading the field. However, in a thrilling final stretch, Smith surged ahead, outpacing Chen by just 0.67 seconds. The young Chinese swimmer clocked in at 2:02.52, but Smith’s relentless determination sealed the deal, giving her the gold.

Despite this stellar performance, Smith is still chasing the legendary record of Mireia Belmonte Garcia, whose 1:59.61 remains untouched. Regan’s time places her behind Liu Zige’s 2009 record of 2:00.78 and Katinka Hosszu, who posted a 2:01.12 in 2014. Another of Hosszu’s times, 2:01.73 from 2018, narrowly edges out Smith’s time as well. But while the records still stand, Smith’s performance shows she’s inching closer to joining that elite list.

This latest triumph is a testament to Smith’s resilience. Despite the setback in the 50m, she bounced back spectacularly, proving once again that she is a force to be reckoned with in the pool.