List of African records in swimming

The African records in swimming are the fastest times ever by a swimmer representing an African country. These records are ratified by CANA, the African Swimming Confederation (its acronym derives from its name in French: Confédération Africaine Natation). A "WR" immediately following a time indicates that it is the current world record for the event.

Men

Event	Long course (50 m)	Short course (25 m)
freestyle
50 free	21.67^[1] Roland Schoeman ( South Africa) 2008 Olympics August 16, 2008 / Beijing, China 2013 World Championships August 2, 2013 / Barcelona, Spain	20.30 ^[2] Roland Schoeman ( South Africa) South African Short Course Championships (sf) August 8, 2009 / Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
100 free	47.79 Lyndon Ferns ( South Africa) World Championships July 29, 2009 / Rome, Italy	46.00 Lyndon Ferns ( South Africa) World Cup November 10, 2009 / Stockholm, Sweden
200 free	1:45.67 Jean Basson ( South Africa) World Championships July 28, 2009 / Rome, Italy	1:40.89 Darian Townsend ( South Africa) World Cup November 15, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
400 free	3:41.11 Oussama Mellouli ( Tunisia) World Championships July 26, 2009 / Rome, Italy	3:39.91 Ryk Neethling ( South Africa) World Cup 2003-'04: Berlin January 17, 2004 / Berlin, Germany
800 free	7:35.27 Oussama Mellouli ( Tunisia) World Championships July 29, 2009 / Rome, Italy	7:44.10 Ryk Neethling ( South Africa) 2000 Men's NCAA Division I Championships (split) March 25, 2000 / Minneapolis, USA
1500 free	14:37.28 Oussama Mellouli ( Tunisia) World Championships August 2, 2009 / Rome, Italy	14:39.04 Ryk Neethling ( South Africa) 2000 Men's NCAA Division I Championships March 25, 2000 / Minneapolis, USA
backstroke	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 back	24.34 Gerhard Zandberg ( South Africa) World Championships 2009 August 24, 2009 / Rome, Italy	22.85 Gerhard Zandberg ( South Africa) World Cup November 15, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
100 back	53.75 Gerhard Zandberg ( South Africa) 2008 Olympics August 9, 2008 / Beijing, China	50.00 George Du Rand ( South Africa) World Cup November 10, 2009 / Stockholm, Sweden
200 back	1:55.75 George Du Rand ( South Africa) World Championships July 30, 2009 / Rome, Italy	1:47.08 George Du Rand ( South Africa) World Cup November 7, 2009 / Moscow, Russia
breaststroke	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 breast	26.67 Cameron van der Burgh ( South Africa) World Championships July 29, 2009 / Rome, Italy	25.25 WR Cameron van der Burgh ( South Africa) World Cup November 14, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
100 breast	58.46 Cameron van der Burgh ( South Africa) 2012 Summer Olympics July 29, 2012 / London, United Kingdom	55.61 WR Cameron van der Burgh ( South Africa) World Cup November 15, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
200 breast	2:09.61 Neil Versfeld ( South Africa) World Championships July 30, 2009 / Rome, Italy	2:02.56 Neil Versfeld ( South Africa) World Cup November 14, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
butterfly	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 fly	22.90 Roland Schoeman ( South Africa) World Championships July 26, 2009 / Rome, Italy	21.87 Roland Schoeman ( South Africa) World Cup November 14, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
100 fly	50.56 Chad le Clos ( South Africa) World Championships .2015	48.82 Chad le Clos ( South Africa) World Championships December 13, 2012 / Istanbul, Turkey
200 fly	1:52.96 Chad le Clos ( South Africa) Summer Olympics July 31, 2012 / London, Great Britain	1:49.04 WR Chad le Clos ( South Africa) World Cup 7 August 2013 / Eindhoven, Netherlands
individual medley	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
100 IM	not swum	51.05 Gerhard Zandberg ( South Africa) World Cup November 14, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
200 IM	1:57.03 Darian Townsend ( South Africa) 2009 French Nationals April 25, 2009 / Montpellier, France	1:51.55 Darian Townsend ( South Africa) World Cup November 14, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
400 IM	4:10.53 Ous Mellouli ( Tunisia) 2009 Mediterranean Games June 29, 2009 / Pescara, Italy	4:02.18 Chad le Clos ( South Africa) World Cup November 15, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
relays	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
400 free relay	3:11.93 South Africa (L. Ferns, G. Moore, D. Townsend, R. Schoeman) World Championships July 26, 2009 / Rome, Italy	3:20.22 South Africa (J. Lawson, W.Bosman, J.Wilken, R.Schoeman) Telkom SA Short Course Championships July 31, 2003 / South Africa
800 free relay	7:08.01 South Africa (J. Basson, D.Townsend, J.A. Venter, S. Rousseau) World Championships July 31, 2009 / Rome, Italy	7:18.94 South Africa (J. Basson, F. Postma, T. Prinsloo, G. Du Rand) 2004 Short Course Worlds October 8, 2004 / Indianapolis, USA
400 medley relay	3:31.53 South Africa (G. Du Rand, C. vd Burgh, L. Ferns, G. Moore) World Championships August 2, 2009 / Rome,Italy	3:35.77^[3] Players Academy-NT South Africa South African Short Course Championships August 10, 2009 / Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Women

Event	Long course (50 m)	Short course (25 m)
freestyle
50 free	25.24 Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) South African Nationals 2008 April 3, 2008 / Durban, South Africa	24.72 Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) Vladimir International December 19, 2007 / Cape Town, South Africa
100 free	54.48 ^[4] Karin Prinsloo ( South Africa) South African Swimming Championships 9 April 2014 / Durban, South Africa	53.96 ^[5] Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) Vladimir International December 19, 2007 / Cape Town, South Africa
200 free	1:57.04^[6] Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Texas Senior Circuit #4 June 7, 2008 / Austin, USA	1:56.78 Helene Muller ( South Africa) 2002 Short Course Worlds April 7, 2002 / Moscow, Russia
400 free	4:08.38 Wendy Trott ( RSA) 2008 Olympics August 9, 2008 / Beijing, China	4:03.50 Melissa Corfe ( South Africa) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 11, 2008 / Manchester, UK
800 free	8:25.71 ^[4] Wendy Trott ( South Africa) 49th International Swimming-Sette Colli-Roma Meet 14 June 2012 / Rome, Italy	8:22.05 ^[5] Jessica Pengelly ( South Africa) 2011 FINA Swimming World Cup November 4, 2011 / Singapore
1500 free	16:05.63 ^[4] Wendy Trott ( South Africa) World Championships 24 July 2011 / Shanghai, China	16:11.24 ^[5] Jessica Pengelly ( South Africa) 2010 Telstra Australian Short Course July 14, 2010 / Brisbane, Australia
backstroke	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 back	28.23 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) Arena Pro Swim Series 2015 May 15, 2015 / Charlotte, USA	26.85 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 13, 2008 / Manchester, UK
100 back	58.77 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Olympics August 11, 2008 / Beijing, China	56.56 Chanelle Van Wyk ( South Africa) World Cup November 15, 2009 / Berlin, Germany
200 back	2:04.81 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) World Championships August 1, 2009 / Rome, Italy	2:00.91 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 11, 2008 / Manchester, UK
breaststroke	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 breast	30.83^[2] Penny Heyns ( South Africa) 1999 Pan Pacs August 28, 1999 / Sydney, Australia	30.11 Achieng Ajulu-Bushell ( KEN) British Short Course Grand Prix August 6, 2009 / Leeds, England
100 breast	1:06.52^[2] Penny Heyns ( South Africa) 1999 Pan Pacs August 23, 1999 / Sydney, Australia	1:05.36 Suzaan van Biljon ( South Africa) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 11, 2008 / Manchester, UK
200 breast	2:23.21 ^[4] Suzaan Van Biljon ( South Africa) 2012 Summer Olympics 25 July 2012 / London, Great Britain	2:18.73 Suzaan van Biljon ( South Africa) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 13, 2008 / Manchester, UK
butterfly	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
50 fly	25.78 Farida Osman ( Egypt) 2015 World Aquatics Championships	25.90 Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) 2007 World Cup: Belo Horizonte November 25, 2007 / Belo Horizonte, Brazil
100 fly	58.20 Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) 2008 Olympics August 9, 2008 / Beijing, China	56.52 Lize-Mari Retief ( South Africa) Vladimir International December 19, 2007 / Cape Town, South Africa
200 fly	2:09.41 Katheryn Meaklim ( South Africa) 2008 Olympics August 12, 2008 / Beijing, China	2:04.24 ^[5] Mandy Loots ( South Africa) World Cup November 21, 2009 / Singapore
individual medley	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
100 IM	not swum	59.77 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 11, 2008 / Manchester, UK
200 IM	2:08.59 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Olympics August 13, 2008 / Beijing, China	2:06.13 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 12, 2008 / Manchester, UK
400 IM	4:29.89 Kirsty Coventry ( Zimbabwe) 2008 Olympics August 9, 2008 / Beijing, China	4:22.88 ^[5] Katheryn Meaklim ( South Africa) World Cup November 21, 2009 / Singapore
relays	long course meters (50 m)	short course meters (25 m)
400 free relay	3:47.70 ^[4] South Africa (K. Prinsloo, L. Voster, JM Neethling, K Ferreira) Telkom SA Nationals 15 April 2011 / South Africa	3:45.27 South Africa (M. Corfe-55.00, LM Retief-55.30, J. Pengelly-57.62, K. Meaklim-57.35) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 12, 2008 / Manchester, UK
800 free relay	8:14.01 ^[4] South Africa (L. Vorster, C L Lategan, E. Werth, B. Meyer) 2009 Summer Universiade July 8, 2009 / Belgrade, Serbia	8:06.94 South Africa (L. Vorster, L. Roets, K. v Heerden, C. Lategan) ? September 30, 2005 / ?
400 medley relay	4:03.62 South Africa (M. Corfe, S. v Biljon, A. Loots, LM Retief) South African Nationals 2008 April 6, 2008 / Durban, South Africa	4:00.73 South Africa (M. Corfe-1:02.21, S. v Biljon-1:05.18, M. Loots-58.62, LM Retief-54.72) 2008 Short Course Worlds April 11, 2008 / Manchester, UK

Record holders' rankings

By nation

Nation	Record tally	LC	SC	Total	LC	SC	Total	LC	SC	Total
Nation	Record tally	Men			Women			Mixed
South Africa	65	15	21	36	13	16	29	28	37	65
Zimbabwe	10				6	4	10	6	4	10
Tunisia	4	4		4				4		4
Kenya	2	1		1		1	1	1	1	2
Egypt	1				1		1		1	1
Total	82	20	21	41	20	21	41	39	43	82

References

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External links

Tracking of long course records.
Tracking of short course records.
Swimming South Africa records page, which includes listing of the African Records.

↑ Roland Schoeman's 21.67 in the long-course 50 free at the 2005 World Championships was at the time the second fastest in history, behind the then-World Record held by Russia's Alexander Popov of 21.64.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 World Record when swum.
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↑ Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry swam faster than the existing African Records in the long-course 200 and 400 frees at the Texas Senior Circuit #4 meet in June 2008 in Austin, Texas, USA. Results available at the link. These times appear to be pending approval.

[1] Roland Schoeman's 21.67 in the long-course 50 free at the 2005 World Championships was at the time the second fastest in history, behind the then-World Record held by Russia's Alexander Popov of 21.64.

[thenWR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 World Record when swum.

[3] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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[AfricaShortCourseRecords-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 ^5.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

[TxSrCir4-6] Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry swam faster than the existing African Records in the long-course 200 and 400 frees at the Texas Senior Circuit #4 meet in June 2008 in Austin, Texas, USA. Results available at the link. These times appear to be pending approval.

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List of African records in swimming

Contents

Men

Women

Record holders' rankings

By nation

References

External links

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