Men’s 800m Freestyle – Long Course World Record & Splits

Updated August 2026

Current Records

Record	Athlete	Time
World Record	Zhang Lin	7:32.12
Olympic Record	Daniel Wiffen	7:38.19
World Junior Record	Zhang Lin	7:32.12
Commonwealth Record	Samuel Short	7:36.73

Top All-Time Performers

#	Athlete	50	100	200 (split / total)	300 (split / total)	400 (split / total)	500 (split / total)	600 (split / total)	700 (split / total)	800 (split / total)
1	Zhang Lin	26.94	55.20	57.35 / 1:52.55	57.32 / 2:49.87	56.92 / 3:46.79	56.49 / 4:43.28	57.08 / 5:40.36	57.67 / 6:38.03	54.09 / 7:32.12
2	Oussama Mellouli	26.62	55.11	57.25 / 1:52.36	58.03 / 2:50.39	57.56 / 3:47.95	56.71 / 4:44.66	56.53 / 5:41.19	57.11 / 6:38.30	56.97 / 7:35.27
3	Samuel Short	25.94	54.10	56.70 / 1:50.80	57.34 / 2:48.14	57.75 / 3:45.89	58.10 / 4:43.99	58.18 / 5:42.17	58.21 / 6:40.38	56.35 / 7:36.73
4	Ahmed Jaouadi	—	—	— / —	— / —	— / —	— / —	— / —	— / —	— / 7:36.88
5	Ahmed Hafnaoui	26.58	54.54	57.13 / 1:51.67	57.58 / 2:49.25	57.95 / 3:47.20	58.00 / 4:45.20	58.57 / 5:43.77	58.39 / 6:42.16	54.84 / 7:37.00
6	Johannes Liebmann	26.29	54.84	57.87 / 1:52.71	58.08 / 2:50.79	58.26 / 3:49.05	58.64 / 4:47.69	56.80 / 5:44.49	57.30 / 6:41.79	55.80 / 7:37.59
7	Sven Schwarz	26.78	55.08	57.34 / 1:52.42	57.54 / 2:49.96	57.84 / 3:47.80	58.02 / 4:45.82	58.02 / 5:43.84	58.32 / 6:42.16	55.96 / 7:38.12
8	Daniel Wiffen	26.34	54.76	57.86 / 1:52.62	57.94 / 2:50.56	58.26 / 3:48.82	57.72 / 4:46.54	58.17 / 5:44.71	58.15 / 6:42.86	55.33 / 7:38.19
9	Sun Yang	26.81	55.90	58.55 / 1:54.45	58.63 / 2:53.08	58.28 / 3:51.36	58.07 / 4:49.43	57.81 / 5:47.24	56.85 / 6:44.09	54.48 / 7:38.57
10	Grant Hackett	25.99	54.38	57.51 / 1:51.89	57.60 / 2:49.49	57.68 / 3:47.17	57.86 / 4:45.03	58.52 / 5:43.55	58.56 / 6:42.11	56.54 / 7:38.65
11	Bobby Finke	26.63	55.19	57.64 / 1:52.83	57.91 / 2:50.74	58.02 / 3:48.76	57.91 / 4:46.67	58.05 / 5:44.72	58.21 / 6:42.93	55.74 / 7:38.67
12	Lukas Märtens	25.59	54.34	59.08 / 1:53.42	59.03 / 2:52.45	58.62 / 3:51.07	58.19 / 4:49.26	57.72 / 5:46.98	56.51 / 6:43.49	55.61 / 7:39.10
13	Ian Thorpe	26.41	55.02	57.91 / 1:52.93	58.72 / 2:51.65	58.89 / 3:50.54	58.89 / 4:49.43	59.23 / 5:48.66	57.27 / 6:45.93	53.23 / 7:39.16

50 = opening 50 ·
100 = total at 100 ·
200–800 = that 100m split / race total
(800 = last 100 / final time).

Split Analysis & Comparison

The table below compares elite 800m freestyle long-course performances.
Use it to review splits, stroke counts, and race patterns. Data is collected
from official results and race footage where available.

Men’s 800m Freestyle – Long Course
	Zhang Lin	Ous Mellouli	Ahmed Hafnaoui	Samuel Short	Sven Schwarz	Daniel Wiffen	Sun Yang	Grant Hackett	Bobby Finke	Ian Thorpe	Gregorio Paltrinieri
Height:	6 ft 2 in 188cm	6 ft 4 in 192cm	6 ft 4 in 195cm			6ft 4in 194cm	6 ft 7 in 200cm	6 ft 6 in 197cm	6 ft 1 in 185cm	6 ft 5 in 196cm	6 ft 3 in 191cm
Weight:	170Ib 77kg	185Ib 84kg	185lb 84kg			176lb 80kg	196Ib 89kg	212Ib 96kg	172lb 78kg	229Ib 104kg	159Ib 72kg
Country:	CHN	TUN	TUN	AUS	GER	IRE	CHN	AUS	USA	AUS	ITA
DOB:	1987-01-06	1984-02-19	2002-12-04	2003-09-17	2002-01-31	2001-07-14	1991-12-01	1980-05-09	1999-11-06	1982-10-13	1994-09-05
Meet:	13th FINA World Championships 2009	13th FINA World Championships 2009	World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023	World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023	2025 German Swimming Championships	Olympic Games Paris 2024	14th FINA World Championships 2011	11th FINA World Championships 2005	World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023	9th FINA World Championships 2001	18th FINA World Championships 2019

1st 50m Split	26.94	26.62	26.58	26.18	26.78	26.34	26.81	25.99	26.63		26.69
Strokes		28				31	26	29		28	35
Split Time:	26.94	26.62	26.58	26.18	26.78	26.34	26.81	25.99	26.63		26.69

2nd 50m Split	28.26	28.49	27.96	28.13	28.30	28.42	29.09	28.39	28.56		28.93
Strokes		31				35	28	31		28	38
Split Time:	55.20	55.11	54.54	54.31	55.08	54.76	55.90	54.38	55.19	55.02	55.62

3rd 50m Split	28.84	28.65	28.51	28.33	28.65	28.80	29.21	28.75	28.84		28.82
Strokes		31				34	27	31		28	38
Split Time:	1:24.04	1:23.76	1:23.05	1:22.64	1:23.73	1:23.56	1:25.11	1:23.12	1:24.03		1:24.44

4th 50m Split	28.51	28.60	28.62	28.73	28.69	29.06	29.34	28.76	28.80		28.92
Strokes		32				34	28	31		28
Split Time:	1:52.55	1:52.36	1:51.67	1:51.37	1:52.42	1:52.62	1:54.45	1:51.89	1:52.83	1:52.93	1:53.36

5th 50m Split	28.61	28.82	28.76	28.76	28.83	28.94	29.36	28.71	29.07		28.77
Strokes		31				34	27	32		29	39
Split Time:	2:21.16	2:21.18	2:20.43	2:20.13	2:21.25	2:21.56	2:23.81	2:20.60	2:21.90		2:22.13

6th 50m Split	28.71	29.21	28.82	29.04	28.71	29.00	29.27	28.89	28.84		29.11
Strokes	33	32				34	28	32		29	39
Split Time:	2:49.87	2:50.39	2:49.25	2:49.17	2:49.96	2:50.56	2:53.08	2:49.49	2:50.74	2:51.65	2:51.24

7th 50m Split	28.71	28.84	28.96	28.94	28.90	29.11	29.15	28.83	28.94		28.87
Strokes	33	31				34	28	32		29	39
Split Time:	3:18.58	3:19.23	3:18.21	3:18.11	3:18.86	3:19.67	3:22.23	3:18.32	3:19.68		3:20.11

8th 50m Split	28.21	28.72	28.99	29.01	28.94	29.15	29.13	28.85	29.08		28.81
Strokes		30				34	28	32		28	39
Split Time:	3:46.79	3:47.95	3:47.20	3:47.12	3:47.80	3:48.82	3:51.36	3:47.17	3:48.76	3:50.54	3:48.92

9th 50m Split	28.23	28.42	29.00	29.00	28.89	28.90	28.98	28.89	29.02		28.78
Strokes						34	28	32		28	39
Split Time:	4:15.02	4:16.37	4:16.20	4:16.12	4:16.69	4:17.72	4:20.34	4:16.06	4:17.78		4:17.70

10th 50m Split	28.26	28.29	29.00	29.09	29.13	28.82	29.09	28.97	28.89		28.72
Strokes	34					33	28	32		29	39
Split Time:	4:43.28	4:44.66	4:45.20	4:45.21	4:45.82	4:46.54	4:29.43	4:45.03	4:46.67	4:49.43	4:46.42

11th 50m Split	28.51	28.29	29.33	29.22	28.92	29.08	28.88	29.18	29.18		28.60
Strokes	34					34	28	33		29	39
Split Time:	5:11.79	5:12.95	5:14.53	5:14.43	5:14.74	5:15.62	5:18.31	5:14.21	5:15.85		5:15.02

12th 50m Split	28.57	28.24	29.24	29.21	29.10	29.09	28.93	29.34	28.87		28.67
Strokes	35	33				34	28	33		29	39
Split Time:	5:40.36	5:41.19	5:43.77	5:43.64	5:43.84	5:44.71	5:47.24	5:43.55	5:44.72	5:48.66	5:43.69

13th 50m Split	28.90	28.44	29.27	29.26	29.14	29.26	28.42	29.23	29.23		28.76
Strokes	35					33	28	33		30	39
Split Time:	6:09.26	6:09.63	6:42.16	6:12.90	6:12.98	6:13.97	6:15.66	6:12.78	6:13.95		6:12.45

14th 50m Split	28.77	28.67	29.12	29.17	29.18	28.89	28.43	29.33	28.98		28.92
Strokes		34				35	29	33		29	39
Split Time:	6:38.03	6:38.30	6:42.16	6:42.07	6:42.16	6:42.86	6:44.09	6:42.11	6:42.93	6:45.93	6:41.37

15th 50m Split	28.10	28.29	28.60	28.53	28.81	28.39	27.61	28.33	28.95		29.37
Strokes		34				34	31			31	40
Split Time:	7:06.13	7:06.59	7:10.76	7:10.60	7:10.97	7:11.25	7:11.70	7:10.44	7:11.88		7:10.74

16th 50m Split	25.99	28.68	26.24	27.16	27.15	26.94	26.87	28.21	26.79		28.53
Strokes		35				42	35	35		31	40

Total Time:	7:32.12	7:35.27	7:37.00	7:37.76	7:38.12	7:38.19	7:38.57	7:38.65	7:38.67	7:39.16	7:39.27

Race Videos

Zhang Lin – 7:32.12 World Record

Swim Calculators

Tool	What it does
Swim Pace Calculator	Pace, time, and distance (min/100m or min/100yds).
Goal Time / Split Calculator	Target splits for metres racing.
Yards Goal Calculator	Target splits for yards racing.
Race Review Calculator	Find strengths and weaknesses in a completed race.
Medley Relay Calculator	Build the fastest relay order from up to 6 swimmers’ PBs.