Men's 50m Backstroke

United States

Hunter Armstrong (USA) is the world record holder in the men's 50m backstroke (23.71). He set the time at the 2022 US Trials in April.

Justin Ress (USA) finished second at the 2022 US Trials in 23.92, the third-fastest time in history of the men's 50m backstroke (23.80 by Kliment Kolesnikov). Shaine Casas (USA) finished third in that race, in the fifth fastest ever time (24.00), but did not qualify for this event in Budapest.

The only male swimmer representing United States to win the men's 50m backstroke at the world aquatics championships is Randall Bal (2001).

United States could become the second country to record a 1-2 finish in this event at the FINA World Championships. France's Camille Lacourt (gold) and Jérémy Stravius (silver, shared) achieved this in 2013.

USA has collected four world championships medals in the men's 50m backstroke, one shy of the record number by France and South Africa (both 5). Apart from Bal's world title in 2001, Matt Grevers picked up two silver medals (2013, 2015) and one bronze medal (2017.

The last man to break the men's 50m backstroke world record at the FINA World Championships was Liam Tancock (GBR) in his gold-medal winning race at Rome 2009 (24.04).


Other contenders

France (G3-S2-B0) leads the medal table in the men's 50m backstroke at the world aquatics championships. Camille Lacourt (FRA) won four of those five medals, including three successive gold medals from 2013 to 2017. Jérémy Stravius (FRA) took silver in 2013.

South Africa is level with France (both 5) for most medals won in this event at the FINA World Championships: G2-S0-B3. South Africa's two world titles in the men's 50m backstroke were won by Gerhard Zandberg (2007) and Zane Waddell (2019).

Great Britain, Australia and United States (all 4) are one shy of equalling France and South Africa (both 5) for most world championships medals in this event.

Robert Glinta (ROU) took silver in the men's 50m backstroke at the European championships in Budapest in 2021. The only male swimmer representing Romania to claim a medal at the FINA World Championships is Dragos Coman, who picked up bronze in the men's 400m freestyle in 2003.

Men's 1500m Freestyle

Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)

Gregorio Paltrinieri (G2-S0-B2) currently shares the record for most medals won in the men's 1500m freestyle at the world aquatics championships alongside Grant Hackett (AUS, G4-S0-B0) and Ryan Cochrane (CAN, G0-S3-B1).

Hackett (4) is the only male swimmer to have won the men's 1500m freestyle more than twice at the world aquatics championships.

Paltrinieri reached the podium in the men's 1500m freestyle at the last four editions of the world aquatics championships (2013-2019): bronze, gold, gold and bronze.

Paltrinieri (G2-S0-B2) could become the first swimmer to complete the medal set in the men's 1500m freestyle at the world aquatics championships.

At age 27, Paltrinieri could become the oldest medallist in the men's 1500m freestyle at the world aquatics championships.


Robert Finke (USA)

Robert Finke claimed the gold medal in the men's 1500m freestyle at the Tokyo 2022 Olympic Games, ahead of Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) and Florian Wellbrock (GER). The gap between gold and bronze was 1.26 seconds.

Finke can become the second swimmer representing USA to win the men's 1500m freestyle at the world aquatics championships, after Tim Shaw emerged victorious in Cali in 1975.

United States claimed five medals in this event at the world aquatics championships since 1975, including silver medals by Larsen Jensen (2005) and Connor Jaeger (2015).


Other contenders

Florian Wellbrock (GER) claimed the win in this event at Gwangju 2019. Grant Hackett (4), Gregorio Paltrinieri (2), Sun Yang (CHN, 2) and Vladimir Salnikov (URS, 2) won the men's 1500m freestyle more than once at the world aquatics championships.

Besides Wellbrock (2019), Rainer Henkel (1986) and Jörg Hoffmann (1991) won the men's 1500m freestyle for (West) Germany at the world aquatics championships.

Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) finished first or second in the men's 1500m freestyle at the last five major championships (long and short course). He won gold at the European championships long course in Budapest (2020) and came runner-up in the other four races.

Three swimmers representing Ukraine have claimed gold at the world aquatics championships: Yana Klochkova (4), Oleg Lisogor (2) and Denys Sylantyev (1).

Men's 4x100m Medley Relay

United States

United States won 13 of the previous 18 editions of the men's 4x100m medley relay at the world aquatics championships. The other five world titles in this event were won by Australia (3), France (1) and Great Britain (1).

Team USA collected 15 medals in total in this event at the FINA World Championships, finishing second behind Australia in 1998 and behind Great Britain in 2019.

At the Olympic Games, USA won 15 of the 16 available gold medals in the men's 4x100m medley relay. The exception was Australia's win in 1980, when United States boycotted the Moscow Games.

After a silver medal in this event in 2019, United States could fail to win this event at successive world aquatics championships for the second time, after 1998-2001 (both Australia wins).

Ryan Murphy (USA) could collect his fourth world aquatics championships medal in this event, after gold in 2015 and 2017, and silver in 2019. The only swimmer to finish on the podium in this event at four successive world aquatics championships is Dimitriy Komornikov (RUS, 2001-2007).


Great Britain

Great Britain won the men's 4x100m medley relay at the 2019 FINA World Championships. The only other country than United States to win back-to-back world titles in this event is Australia (1998-2001).

Team GB won four world championships medals in total in this event. Apart from the 2019 world title, the Brits took bronze in 1975 and 1978, and silver in 2017.

At Tokyo 2020, Great Britain finished second in this event behind United States in a European record (3:27.51). Team GB had also won Olympic silver in at Rio 2016.

Adam Peaty (GBR), Duncan Scott (GBR) and James Guy (GBR) were in Great Britain's team to finish on the podium in this event at the last four global tournaments: Rio 2016, the 2017 and 2019 FINA World Championships, and Tokyo 2020.


Other contenders

Italy finished third in the men's 4x100m medley relay at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It marked the first Olympic medal for the Italians in this event. Italy could win its first medal in this event at the world aquatics championships.

Japan took fourth place in this event at the 2019 FINA World Championships and came sixth at Tokyo 2020. The Japanese won four world championships medals in this event: silver in 2007, and bronze in 2003, 2005 and 2013.

Australia is level with Russia (both 7, excluding Soviet Union) in second place for most world aquatics championships medals in this event (15 by United States).

Australia finished respectively ninth and fifth in this event at the 2017 and 2019 FINA World Championships, directly following a run of five successive podium finishes from 2007 to 2015 (G1-S3-B1).