Duna Arena Is Now Home To 62 Swimming World Records, #2 All-Time

By Sofia Altavilla on SwimSwam

2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• 10-15 December 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Ungheria
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Roster index

One of the most incredible meets in swimming history just came to an end. Prior to the Short Course World Championships, we made a list of all the world records that were set in Budapest’s Duna Arena and it turned out that the pool has some special aura, since 33 world records had been set there coming into last week.

We thought that could be because of the crowd, like for the 2017 LCM Worlds, or because of the habit of big meets being hosted there, with many major championships to go along with the ISL in 2019 and 2020. However, other factors that might propel world records at Duna Arena are that athletes’ accommodations are nearby and that the pool is frequently referred to as one swimmers from around the globe love to compete in.

One thing is sure: the Duna Arena represents a big part of swimming history.

MOST RECOGNIZED WRs SET IN A POOL

1. Rome’s Foro Italico – 68 WR between 1960 and 2022
2. Budapest’s Duna Arena – 62 WR between 2017 and 2024
3. North Sydney Olympic Pool – 45 between 1956 and 1978

Duna Arena is now ranked second as the pool where most world records were set with a total of 62. Ranking first is Rome’s Foro Italico, where 68 world records were set.

North Sydney Olympic Pool, known for its record of world record, as it counts 86 WR, is third in the ranking, as some of those performances were not recognized as official by FINA/World Aquatics.

Moreover, we have to consider the fact that most of the records established in Rome (43) were set during the 2009 World Champs, where super-suits were allowed. In addition to this, North Sydney Pool wouldn’t fit today’s requirements, being filled with saltwater, rather than chlorinated pool water, which provided more buoyancy for athletes.

MOST CURRENT WR SET IN A POOL

1. Budapest’s Duna Arena – 28 

as of December 2024

Before the meet, there were 10 unbeaten world records set in Duna Arena, among 33 ever established here. Now, Caeleb Dressel‘s records in the men’s 100 fly and 50 free were beaten by Noe Ponti and Jordan Crooks, but tons of new records were set, there are 28 current world records.

• 20 of them are for LCM vs 42 SCM
• Freestyle leads the strokes ranking with 13 records, followed by fly and back with 12 and breast with 9
• 34 world records were set by women, 24 by men (plus 4 from mixed relays)

* Current records

ALL RECORD SET AT 2024 WORLDS CHAMPS BUDAPEST (25m)