SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers what they believe has been the best performance of the year thus far:
Question: What has been the best swim of 2026 so far?
RESULTS
- Douglass, W 50 free (23.19) WR – 46.6%
- Liebmann, M 1500 free (14:26.79) WR – 19.9%
- McIntosh, W 200 fly (2:01.65) WR – 15.6%
- McEvoy, M 50 free (20.88) WR – 8.7%
- G. Walsh, W 100 fly (54.33) WR – 2.9%
- Kos, M 200 back (1:52.30) #2 all-time – 1.4%
- Milak, M 100 fly (49.48) #2 all-time – 1.3%
- Steenbergen, W 100 free (51.68) WR – 1.3%
- Curtis, W 50 back (26.56) WR – 0.9%
- Other – 0.3%
- Popovici, M 100 free (46.56) – 0.3%
- Coetze, M 100 back (51.71) #2 all-time – 0.3%
- G. Walsh, W 50 fly (24.51) #2 all-time – 0.3%
- Cerasuolo, M 50 breast (26.20) #2 all-time – 0.2%
- Pallister, W 800 free (8:06.10) – 0.2%
The year’s not over yet, and there will even be more long course performances to keep an eye on next month at the Asian Games, but the first eight months of 2026 have been incredible in the pool.
Seven individual long course world records have gone down, while we’ve also seen the second-fastest performances ever in several other events.
With Pan Pacs and Euros representing the unofficial end of the summer racing season, we took it to the SwimSwam poll to ask readers which performance they believe stands above the rest.
In what was our most voted-on poll since the 2024 Olympics (over 1,100 votes), Kate Douglass‘ otherworldly 50 free performance from Pan Pacs was the runaway winner with 46.6% of votes.
We already dove into Douglass’ record swim last week, but in a snapshot, she broke her own hours-old world record by three-tenths of a second in a 50, and made her 36 one-hundredths quicker than the next-fastest performer ever (Gretchen Walsh, 23.55), which is equivalent to 1.53%. That makes it one of the most dominant world records ever.
Douglass’ swim came on August 15. Earlier that same day, halfway across the world in Paris, Germany’s Johannes Liebmann made history in the men’s 1500 free at the European Championships, becoming the first swimmer under the 14:30 barrier.
Liebmann did so by a massive margin, putting up a time of 14:26.79 to shatter Bobby Finke‘s world record of 14:30.67 by nearly four seconds. The swim put Liebmann 0.44% ahead of Finke, the #2 performer ever in the event, making it less dominant on paper than Douglass’ swim despite the German knocking nearly four seconds off the record.
Liebmann’s swim was the runner-up in the poll, but earned less than half of Douglass at 19.9%.
Was there any recency bias in the poll? Perhaps.
Summer McIntosh broke the oldest women’s world record on the books at the Canadian Swimming Trials in early July, clocking 2:01.65 in the women’s 200 fly to lower Liu Zige‘s super-suited mark of 2:01.81 set in 2009, but that swim only ended up third in the poll with 15.6% of votes.
If McIntosh had done that at Pan Pacs, one has to wonder if she would’ve gotten more votes.
Another longstanding super-suited world record that fell this year came in the men’s 50 free, where Cameron McEvoy put up a time of 20.88 at the China Open in March to break Cesar Cielo‘s 20.91 marker from 2009. McEvoy picked up 8.7% of votes, a clear-cut fourth in the poll, while no other swim earned more than 3%.
Notably, Hubert Kos‘ 1:52.30 swim in the men’s 200 back at Euros, which marked the second-fastest swim ever and a new textile world record, got more votes than Marrit Steenbergen‘s world record in the women’s 100 free (51.68). That may have been due in part to Steenbergen’s incredible consistency this year, having broken the 52-barrier four separate times.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: How are you feeling about the International Swimming League coming back?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
A3 Performance is an independently-owned, performance swimwear company built on a passion for swimming, athletes, and athletic performance. We encourage swimmers to swim better and faster at all ages and levels, from beginners to Olympians. Driven by a genuine leader and devoted staff that are passionate about swimming and service, A3 Performance strives to inspire and enrich the sport of swimming with innovative and impactful products that motivate swimmers to be their very best – an A3 Performer.
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
