The Race to the Top: Unveiling the Fastest Male Swimmers in the 400 IM – 2026 Edition
More than two years have passed since we last dove into the world of the 400 IM add-ups, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. But who now reigns supreme in this grueling event? This time, we're kicking things off with the men, where a new champion has emerged. Thomas Ceccon has claimed the top spot, thanks to his jaw-dropping 100m butterfly performance at the World semi-finals, clocking an astonishing 50.42 seconds, the 14th fastest time in history. This achievement edged him past Michael Andrew by a mere 0.08 seconds, with a total time of 3:31.72 compared to Andrew's 3:31.80. Ceccon's strengths in backstroke and freestyle nearly balanced out Andrew's 3.85-second lead in breaststroke.
And this is where it gets fascinating: Ceccon's rise is not just about his butterfly prowess. The Italian swimmer has shaved 1.48 seconds off his time since our last analysis, partly due to a half-second improvement in his 100m breaststroke, from 1:02.51 to 1:01.99. This highlights the importance of all-around development in the 400 IM, a race that demands excellence across four distinct strokes.
Michael Phelps, a legend in the sport, holds the third position despite having the slowest 100m breaststroke (1:02.54) among the top ten. Leon Marchand, on the other hand, has made a significant leap into the top 20, thanks to substantial improvements in his breaststroke. While his 100m freestyle lags slightly, his potential to climb higher is undeniable, even though he primarily focuses on the 200m and 400m events.
The top five is more diverse than ever, with Hubert Kos joining Ceccon in the elite group. Kos's remarkable drop from 1:08.51 to 1:01.53 in the 100m breaststroke is a key factor in his ascent, but his improvements in the 100m backstroke (53.19 to 52.20) and 100m freestyle (51.33 to 50.55) should not be overlooked.
But here's where it gets controversial: Only two of the ten fastest 200 IM swimmers in history didn't make the cut. Laszlo Cseh, with a time of 3:39.88, was held back by a 1:05.38 in the 100m breaststroke. Shaine Casas, the other notable absence, posted a 3:41.29 but has the slowest breaststroke (1:10.62) among his peers. However, Casas has recently shown impressive breaststroke speed, outpacing Leon Marchand in the World Cup SCM. If he focuses on this event, he could challenge the top five in the near future.
Finlay Knox, ranked 19th in the 200 IM, sits surprisingly high at 7th here, despite not having an elite 100m stroke. Yet, as the 2024 World Champion in the 200 IM, his breaststroke split of 59.75 (nearly a second faster than his flat-start best of 1:00.66) showcases his untapped potential.
Nate Germonprez and Danny Kovac are two unexpected entries, both NCAA standouts yet to make a World or Olympic team. Germonprez boasts a sub-1:00 breaststroke and solid times in butterfly (53.1) and backstroke (55.5), while Kovac's sneaky-fast 1:00.49 breaststroke complements his 51.41 butterfly.
Interestingly, four of the top 20 swimmers currently train under Bob Bowman at Texas, a coach who clearly knows how to mold exceptional IM swimmers. Including Phelps, a quarter of this list have trained under Bowman at some point in their careers.
Now, here's a thought-provoking question: With the 400 IM being such a demanding event, requiring mastery of four strokes, is it fair to compare swimmers who excel in one or two strokes but struggle in others? Should the event be restructured to better reward specialization, or is the current format the ultimate test of a swimmer's versatility?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you spot a swimmer who should be on this list but isn't, don't hesitate to share!
MEN’S TOP 20 – 400 IM ADD-UP
| Rank | Swimmer | Fly | Back | Breast | Free | Total |
|------|-----------------------|------|------|---------|-------|---------|
| 1 | Thomas Ceccon (ITA) | 50.42| 51.60| 1:01.99 | 47.71 | 3:31.72 |
| 2 | Michael Andrew (USA) | 50.80| 53.40| 58.14 | 49.46 | 3:31.80 |
| 3 | Michael Phelps (USA) | 49.82| 53.01| 1:02.54 | 47.51 | 3:32.88 |
| 4 | Hubert Kos (HUN) | 50.55| 52.20| 1:01.53 | 48.87 | 3:33.15 |
| 5 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 49.45| 55.80| 1:01.22 | 46.96 | 3:33.43 |
| 6 | Leon Marchand (FRA) | 51.20| 54.55| 59.06 | 49.70 | 3:34.51 |
| 7 | Ryan Lochte (USA) | 51.48| 53.37| 1:02.19 | 48.16 | 3:35.20 |
| 8 | Finlay Knox (CAN) | 51.42| 55.25| 1:00.66 | 48.29 | 3:35.62 |
| 9 | Wang Shun (CHN) | 52.03| 53.78| 1:01.15 | 48.81 | 3:35.77 |
| 10 | Daiya Seto (JPN) | 51.89| 53.98| 59.79 | 50.34 | 3:36.00 |
| 11 | Hugo Gonzalez (ESP) | 52.14| 52.70| 1:02.16 | 49.91 | 3:36.91 |
| 12 | Kosuke Hagino (JPN) | 52.11| 52.78| 1:03.33 | 48.75 | 3:36.97 |
| 13 | Matt Grevers (USA) | 52.10| 52.08| 1:04.77 | 48.27 | 3:37.22 |
| 14 | Will Modglin (USA) | 52.53| 52.54| 1:03.37 | 49.07 | 3:37.51 |
| 15 | Andrew Seliskar (USA) | 51.34| 56.31| 1:01.19 | 48.80 | 3:37.64 |
| 16 | Thiago Pereira (BRA) | 52.23| 53.86| 1:02.02 | 49.64 | 3:37.75 |
| 17 | Duncan Scott (GBR) | 52.25| 55.98| 1:01.82 | 47.87 | 3:37.92 |
| 18 | Nate Germonprez (USA) | 53.12| 55.53| 59.89 | 49.46 | 3:38.00 |
| 19 | Danny Kovac (USA) | 51.61| 56.14| 1:00.49 | 50.12 | 3:38.36 |
| 20 | Jeremy Desplanches (SUI) | 52.28| 55.85| 1:00.29 | 50.25 | 3:38.67 |
Other Notable Swimmers:
- Just outside the top 20, Tomoe Hvas (3:38.92), Matt Jensen (3:38.95), Joe Litchfield (3:38.97), and Arsenio Bustos (3:39.02) missed the cut by a hair. Max Litchfield (3:49.52) trails his brother Joe by over 10 seconds.
- Ksawery Masiuk's times in fly, back, and free (1:52.65) are nearly identical to Matt Grevers (1:52.45), but a missing breaststroke time kept him off the list.
- Bernhard Reitshammer (3:40.30) and Jeremy Stravius (3:40.31) just missed the top 20, with Reitshammer's breaststroke (59.68) giving him a significant edge over Stravius (1:07.92).
