A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
This is a history of the 100 m backstroke world record as swum in both long-course (50 m; Olympic) pools and short-course (25 m) pools—the two categories recognized/tracked by FINA.
Men
Long course
| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:02.2 | David Theile |  Australia
|
6 December 1956 | Olympic Games | Melbourne, Australia | ||
| 2 | 1:01.5 | John Monckton | Australia
|
15 February 1958 | Australian Championships | Perth, Australia | ||
| 3 | 1:01.3 | Bob Bennett |  United States
|
19 August 1961 | Men’s NAAA Championships | Los Angeles, United States | ||
| 4 | 1:01.0 | h | Tom Stock | United States
|
11 August 1962 | - | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States | |
| 5 | 1:00.9 | Tom Stock | United States
|
12 August 1962 | - | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States | ||
| 6 | 1:00.8 | Ernst-Joachim Küppers |  West Germany
|
28 August 1964 | - | Dortmund, West Germany | ||
| 7 | 1:00.0 | Thompson Mann | United States
|
3 September 1964 | - | New York City, United States | ||
| 8 | 59.6 | r | Thompson Mann | United States
|
16 October 1964 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 9 | 59.5 | h | Doug Russell | United States
|
28 August 1967 | Summer Universiade | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 10 | 59.3 | Charlie Hickcox | United States
|
28 August 1967 | Summer Universiade | Tokyo, Japan | ||
| 11 | 59.1 | Charlie Hickcox | United States
|
31 August 1967 | Summer Universiade | Tokyo, Japan | ||
| 12 | 58.4 | Roland Matthes |  East Germany
|
21 September 1967 | - | Leipzig, East Germany | ||
| 13 | 58.0 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
26 October 1968 | Olympic Games | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| 14 | 57.8 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
23 August 1969 | - | Würzburg, West Germany | ||
| 15 | 56.9 | h | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
8 September 1970 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | |
| 16 | 56.7 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
4 September 1971 | - | Leipzig, East Germany | ||
| 17 | 56.3 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
8 April 1972 | - | Moscow, Soviet Union | ||
| 17 | 56.30 | =, r | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
4 September 1972 | Olympic Games | Munich, West Germany | |
| 18 | 56.19 | sf | John Naber | United States
|
18 July 1976 | Olympic Games | Montreal, Canada | |
| 19 | 55.49 | John Naber | United States
|
19 July 1976 | Olympic Games | Montreal, Canada | ||
| 20 | 55.44 | h | Rick Carey | United States
|
6 August 1983 | US National Championships | Clovis, California, United States | |
| 21 | 55.38 | Rick Carey | United States
|
6 August 1983 | US National Championships | Clovis, California, United States | ||
| 22 | 55.19 | Rick Carey | United States
|
21 August 1983 | Pan American Games | Caracas, Venezuela | ||
| 23 | 55.17 | h | Igor Polyansky |  Soviet Union
|
15 March 1988 | - | Tallinn, Soviet Union | |
| 24 | 55.16 | Igor Polyansky | Soviet Union
|
16 March 1988 | - | Tallinn, Soviet Union | ||
| 25 | 55.00 | Igor Polyansky | Soviet Union
|
16 July 1988 | USSR National Championships | Moscow, Soviet Union | ||
| 26 | 54.95 | h | David Berkoff | United States
|
12 August 1988 | US Olympic Trials | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| 27 | 54.91 | David Berkoff | United States
|
12 August 1988 | US Olympic Trials | Austin, Texas, United States | ||
| 28 | 54.51 | h | David Berkoff | United States
|
16 September 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | |
| 29 | 53.93 | Jeff Rouse | United States
|
25 August 1991 | Pan Pacific Championships | Edmonton, Canada | ||
| 30 | 53.86 | r | Jeff Rouse | United States
|
31 July 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | |
| 31 | 53.60 | Lenny Krayzelburg | United States
|
24 August 1999 | Pan Pacific Championships | Sydney, Australia | ||
| 32 | 53.45 | r | Aaron Peirsol | United States
|
21 August 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | |
| 33 | 53.17 | Aaron Peirsol | United States
|
2 April 2005 | US Spring National Championships | Indianapolis, United States | ||
| 34 | 52.98 | Aaron Peirsol | United States
|
27 March 2007 | World Championships | Melbourne, Australia | ||