Which Events Had Biggest Percentage Gap Between Prime Occasions?

2025 in Review: Which Events Produced Biggest Percentage Gap Between World Leader and No. 2

The year-end rankings for 2025 featured Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh on high of 4 occasions, with American star Gretchen Walsh main the way in which in three disciplines. But the ladies didn’t simply headline in a number of occasions. Rather, McIntosh and Walsh additionally have been probably the most dominant in particular occasions, evident within the share hole between their world-leading performances and what the No. 2 performer managed.

In the 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly, Walsh was greater than 2% sooner than her closest opponents. But it was McIntosh who loved the largest separation over a rival. Thanks to her world-record time of 4:23.65 within the 400 particular person medley, McIntosh was practically 10 seconds sooner than Japan’s Mio Narita (4:33.26), the second-ranked athlete within the occasion. The distinction between these marks was a putting 3.57%, simply the largest distinction in any occasion.

The record beneath signifies the proportion hole between the highest time on the planet and the No. 2 world effort within the 17 particular person occasions contest on the worldwide degree.

Here is the whole record of share variations between No. 1 and No. 2:

50 Freestyle

World Leader: Gretchen Walsh (United States) – 23.91
No. 2 Mark: Torri Huske (United States) – 23.98
Percentage Difference: .29%

100 Freestyle

World Leader: Torri Huske (United States) – 52.43
No. 2 Mark: Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands) – 52.55
Percentage Difference: .22%

200 Freestyle

World Leader: Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 1:53.48
No. 2 Mark: Li Bingjie (China) – 1:54.52
Percentage Difference: .91%

400 Freestyle

World Leader: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 3:54.18
No. 2 Mark: Katie Ledecky (United States) – 3:56.81
Percentage Difference: 1.11%

800 Freestyle

World Leader: Katie Ledecky (United States) – 8:04.12
No. 2 Mark: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 8:05.07
Percentage Difference: .19%

1500 Freestyle

World Leader: Katie Ledecky (United States) – 15:24.51
No. 2 Mark: Simona Quadarella (Italy) – 15:31.79
Percentage Difference: .78%

50 Backstroke

World Leader: Katharine Berkoff (United States) – 26.97
No. 2 Mark: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 27.06
Percentage Difference: .33%

100 Backstroke

World Leader: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 57.16
No. 2 Mark: Regan Smith (United States) – 57.35
Percentage Difference: .33%

200 Backstroke

World Leader: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 2:03.33
No. 2 Mark: Regan Smith (United States) – 2:04.29
Percentage Difference: .77%

50 Breaststroke

World Leader: Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) – 29.54
No. 2 Mark: Eneli Jefimova (Estonia) – 29.83
Percentage Difference: .97%

100 Breaststroke

World Leader: Anna Elendt (Germany) – 1:05.19
No. 2 Mark: Kate Douglass (United States) – 1:05.27
Percentage Difference: .12%

200 Breaststroke

World Leader: Kate Douglass (United States) – 2:18.50
No. 2 Mark: Evgeniia Chikunova (Russia) – 2:19.96
Percentage Difference: 1.04%

50 Butterfly

World Leader: Gretchen Walsh (United States) – 24.66
No. 2 Mark: Alexandria Perkins (Australia) – 25.31
Percentage Difference: 2.60%

100 Butterfly

World Leader: Gretchen Walsh (United States) – 54.60
No. 2 Mark: Roos Vanotterdijk (Belgium) – 55.84
Percentage Difference: 2.24%

200 Butterfly

World Leader: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 2:01.99
No. 2 Mark: Regan Smith (United States) – 2:04.99
Percentage Difference: 2.42%

200 Individual Medley

World Leader: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 2:05.70
No. 2 Mark: Yu Zidi (China) – 2:07.41
Percentage Difference: 1.35%

400 Individual Medley

World Leader: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 4:23.65
No. 2 Mark: Mio Narita (Japan) – 4:33.26
Percentage Difference: 3.57%