Men's 100m Freestyle World Record: Reaching New Heights (3)

Breaking the 50-Second Barrier

Jim Montgomery

January 24, 1955 – United States

Jim Montgomery was the first athlete to swim the 100-meter freestyle in under 50 seconds.

His first world record came on June 21, 1975, when he swam the 100-meter freestyle in 51.12 seconds during the U.S. Olympic Trials—and just one month later, on August 23, at the AAU Championships, he improved it further to 50.59 seconds. Then, on July 25, 1976, during the semifinals of the 100-meter freestyle at the Montreal Olympics, Montgomery shattered the world record again with a blistering time of 50.39 seconds. But his true breakthrough came in the final, where he dipped below the 50-second mark for the first time in history, clocking an incredible 49.99 seconds. This remarkable achievement was compared to Roger Bannister’s legendary feat of breaking the four-minute mile, forever etching Montgomery’s name in swimming lore.

Before the competition, Montgomery’s swimsuit was stolen, forcing him to compete in an ill-fitting one. Yet, this unexpected setback didn’t hinder his performance—on the contrary, he went on to clinch the gold medal and even set a new world record. Additionally, Montgomery claimed gold medals in two relay events and earned a bronze in the 200-meter freestyle.

Montgomery learned to swim at the age of two, with his mom as his very first swimming instructor. Back then, the family lived across from a large lake, making it only natural for him to take up swimming. By the time he was seven or eight, he began competing in the summer league at the local country club, and at age nine, he joined the Madison Central YMCA.

Swimming is just one part of his life— he also participates in many other sports. In fact, before the age of 14, Montgomery only swam officially during the winter months, while spending summers casually enjoying the beach or local pools, hanging out with friends. At 14, he joined the Badger Dolphin Swim Club, where Jack Pettinger served as his coach until he was 20. Pettinger, a no-nonsense former Marine, was deeply passionate yet remarkably humble. He cared deeply about his swimmers and taught Montgomery the true meaning of humility.

Montgomery received a full scholarship to Indiana University and joined the swim team coached by the legendary James Counsilman, where he went on to earn the title of All-American champion during his senior year. He describes Counsilman as a genius with a remarkable sense of humor, someone who genuinely cared for his athletes—and, in his view, the smartest person he’s ever met. Counsilman, he says, taught him invaluable lessons about achieving success both in and out of the pool. With deep emotion, Montgomery adds: "To me, Pettinger and Counsilman have been like second fathers."

Montgomery graduated with honors from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, earning the Belfort Award as the top student-athlete in the Big Ten Conference. At the inaugural World Swimming Championships held in Belgrade in 1973, he claimed five gold medals, and over the next five years, he continued his remarkable success by adding numerous additional medals to his tally. Throughout his illustrious swimming career, he set 10 world records, claimed 9 world titles, secured 14 U.S. championships, and captured 7 NCAA titles.

After leaving the arena, Montgomery transitioned into adult swimming and fitness, going on to manage and operate swimming clubs and aquatic centers. In 2015, he founded the Jim Montgomery Swimming School in Dallas, Texas, welcoming students of all ages—from infants as young as 6 months old to adults—under a guiding philosophy centered on kindness, continuous improvement, and steady, strategic progress.

Montgomery

Rowdy Gaines

February 17, 1959 – United States

On April 3, 1981, Roddie Gaines set a new world record at the Longhorn Invitational: 49.36 seconds.

Rodney Gaines was also a freestyle swimming prodigy, setting 10 world records between 1978 and 1984—including in the 50m, 100m, 200m, and the 4×100m and 4×200m freestyle events, as well as the 4×100m medley relay. He competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he claimed three gold medals: in the men’s 100m freestyle, the 4×100m freestyle relay, and the 4×100m medley relay.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he covered the swimming events for NBC, and has since served as a commentator at numerous subsequent Olympic Games.

On July 31, 1984, Roddie Gaines won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the Los Angeles Olympics.