USA Swimming has officially released all of the time standards for the 2026 National and Junior National Championships. Overall, there are very few changes from last year’s qualifying times with only the Summer Junior Nationals meet seeing more than a few changes.
2026 US Swimming National Championships Time Standards
As a non-Olympic even-numbered year, there is no major qualifying meet this summer as the 2026 Pan Pacs roster has already been selected. This year’s Toyota National Championships will run in Irvine from July 28-August 1st, a little less than two meets before Pan Pacs, which is also swimming in Irvine from August 12-15.
The long course summer Nationals Times are all exactly the same as they were in 2025. A few of the SCY cuts have changed, and they are marked with an asterisk. The three women’s events, the 1000 free, 1650 free, and 100 back, got slower from last year, while the two men’s events that changed, the 1000 free and 1650 free, got faster.
The biggest difference this year, is the addition of 50 cuts in backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. This change comes after the IOC added stroke 50s to the Olympics for 2028.
| Women | Men | |||
| SCY | LCM | Event | LCM | SCY |
| 22.19 | 25.69 | 50 Free | 22.69 | 19.39 |
| 48.49 | 55.89 | 100 Free | 49.69 | 42.49 |
| 1:44.99 | 2:01.19 | 200 Free | 1:49.89 | 1:33.69 |
| 4:41.99 | 4:16.89 | 400/500 Free | 3:55.59 | 4:17.19 |
| 9:48.09* | 8:46.79 | 800/1000 Free | 8:07.59 | 8:58.39* |
| 16:12.59* | 16:49.19 | 1500/1650 Free | 15:37.69 | 14:54.09* |
| 23.99 | 28.59 | 50 Back | 25.49 | 21.09 |
| 52.39* | 1:02.19 | 100 Back | 55.69 | 46.19 |
| 1:54.09 | 2:14.59 | 200 Back | 2:02.09 | 1:41.69 |
| 27.39 | 32.29 | 50 Breast | 28.29 | 23.89 |
| 59.99 | 1:10.29 | 100 Breast | 1:02.09 | 52.49 |
| 2:10.39 | 2:32.39 | 200 Breast | 2:16.09 | 1:54.59 |
| 23.79 | 27.59 | 50 Fly | 24.39 | 20.89 |
| 52.19 | 1:00.19 | 100 Fly | 53.49 | 45.99 |
| 1:56.09 | 2:14.59 | 200 Fly | 2:00.89 | 1:43.39 |
| 1:57.09 | 2:16.89 | 200 IM | 2:02.89 | 1:43.89 |
| 4:11.39 | 4:51.79 | 400 IM | 4:24.69 | 3:45.49 |
2026 Summer Juniors Time Standards
The Summer Juniors Championships will run from August 3rd-7th, 2026 and the location is still TBA. The time standards also did not see much change in the long course editions. None of the girls’ events changed at all, and three of the boys’ events got faster. They also got new 50 event standards, just like the senior nationals.
The different events are notated with an asterisk and the % change is at the bottom of the article
| Girls SCY | Girls LCM | Event | Boys LCM | Boys SCY |
| 22.99 | 26.59 | 50 FR | 23.79 | 20.39 |
| 49.99 | 57.69 | 100 FR | 51.99 | 44.39 |
| 1:48.19 | 2:04.99* | 200 FR | 1:54.09 | 1:37.59* |
| 4:49.99 | 4:23.59* | 400/500 FR | 4:02.19* | 4:25.59* |
| 10:04.69 | 9:06.79* | 800/1000 FR | 8:23.09 | 9:13.19 |
| 16:50.99 | 17:26.79* | 1500/1650 FR | 16:05.09 | 15:31.39* |
| 25.19 | 29.79 | 50 BK | 26.69 | 22.49 |
| 54.39 | 1:04.29 | 100 BK | 58.19 | 48.59* |
| 1:58.19 | 2:19.29* | 200 BK | 2:06.99 | 1:46.49* |
| 28.79 | 33.69 | 50 BR | 29.59 | 25.29 |
| 1:02.39 | 1:13.29* | 100 BR | 1:05.09* | 54.99* |
| 2:15.39 | 2:38.59* | 200 BR | 2:22.39* | 2:00.39* |
| 24.69 | 28.39 | 50 FL | 25.39 | 21.99 |
| 54.09 | 1:02.49* | 100 FL | 55.89 | 48.19* |
| 2:00.49 | 2:18.39* | 200 FL | 2:05.09 | 1:47.89 |
| 2:01.09 | 2:21.29* | 200 IM | 2:07.99 | 1:48.49* |
| 4:18.79 | 5:00.29* | 400 IM | 4:33.09 | 3:52.69* |
U.S. Open Time Standards
The 2026 U.S. Open Standards are the same as they were in 2025 across the board with no changes in SCY or LCM overall standards. A few of the 18 & Under bonus standards got slightly faster, though mostly in the SCY events. The bonus standards can be seen in the sheet.
| Women’s SCY | Women’s LCM | Event | Men’s LCM | Men’s SCY |
| 22.49 | 26.19 | 50 FR | 23.29 | 19.69 |
| 48.99 | 56.79 | 100 FR | 50.89 | 43.09 |
| 1:45.99 | 2:03.09 | 200 FR | 1:51.99 | 1:34.99 |
| 4:44.49 | 4:20.29 | 400/500 FR | 3:59.09 | 4:19.89 |
| 9:53.19 | 8:56.79 | 800/1000 FR | 8:15.39 | 9:04.79 |
| 16:24.29 | 17:07.99 | 1500/1650 FR | 15:51.39 | 15:07.99 |
| 24.39 | 29.19 | 50 BK | 26.09 | 21.49 |
| 52.99 | 1:03.29 | 100 BK | 56.89 | 46.99 |
| 1:55.39 | 2:16.99 | 200 BK | 2:04.59 | 1:43.29 |
| 27.99 | 33.19 | 50 BR | 29.19 | 24.39 |
| 1:00.79 | 1:11.79 | 100 BR | 1:03.69 | 53.29 |
| 2:11.99 | 2:35.49 | 200 BR | 2:19.39 | 1:56.39 |
| 24.09 | 28.19 | 50 FL | 24.89 | 21.19 |
| 52.79 | 1:01.39 | 100 FL | 54.69 | 46.69 |
| 1:57.49 | 2:16.49 | 200 FL | 2:02.99 | 1:44.79 |
| 1:58.39 | 2:19.09 | 200 IM | 2:05.49 | 1:45.39 |
| 4:13.69 | 4:56.09 | 400 IM | 4:28.89 | 3:47.69 |
2026 Winter Junior Nationals Time Standards
The 2026 Winter Juniors Nationals Time Standards saw no changes in event standards. They also did not receive 50 backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly standards like the other National Level meets. The meets will swim in Indianapolis and Austin from December 10-13.
| Girls SCY | Girls LCM | Event | Boys LCM | Boys SCY |
| 23.29 | 26.89 | 50 FR | 24.09 | 20.49 |
| 50.39 | 58.19 | 100 FR | 52.59 | 44.89 |
| 1:49.09 | 2:04.99 | 200 FR | 1:55.29 | 1:38.39 |
| 4:53.59 | 4:26.69 | 400/500 FR | 4:04.99 | 4:28.79 |
| 10:11.49 | 9:06.79 | 800/1000 FR | 8:28.19 | 9:22.69 |
| 17:02.19 | 17:26.79 | 1500/1650 FR | 16:14.79 | 15:40.39 |
| 55.09 | 1:04.79 | 100 BK | 58.79 | 49.19 |
| 1:59.39 | 2:19.59 | 200 BK | 2:08.29 | 1:47.79 |
| 1:03.09 | 1:13.79 | 100 BR | 1:05.89 | 55.49 |
| 2:17.19 | 2:38.59 | 200 BR | 2:24.09 | 2:01.59 |
| 54.69 | 1:02.69 | 100 FL | 56.49 | 48.69 |
| 2:01.69 | 2:18.39 | 200 FL | 2:06.39 | 1:49.09 |
| 2:02.19 | 2:22.09 | 200 IM | 2:09.29 | 1:49.59 |
| 4:21.69 | 5:00.29 | 400 IM | 4:35.89 | 3:56.49 |
% Change in Summer Juniors Standards
LCM
| 2026 Girls LCM | 2025 Girls LCM | % Difference | Event | 2026 Boys LCM | 2025 Boys LCM | % Difference |
| 26.59 | 26.59 | 0.00% | 50 Free | 23.79 | 23.79 | 0.00% |
| 57.69 | 57.69 | 0.00% | 100 Free | 51.99 | 51.99 | 0.00% |
| 2:04.99 | 2:04.99 | 0.00% | 200 Free | 1:54.09 | 1:54.09 | 0.00% |
| 4:23.59 | 4:23.59 | 0.00% | 400/500 Free | 4:02.19 | 4:02.49 | -0.12% |
| 9:06.79 | 9:06.79 | 0.00% | 800/1000 Free | 8:23.09 | 8:23.09 | 0.00% |
| 17:26.79 | 17:26.79 | 0.00% | 1500/1650 Free | 16:05.09 | 16:05.09 | 0.00% |
| 29.79 | N/A | N/A | 50 Back | 26.69 | N/A | N/A |
| 1:04.29 | 1:04.29 | 0.00% | 100 Back | 58.19 | 58.19 | 0.00% |
| 2:19.29 | 2:19.29 | 0.00% | 200 Back | 2:06.99 | 2:06.99 | 0.00% |
| 33.69 | N/A | N/A | 50 Breast | 29.59 | N/A | N/A |
| 1:13.29 | 1:13.29 | 0.00% | 100 Breast | 1:05.09 | 1:05.19 | -0.15% |
| 2:38.59 | 2:38.59 | 0.00% | 200 Breast | 2:22.39 | 2:22.59 | -0.14% |
| 28.39 | N/A | N/A | 50 Fly | 25.39 | N/A | N/A |
| 1:02.49 | 1:02.49 | 0.00% | 100 Fly | 55.89 | 55.89 | 0.00% |
| 2:18.39 | 2:18.39 | 0.00% | 200 Fly | 2:05.09 | 2:05.09 | 0.00% |
| 2:21.29 | 2:21.29 | 0.00% | 200 IM | 2:07.99 | 2:07.99 | 0.00% |
| 5:00.29 | 5:00.29 | 0.00% | 400 IM | 4:33.09 | 4:33.09 | 0.00% |
SCY
| 2026 Girls SCY | 2025 Girls SCY | % Difference | Event | 2026 Boys SCY | 2025 Boys SCY | % Difference |
| 22.99 | 22.99 | 0.00% | 50 Free | 20.39 | 20.39 | 0.00% |
| 49.99 | 49.99 | 0.00% | 100 Free | 44.39 | 44.39 | 0.00% |
| 1:48.19 | 1:48.29 | -0.09% | 200 Free | 1:37.59 | 1:37.89 | -0.31% |
| 4:49.99 | 4:50.09 | -0.03% | 400/500 Free | 4:25.59 | 4:27.09 | -0.56% |
| 10:04.69 | 10:04.99 | -0.05% | 800/1000 Free | 9:13.19 | 9:13.19 | 0.00% |
| 16:50.99 | 16:51.49 | -0.05% | 1500/1650 Free | 15:31.39 | 15:34.19 | -0.30% |
| 25.19 | N/A | N/A | 50 Back | 22.49 | N/A | N/A |
| 54.39 | 54.39 | 0.00% | 100 Back | 48.59 | 48.79 | -0.41% |
| 1:58.19 | 1:58.29 | -0.08% | 200 Back | 1:46.49 | 1:46.79 | -0.28% |
| 28.79 | N/A | N/A | 50 Breast | 25.29 | N/A | N/A |
| 1:02.39 | 1:02.49 | -0.16% | 100 Breast | 54.99 | 55.09 | -0.18% |
| 2:15.39 | 2:15.59 | -0.15% | 200 Breast | 2:00.39 | 2:00.59 | -0.17% |
| 24.69 | N/A | N/A | 50 Fly | 21.99 | N/A | N/A |
| 54.09 | 54.19 | -0.18% | 100 Fly | 48.19 | 48.29 | -0.21% |
| 2:00.49 | 2:00.59 | -0.08% | 200 Fly | 1:47.89 | 1:47.89 | 0.00% |
| 2:01.09 | 2:01.19 | -0.08% | 200 IM | 1:48.49 | 1:48.79 | -0.28% |
| 4:18.79 | 4:18.99 | -0.08% | 400 IM | 3:52.69 | 3:52.69 | 0.00% |
