Assuming we're talking about "all pros past and present", Lars Jorgenson went 15:10 for 1500 LCM at the '88 Trials. He had the fastest swim at Kona 2 or 3 times in the mid-90s. //

I put this in the other thread, but will also put it here since we have gone off tangent:


As someone else stated, Lars Jorgensen definitely had a faster PR, but then again he was never a pro triathlete. I'm sure there are many, many faster, but also not pro triathletes. So to your question;

In may day there were maybe 5 or 6 that were around that fast, or even faster, and all pro triathletes. Of course you have to extrapolate a little bit on what each swam and in what era. For example, did Eric do his swim in the cheater suits? He certainly did it in more recent times that the guys I raced, their PR's would have been in the 70's and early 80's. And some did not swim the mile, but like the 500 or 400IM, or even backstroke.

So off the top of my head, Paul Donahue who was a CA guy that swam distance, and I believe at one point was the fastest OW swimmer in the world. For sure was in the ball park, maybe even faster.

Rob Mackle, an Indiana swimmer during the hey day. Think his specialty was the 500, went low 4;20's. So probably extrapolate that out to low 15's for the mile too.


Wolfgang Deittrich, a German pro that had a lot of success at hawaii, and everywhere else. He was a 400 IM'er, went mid 4;20's for LCM. Also the only guy to come out on Lars Jorgensen's feet in hawaii when we was setting those 46+ records.


Djan Madruga,was a Brazilian olympic swimmer, and as far as i know the real fastest ever pro triathlete swimmer. In the mid 70's he was on olympic teams and I believe had PR's in the 400LCM of around 3;53, 800LCM under 8 minutes, and around 15;15 for the 1500LCM. He moved to my area after the 70's to swim at Mission Viejo with the likes of Brian Goodell, who I think was the only guy beating him. Brian did 15;01 I believe, and that was in the cave man days of swimming pools, suits, and such. You could lop off 10 seconds at least for modern advances. I think he got 4th in the 400 in the olympics once, and even swam backstroke and the 400IM. Think he was mid to low 4;20's in the IM, don't know his back times, but he swam some big meets doing that stroke, including the olympics i believe, so had to be pretty fast.


He was a really great guy and fried of mine, and I believe was the one to bring the first Ironman to Brazil. He also was top 3 a couple times in the national olympic distance champs in hilton head I believe, so certainly a pro back in the 80's. If someone beats those times, I want to see it on paper! (-;