- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1966–1976
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
GOAT Rank · 33
Greatest Swimming Backstroke of all time
This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.
#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1998–2016
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1999–2011
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1988–1996
- Country
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2013–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1994–2008
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1981–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1971–1976
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 64.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1997–2004
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2018–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2018–active
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2010–2018
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1990–2000
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2013–active
- Country
- 🇨🇳 China
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2021–active
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1996–2004
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1976–1984
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2013–2021
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1972–1980
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2017–active
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 56.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2019–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2014–active
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2019–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2019–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2008–2021
- Country
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2015–active
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1977–1984
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1977–1986
- Country
- 🇷🇴 Romania
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 72.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2019–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 72.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2000–2012
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 68.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1995–2004
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 68.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1997–2008
- Country
- 🇮🇸 Iceland
- Peak
- 82.0
- Dominance
- 66.0
- Statistics
- 74.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 2009–2017
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 82.0
- Dominance
- 68.0
- Statistics
- 74.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Roland Matthes | Swimming | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1966–1976 | 89.6 |
| 11 | Natalie Coughlin | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1998–2016 | 89.4 |
| 13 | Aaron Peirsol | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1999–2011 | 89.2 |
| 38 | Krisztina Egerszegi | Swimming | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1988–1996 | 86.8 |
| 42 | Ryan Murphy | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2013–— | 86.7 |
| 50 | Antje Buschschulte | Swimming | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1994–2008 | 86.3 |
| 55 | Rick Carey | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1981–1988 | 85.8 |
| 77 | Melissa Belote | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1971–1976 | 84.2 |
| 89 | Lenny Krayzelburg | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1997–2004 | 83.6 |
| 99 | Yohann Ndoye-Brouard | Swimming | 🇫🇷 France | 2018–— | 83.2 |
| 121 | Thomas Ceccon | Swimming | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2018–— | 82.2 |
| 126 | Missy Franklin | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2010–2018 | 81.8 |
| 132 | Barbara Bedford | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1990–2000 | 81.7 |
| 145 | Xu Jiayu | Swimming | 🇨🇳 China | 2013–— | 81.4 |
| 148 | Iona Anderson | Swimming | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2021–— | 81.3 |
| 149 | Dyana Calub | Swimming | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1996–2004 | 81.2 |
| 177 | Gary Abraham | Swimming | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1976–1984 | 80 |
| 178 | Kathleen Baker | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2013–2021 | 79.9 |
| 188 | Rômulo Arantes | Swimming | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1972–1980 | 79.6 |
| 189 | Kaylee McKeown | Swimming | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2017–— | 79.5 |
| 191 | Hunter Armstrong | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2019–— | 79.5 |
| 193 | Javier Acevedo | Swimming | 🇨🇦 Canada | 2014–— | 79.5 |
| 197 | Katharine Berkoff | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2019–— | 79.1 |
| 199 | Jack Aikins | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2019–— | 79.1 |
| 201 | Ryosuke Irie | Swimming | 🇯🇵 Japan | 2008–2021 | 79 |
| 211 | Minna Atherton | Swimming | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2015–— | 78.5 |
| 219 | Bengt Baron | Swimming | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1977–1984 | 78.2 |
| 221 | Carmen Bunaciu | Swimming | 🇷🇴 Romania | 1977–1986 | 78.2 |
| 236 | Phoebe Bacon | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2019–— | 76.9 |
| 239 | Randall Bal | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 2000–2012 | 76.4 |
| 246 | James Carter | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1995–2004 | 76 |
| 258 | Örn Arnarson | Swimming | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 1997–2008 | 74 |
| 261 | Hilary Caldwell | Swimming | 🇨🇦 Canada | 2009–2017 | 72.9 |
Compare the leaders
Roland Matthes vs Natalie CoughlinRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.
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