The 100 individual medley is the sprint version of swimming's all-around test: one length each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in a short-course pool. Two minutes or less of racing that samples every stroke you own and every transition between them. It's the perfect IM introduction - short enough that a weak stroke can't fully sink you, long enough that the fly opener and the transition turns still decide the outcome. A staple of short-course competition and the natural stepping stone to the 200 IM.
| Level (Time) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 2:45+ | 3:00+ |
| novice | 2:15 | 2:28 |
| intermediate | 1:50 | 2:01 |
| advanced | 1:31 | 1:40 |
| elite | sub 1:18 | sub 1:26 |
Adult times, 25 m pool.
Sprint the fly but stay long - 25 m earns no medals but can lose the race if it wrecks your stroke for the backstroke. Attack the back-to-breast turn; it's the most technical moment and the easiest place to gain half a second. Breaststroke is where rhythm survives or dies: one great pullout is worth three rushed strokes. Empty everything on the freestyle. Drill each transition turn separately - in a race this short, the walls are a quarter of the outcome.
Beginner: 4 x 25 m (one per stroke) with rest at the wall between lengths, swimming one-arm fly or dolphin-kick free if butterfly isn't ready yet.
Log every result, see your progress over time, and know exactly where you stand.