individual medley

noun

Swimming.

1. a race in which the total distance is either divided into three equal portions, in which each swimmer uses the backstroke for the first portion, the breaststroke for the second portion, and the freestyle for the third, or the total distance is divided into four equal portions, in which each swimmer uses the butterfly stroke for the first portion and then the other strokes used follow the same pattern as in the three-part medley.

Word History and Origins

Origin of individual medley¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

He opted out of the 100m individual medley on Friday and went for the 400m freestyle.

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Guo Jincheng of China competes in the men's 200m individual medley SM5 final at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

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In Monday's individual medley final, Yu missed out on a medal by 0.06 seconds with another fourth-placed finish.

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In May, Yu set a world record for a 12-year-old in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:10.63, leading World Aquatics to label her a "sensation" on social media.

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On Monday night, Summer McIntosh won the 200-meter individual medley at the 2025 Canadian swimming trials to set her second world record in just three days.

Read more on Los Angeles Times