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Swimming at the Summer Olympics

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FieldValue
imageSwimming pictogram.svg
size150
codeSWM
OWS (Marathon Swimming)
sportswimming
menevents18
womenevents18
mixedevents1

OWS (Marathon Swimming) Swimming has been a sport at every modern Summer Olympics. It has been open to women since 1912. At the Olympics, swimming has the second-highest number of medal-contested events after athletics.

Summary

GamesYearEventsBest nation123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233
18964HUN (1)
19007GBR (1)
19049GER (1)
19086GBR (2)
19129GER (2)
192010USA (1)
192411USA (2)
192811USA (3)
193211JPN (1)
193611JPN (2)
194811USA (4)
195211USA (5)
195613AUS (1)
196015USA (6)
196418USA (7)
196829USA (8)
197229USA (9)
197626USA (10)
198026GDR (1)
198429USA (11)
198831GDR (2)
199231USA (12)
199632USA (13)
200032USA (14)
200432USA (15)
200834USA (16)
201234USA (17)
201634USA (18)
202037USA (19)
202437USA (20)

Long-course swimming

Men's events

Event9619000408122024283236485256606468727680848892962000040812162024Years50 metres freestyle100 metres freestyle200 metres freestyle ()400 metres freestyle800 metre freestyle1500 metre freestyle100 metre backstroke200 metre backstroke100 metre breaststroke200 metre breaststroke100 metre butterfly200 metre butterfly200 metre individual medley400 metre individual medley4 × 100 metre freestyle relay4 × 200 metre freestyle relay4 × 100 metre medley relayEvents
XNot yet reintroduced}}XXXXXXXXXX11
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX29
XXNot yet reintroduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX17
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX28
XNot yet reintroduced}}XX3
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX28
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX27
XNot yet reintroduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX17
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX14
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX27
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX18
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXX13
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX16
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX14
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX27
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX17
1276666666667810151513131516161616161616161717

Past events

  • 400 metre breaststroke: 1904, 1912, 1920
  • 4 × 50 yard freestyle relay: 1904

Only at the 1896 Summer Olympics

  • 500 metre freestyle
  • 1200 metre freestyle
  • 100 metre freestyle for sailors Only at the 1900 Summer Olympics
  • 1000 metre freestyle
  • 4000 metre freestyle
  • 200 metre team swimming
  • 200 metre obstacle event
  • Underwater swimming

Women's events

Event9619000408122024283236485256606468727680848892962000040812162024Years50 metre freestyle100 metre freestyle200 metre freestyle ()400 metre freestyle800 metre freestyle1500 metre freestyle100 metre backstroke200 metre backstroke100 metre breaststroke200 metre breaststroke100 metre butterfly200 metre butterfly200 metre individual medley400 metre individual medley4 × 100 metre freestyle relay4 × 200 metre freestyle relay4 × 100 metre medley relayEvents
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXX10
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX26
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX25
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XX2
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX24
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX24
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX18
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXX13
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX16
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX26
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXX8
Not yet introduced}}XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX17
23555555678141413131415151616161616161717

Mixed events

Event9619000408122024283236485256606468727680848892962000040812162024Years4 × 100 metre medley relayEvents
Not yet introduced}}XX2
11

Marathon swimming

Events

Event0812162024YearsMen's 10 kmWomen's 10 kmEvents
XXXXX5
XXXXX5
22222

Medal table

Updated after the 2024 Summer Olympics

GamesEventReasongoldsilverbronze
Total events556556556
200050 m Free Mentwo gold medals+1-10
1896100 m Free Menno bronze medal00-1
2008100 m Free Mentwo bronze medal00+1
2012200 m Free Mentwo silver medals0+1-1
2008100 m Back Mentwo bronze medal00+1
2012100 m Butterfly Mentwo silver medals0+1-1
2016100 m Butterfly Menthree silver medals0+2-1
198850 m Free Womentwo bronze medal00+1
1984100 m Free Womentwo gold medals+1-10
2000100 m Free Womentwo bronze medal00+1
2016100 m Free Womentwo gold medals+1-10
2000100 m Back Womentwo bronze medal00+1
2004200 m Back Womentwo bronze medal00+1
Total medals+3+1+2
Total medals559557558

--

Nations

NationsSwimmers
412
1976

Olympic records

Main article: List of Olympic records in swimming

Notable changes to the sport

Times have consistently dropped over the years due to better training techniques and new developments within the sport.

In the first four Olympics, competitions were not held in pools, but rather in open water (1896, the Mediterranean Sea; 1900, the Seine; 1904, an artificial lake; 1906, the Mediterranean). The 1904 Olympics' races were the only ones ever measured in yards, instead of the usual metres. A 100-metre pool was built for the 1908 Olympics and was located in the centre of the main stadium's track and field oval. The 1912 Olympics, held in the Stockholm harbor, marked the beginning of electrical timing.

Male swimmers wore full body swimsuits up until the 1940s, which caused more drag in the water than their modern swim-wear counterparts. Also, over the years, pool designs have lessened the drag. Some design considerations allow for the reduction of swimming resistance making the pool faster, namely, proper pool depth, elimination of waves, elimination of currents, increased lane width, energy absorbing racing lane lines and gutters, and the use of other innovative hydraulic, acoustic, illumination, and swimwear designs.

The 1924 Olympics were the first to use the standard 50-metre pool with marked lanes (a standard that remains to this day). In the freestyle, swimmers originally dove from the pool walls, but diving blocks were first incorporated at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The flip-turn was developed by the 1950s. Swimming goggles were first allowed in 1976.

The butterfly stroke events were not held until 1956. Previous rules permitted the butterfly stroke in breaststroke races. After 1956, when these rules were changed, butterfly became its own stroke entirely.

The 800 m event was added to the women's programme in 1968; whilst longer, this event was not as far as the men's 1500 m event. This discrepancy was evened out in 2020: that year, the 1500 metres was included in the women's programme for the first time and the 800 metres freestyle was added to the men's programme.

Both men and women were granted the 200 metres freestyle race in 1968, giving swimmers an intermediate distance race between 100 metres and 400 metres.

The women's 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay race was added in 1996—a men's relay race at that distance had been held since 1912; interestingly, the winning time for the women's 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay in 1996 was more than two minutes faster than the men's 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay of 1912. At six Games, the men had two freestyle relay races, while the women had one. Starting with 1996, both genders have two.

The medley relay races (4 × 100 metres) were not held for men or for women until 1960, but they have continued in every Games since then.

Starting in 2008, both men and women compete in 10 km open water marathon swim events.

The mixed 4 × 100 metres medley relay (2 women and 2 men) was added to the programme in the 2020 Olympic Games.

the men’s and women’s 50 m backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly were added to the programme in the 2028 Olympic Games.

Notes

References

References

  1. Distances at the 1904 Olympics were measured in yards rather than metres. The 50 yard freestyle was 45.7 metres and the 100 yard freestyle and backstroke races were 91.4 metres. The 220, 440, and 880 yard freestyle races were 201, 402, and 805 metres, respectively. Instead of a 1500 metre race, there was a 1 mile race which made for 1609 metres. The 440 yard breaststroke, like the freestyle, was 402 metres. The relay, 4 × 50 yards, was 4 × 45.7 metres.
  2. In 1920, the women's event was 300 metres.
  3. "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries".
  4. "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries".
Info: Wikipedia Source

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