Swimming at the Summer Olympics

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.

Swimming at the Summer Olympics
IOC CodeSWM
OWS (Marathon Swimming)
Governing bodyWorld Aquatics
Events37 (men: 18; women: 18; mixed: 1)
Summer Olympics

Summary

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Games Year Events Best nation
1 1896 4   Hungary (1)
2 1900 7   Great Britain (1)
3 1904 9   Germany (1)
4 1908 6   Great Britain (2)
5 1912 9   Germany (2)
6
7 1920 10   United States (1)
8 1924 11   United States (2)
9 1928 11   United States (3)
10 1932 11   Japan (1)
11 1936 11   Japan (2)
12
13
14 1948 11   United States (4)
15 1952 11   United States (5)
16 1956 13   Australia (1)
17 1960 15   United States (6)
18 1964 18   United States (7)
19 1968 29   United States (8)
20 1972 29   United States (9)
21 1976 26   United States (10)
22 1980 26   East Germany (1)
23 1984 29   United States (11)
24 1988 31   East Germany (2)
25 1992 31   United States (12)
26 1996 32   United States (13)
27 2000 32   United States (14)
28 2004 32   United States (15)
29 2008 34   United States (16)
30 2012 34   United States (17)
31 2016 34   United States (18)
32 2020 37   United States (19)
33 2024 37   United States (20)

Long-course swimming

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Men's events

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Current programme
Event 96 1900 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 2000 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
50 metres freestyle X[1] Not yet reintroduced X X X X X X X X X X 11
100 metres freestyle X X[1] X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
200 metres freestyle (details) X X[1] Not yet reintroduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
400 metres freestyle X[1] X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
800 metre freestyle X[1] Not yet reintroduced X X 3
1500 metre freestyle X[1] X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
100 metre backstroke X[1] X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
200 metre backstroke X Not yet reintroduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
100 metre breaststroke Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 14
200 metre breaststroke X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
100 metre butterfly Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
200 metre butterfly Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 18
200 metre individual medley Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
400 metre individual medley Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16
4 × 100 metre freestyle relay Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 14
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
4 × 100 metre medley relay Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Events 1 2 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 10 15 15 13 13 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 17 17

Past events

Women's events

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Current programme
Event 96 1900 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 2000 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
50 metre freestyle Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X 10
100 metre freestyle Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26
200 metre freestyle (details) Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
400 metre freestyle Not yet introduced X[2] X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
800 metre freestyle Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
1500 metre freestyle Not yet introduced X X 2
100 metre backstroke Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
200 metre backstroke Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
100 metre breaststroke Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
200 metre breaststroke Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
100 metre butterfly Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 18
200 metre butterfly Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
200 metre individual medley Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
400 metre individual medley Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16
4 × 100 metre freestyle relay Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X 8
4 × 100 metre medley relay Not yet introduced X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Events 2 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 8 14 14 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 17 17

Mixed events

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Current programme
Event 96 1900 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 2000 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
4 × 100 metre medley relay Not yet introduced X X 2
Events 1 1

Marathon swimming

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Events

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Event 08 12 16 20 24 Years
Men's 10 km X X X X X 5
Women's 10 km X X X X X 5
Events 2 2 2 2 2

Medal table

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Updated after the 2024 Summer Olympics[3][4]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  United States265192151608
2  Australia767977232
3  East Germany38322292
4  Hungary32282181
5  Japan24283284
6  Netherlands23212165
7  Great Britain21353187
8  China18241961
9  Germany15203267
10  Soviet Union12212659
11  Canada12203163
12  France12172251
13  Sweden11161441
14  South Africa88622
15  Italy782035
16  Unified Team63110
17  Russia59923
18  Ukraine4329
19  Romania42511
20  Ireland4037
21  West Germany351422
22  Denmark35715
23  Tunisia3014
24  Brazil241117
25  Zimbabwe2417
26  Australasia2338
27  Spain2248
28  ROC (ROC)2215
29  New Zealand2136
30  Austria16512
31  United Team of Germany15612
32  Greece1528
33  Poland1326
34  South Korea1315
35  Belgium1225
36  Costa Rica1124
37  Argentina1113
  Bulgaria1113
39  Yugoslavia1102
40  Mexico1012
  Suriname1012
42  Kazakhstan1001
  Lithuania1001
  Singapore1001
45  Hong Kong0224
46  Belarus0213
47  Slovakia0202
48  Finland0145
49  Cuba0112
  Norway0112
51  Croatia0101
  Serbia0101
  Slovenia0101
54  Switzerland0044
55  Philippines0022
56  Trinidad and Tobago0011
  Venezuela0011
Totals (57 entries)6336326311,896

Nations

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Nation 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
  Afghanistan (AFG) 1 1 2
  Albania (ALB) 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Algeria (ALG) 5 1 1 3 6 5 1 1 3 2 10
  American Samoa (ASA) 2 2 2 1 4
  Andorra (AND) 1 2 2 1 2 2 6
  Angola (ANG) 5 8 3 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 11
  Antigua and Barbuda (ANT) 2 1 2 2 2 2 6
  Argentina (ARG) 4 4 5 1 17 7 3 7 8 4 5 6 2 3 7 13 10 11 4 5 5 3 22
  Armenia (ARM) 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 8
  Aruba (ARU) 2 1 2 2 2 2 6
  Australasia (ANZ) 5 9 2
  Australia (AUS) 1 6 5 5 5 5 10 10 26 26 32 24 24 28 17 31 25 33 33 44 41 43 47 39 37 44 26
  Austria (AUT) 2 3 1 1 8 3 8 2 3 10 7 3 2 1 5 6 6 2 4 8 6 12 11 6 7 5 26
  Azerbaijan (AZE) 1 2 4 12 2 2 2 2 8
  Bahamas (BAH) 2 2 1 2 1 4 4 4 1 3 2 2 12
  Bahrain (BRN) 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 8
  Bangladesh (BAN) 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 10
  Barbados (BAR) 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 2 1 11
  Belarus (BLR) 10 9 9 8 8 8 6 7
  Belgium (BEL) 1 7 5 12 6 5 6 10 6 3 2 6 4 10 7 4 7 7 4 9 7 13 10 2 4 25
  Benin (BEN) 2 2 2 2 2 2 6
  Bermuda (BER) 5 5 2 1 1 6 1 1 2 1 2 2 12
  Bhutan (BHU) 1 1 2
  Bolivia (BOL) 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 11
  Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 9
  Botswana (BOT) 2 2 1 2 4
  Brazil (BRA) 2 8 16 13 12 4 5 4 4 12 9 9 7 15 9 10 13 23 25 19 36 27 20 23
  British Virgin Islands (IVB) 1 1 2
  Brunei (BRU) 1 1 2 3
  Bulgaria (BUL) 3 3 5 13 8 5 1 6 6 4 4 3 5 4 14
  Burkina Faso (BUR) 1 2 2 2 2 2 6
  Burundi (BDI) 2 1 2 2 2 2 6
  Cambodia (CAM) 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Cameroon (CMR) 1 2 2 2 2 5
  Canada (CAN) 1 1 3 2 6 14 14 9 9 8 8 12 15 38 38 37 31 29 27 39 20 27 33 30 26 29 26
  Cape Verde (CPV) 2 2 2
  Cayman Islands (CAY) 3 2 2 2 2 2 6
  Central African Republic (CAF) 1 2 1 2 4
  Chile (CHI) 4 4 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 11
  China (CHN) 2 1 1 14 24 16 21 21 28 42 51 45 30 32 14
  Chinese Taipei (TPE) 1 4 3 5 8 8 13 13 5 3 2 3 2 13
  Colombia (COL) 2 3 1 9 4 5 2 1 1 1 5 5 3 5 3 4 2 2 18
  Comoros (COM) 1 1 2 2 4
  Republic of the Congo (CGO) 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 9
  Cook Islands (COK) 1 2 2 1 2 5
  Costa Rica (CRC) 1 1 2 1 8 1 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 14
  Croatia (CRO) 11 17 13 13 4 2 2 3 8
  Cuba (CUB) 2 2 2 1 3 2 3 7 2 2 1 2 2 2 14
  Cyprus (CYP) 4 2 2 7 5 2 1 2 2 2 10
  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 4 9 1 3 3 4 2 3 3 1 3 1 5 6 8 17
  Czech Republic (CZE) 10 6 12 10 6 8 9 5 8
  Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD) 1 2 2
  Denmark (DEN) 1 5 1 4 5 2 18 6 9 2 4 3 3 6 2 1 3 15 8 10 7 6 9 10 15 11 7 27
  Djibouti (DJI) 1 1 2 2 4
  Dominica (DMA) 1 2 2 3
  Dominican Republic (DOM) 1 1 2 2 2 2 6
  East Germany (GDR) 24 37 23 30 26 5
  East Timor (TLS) 2 2 2
  Ecuador (ECU) 3 1 1 2 1 5 3 1 2 3 3 4 3 13
  Egypt (EGY) 1 6 3 2 8 5 2 2 6 2 3 3 7 4 3 15
  El Salvador (ESA) 14 7 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 12
  Equatorial Guinea (GEQ) 2 1 1 3
  Eritrea (ERI) 1 2 2
  Estonia (EST) 2 4 1 4 6 9 2 2 3 2 8
  Ethiopia (ETH) 2 2 1 1 4
  Fiji (FIJ) 3 5 3 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 11
  Finland (FIN) 3 6 1 2 1 1 2 1 13 1 5 6 3 1 1 1 2 1 12 12 7 7 5 7 8 5 2 27
  France (FRA) 47 4 3 13 20 13 5 8 17 16 16 19 9 16 18 16 13 16 25 25 25 19 21 35 31 30 27 33 28
  Gabon (GAB) 1 2 2 3
  The Gambia (GAM) 1 1 2 3
  Georgia (GEO) 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 7
  Germany (GER) 6 4 5 17 19 2 24 9 18 26 38 24 28 35 35 25 30 29 31 25 20
  Ghana (GHA) 2 2 2 3
  Great Britain (GBR) 7 25 18 18 26 21 15 22 32 26 22 32 33 27 36 40 32 33 31 28 39 32 37 24 44 28 32 33 28
  Greece (GRE) 15 1 1 5 2 2 5 2 2 3 4 2 8 14 28 18 14 15 12 17 20
  Grenada (GRN) 1 2 1 2 2 2 6
  Guam (GUM) 4 7 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 9
  Guatemala (GUA) 1 3 6 1 5 2 1 4 1 1 2 2 2 13
  Guinea (GUI) 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 7
  Guinea-Bissau (GBS) 1 1
  Guyana (GUY) 1 1 2 2 2 2 6
  Haiti (HAI) 1 2 2 2 4
  Honduras (HON) 6 3 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 11
  Hong Kong (HKG) 4 2 1 3 3 2 4 8 10 8 3 9 7 4 3 7 9 7 18
  Hungary (HUN) 1 1 2 10 8 6 8 5 13 15 15 16 18 19 14 16 8 13 13 13 21 18 25 28 32 35 34 23 28
  Iceland (ISL) 8 2 2 4 4 3 4 6 2 3 9 7 8 7 3 2 2 17
  Independent Olympic Participants (IOP) 4 1
  India (IND) 1 7 5 2 1 2 2 1 4 1 2 3 2 12
  Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA) 2 1
  Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) 4 1
  Indonesia (INA) 1 3 2 1 1 2 1 6 3 2 1 2 2 2 13
  Iran (IRI) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9
  Iraq (IRQ) 2 1 1 1 1 5
  Ireland (IRL) 2 4 7 4 3 2 5 2 5 4 2 3 4 3 9 12 16
  Israel (ISR) 1 1 4 2 6 1 2 3 1 4 4 10 2 7 5 7 13 28 18
  Italy (ITA) 2 4 2 4 6 5 2 10 7 23 16 10 24 13 13 26 21 24 14 21 29 34 35 38 38 40 26
  Ivory Coast (CIV) 2 1 2 2 1 5
  Jamaica (JAM) 1 1 4 1 4 3 1 2 2 2 10
  Japan (JPN) 2 6 10 23 21 22 19 21 38 20 15 15 22 23 25 27 21 20 31 29 36 35 29 23
  Jordan (JOR) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 7 8 11 12 7 3 1 2 8
  Kenya (KEN) 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Kosovo (KOS) 2 2 2 3
  Kuwait (KUW) 2 3 5 2 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 11
  Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) 12 18 6 3 2 2 1 2 8
  Laos (LAO) 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 7
  Latvia (LAT) 1 4 4 5 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Lebanon (LIB) 1 2 2 4 4 1 2 5 2 2 2 2 2 13
  Lesotho (LES) 1 1
  Libya (LBA) 4 2 2 1 2 1 2 7
  Liechtenstein (LIE) 1 2 2 2
  Lithuania (LTU) 2 8 6 10 9 4 6 6 7 9
  Luxembourg (LUX) 2 4 3 4 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 3 2 4 1 3 2 1 17
  North Macedonia (MKD) 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Madagascar (MAD) 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 10
  Malawi (MAW) 2 2 1 2 2 2 6
  Malaysia (MAS) 2 2 7 2 1 1 2 1 5 9 4 5 2 3 2 2 16
  Maldives (MDV) 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Mali (MLI) 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 7
  Malta (MLT) 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Marshall Islands (MHL) 2 2 2 2 2 5
  Mauritania (MTN) 1 1
  Mauritius (MRI) 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Mexico (MEX) 3 9 8 4 11 10 27 22 9 7 12 10 7 2 7 6 6 9 3 4 6 21
  Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Moldova (MDA) 5 10 3 2 2 2 2 7
  Monaco (MON) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 9
  Mongolia (MGL) 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Montenegro (MNE) 1 2 2 2 4
  Morocco (MAR) 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 7
  Mozambique (MOZ) 5 2 2 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 12
  Myanmar (MYA) 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
  Namibia (NAM) 2 1 1 1 1 5
  Nepal (NEP) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Netherlands (NED) 4 7 4 12 14 5 14 12 13 19 26 17 19 15 12 16 11 9 20 24 16 18 15 17 16 20 24
  Netherlands Antilles (AHO) 3 1 1 2 1 5
  New Zealand (NZL) 1 1 4 1 2 5 2 4 6 9 8 7 11 14 8 13 15 17 9 7 9 21
  Nicaragua (NCA) 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 10
  Niger (NIG) 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 7
  Nigeria (NGR) 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 7
  Norway (NOR) 5 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 4 7 3 2 6 5 1 4 3 2 4 3 20
  Oman (OMA) 1 1 4 1 1 5
  Pakistan (PAK) 4 2 3 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 11
  Palau (PLW) 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 7
  Palestine (PLE) 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Panama (PAN) 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 13
  Papua New Guinea (PNG) 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 7
  Paraguay (PAR) 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Peru (PER) 3 6 3 3 4 5 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 16
  Philippines (PHI) 2 3 5 3 1 8 8 2 7 7 3 4 4 5 2 4 5 5 2 2 2 2 22
  Poland (POL) 2 4 7 1 5 4 5 3 8 5 14 11 8 7 15 19 20 17 21 19
  Portugal (POR) 1 1 4 5 3 5 2 2 12 9 12 7 11 10 7 5 9 5 18
  Puerto Rico (PUR) 1 4 9 12 5 3 6 7 3 6 4 2 2 2 2 15
  Qatar (QAT) 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 7
  Rhodesia (RHO) 4 1
  Romania (ROU) 1 2 2 2 3 5 2 5 10 14 11 7 6 4 6 4 3 17
  Russia (RUS) 4 30 28 30 35 35 36 36 8
  Rwanda (RWA) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Saar (SAA) 1 1
  Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN) 1 1
  Saint Lucia (LCA) 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 7
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN) 2 1 1 2 2 2 6
  Samoa (SAM) 2 2 1
  San Marino (SMR) 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 10
  Saudi Arabia (KSA) 2 1 1 1 1 2 6
  Senegal (SEN) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9
  Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) 4 7 2
  Serbia (SRB) 9 8 6 7 5 5
  Seychelles (SEY) 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 7
  Sierra Leone (SLE) 1 2 2 2 4
  Singapore (SGP) 1 3 4 5 5 5 8 5 5 5 3 4 5 13
  Slovakia (SVK) 3 4 2 3 5 3 2 2 8
  Slovenia (SLO) 5 5 6 11 10 12 10 4 5 9
  Solomon Islands (SOL) 1 1 2
  South Africa (RSA) 1 1 5 1 3 6 8 3 10 7 14 8 24 20 13 17 8 17
  South Korea (KOR) 4 1 1 3 15 4 20 17 19 16 15 8 12 15 14
  Soviet Union (URS) 18 10 23 21 31 26 31 39 27 29 9
  Spain (ESP) 2 4 5 6 3 10 11 13 9 14 11 8 11 21 18 23 16 23 14 24 11 20 22
  Sri Lanka (SRI) 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 12
  Sudan (SUD) 1 1 2 2 2 2 6
  Suriname (SUR) 2 1 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 11
  Swaziland (SWZ) 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 9
  Sweden (SWE) 1 12 24 13 14 9 2 5 8 12 5 15 14 16 15 18 24 24 18 17 18 16 15 18 12 11 10 12 28
  Switzerland (SUI) 4 2 1 4 8 8 9 2 4 10 2 3 13 10 4 5 9 13 7 7 8 13 8 23
  Syria (SYR) 1 1 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 9
  Tajikistan (TJK) 2 2 1 2 2 2 6
  Tanzania (TAN) 2 2 2 2 4
  Thailand (THA) 2 2 5 6 8 6 2 2 2 2 2 11
  Togo (TOG) 1 2 1 1 4
  Tonga (TGA) 1 2 2 2 4
  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 1 2 2 2 12
  Tunisia (TUN) 2 1 1 1 2 2 4 2 2 2 10
  Turkey (TUR) 2 2 4 2 3 4 7 9 11 6 4 11 8 13
  Turkmenistan (TKM) 2 2 2 2 2 2 6
  Uganda (UGA) 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 8
  Ukraine (UKR) 13 25 27 23 14 7 9 5 8
  United Arab Emirates (UAE) 6 5 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 10
  United States (USA) 1 2 25 8 7 22 26 23 27 28 28 30 28 31 48 52 51 51 43 44 40 44 48 43 43 49 47 53 48 29
  Uruguay (URU) 2 1 5 4 1 2 1 1 2 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 16
  Uzbekistan (UZB) 6 10 15 7 2 2 2 7
  Vanuatu (VAN) 2 1
  Venezuela (VEN) 1 1 2 4 12 3 6 7 5 4 13 10 6 4 3 14
  Vietnam (VIE) 1 2 3 2 11 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 15
  Virgin Islands (ISV) 2 7 6 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 12
  West Germany (FRG) 27 44 22 24 29 5
  Yemen (YEM) 1 2 2 1 2 1 6
  Yugoslavia (YUG) 6 4 6 3 1 9 2 6 5 4 3 3 3 9 22
  Zambia (ZAM) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6
  Zimbabwe (ZIM) 2 2 4 4 1 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 10
Nations 4 12 4 14 17 19 23 28 20 29 34 48 33 45 42 51 52 51 41 67 77 92 117 150 152 162 166 169 182 194
Swimmers 19 76 32 100 120 116 118 182 128 248 249 319 235 380 405 468 532 471 333 494 633 641 762 954 937 1026 950 950 1000 852
Year 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24

Olympic records

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The International Olympic Committee recognize the best performances in all 35 current swimming events at the Games as Olympic records.

Notable changes to the sport

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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 800m event was added to the women's programme in 1968; whilst longer, this event was not as far as the men's 1,500m event. This discrepancy was evened out in 2020: that year, the 1,500 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.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  4. ^ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

See also

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References

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