Swimming at the Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swimming at the Summer Olympics |
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| Governing body | FINA |
| Events | 37 (men: 18; women: 18; mixed: 1) |
| Games | |
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Swimming is a very popular sport at the Summer Olympics. It has been part of every modern Olympic Games since they started. Women began competing in swimming events at the Olympics in 1912. Swimming offers the second-highest number of medals at the Olympics, right after track and field.
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Swimming at the Olympic Games
Swimming has been a part of the Olympics from the very beginning. Over the years, the number of swimming events has grown a lot. For example, in the first Olympics in 1896, there were only 4 swimming events. By the 2020 Games, there were 37!
The United States has been the strongest nation in Olympic swimming for many years. They have won the most medals overall. Other top countries include Australia, East Germany (GDR), Hungary, and Japan.
Olympic Swimming Events
Olympic swimming is divided into different types of races. These include individual races and team relays. Swimmers use different styles like freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
Men's Swimming Events
Men compete in many different swimming events. These include short sprints like the 50-meter freestyle and longer races like the 1500-meter freestyle. They also have races for backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. In addition, men compete in individual medley races, which combine all four strokes. Team relay races are also a big part of the men's program.
Women's Swimming Events
Women's swimming events are very similar to the men's. They also compete in various distances of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Women's individual medley races combine all four strokes. Women's team relay races are also exciting to watch.
Mixed Team Events
A newer and exciting addition to Olympic swimming is the mixed team event. This is where teams are made up of both male and female swimmers. The mixed 4 × 100 meter medley relay was first added in the 2020 Games. This event makes for a fun and unique race!
Swimming Medal Count by Nation
This table shows which countries have won the most medals in Olympic swimming over time. The numbers include medals from both long-course and marathon swimming.
Last updated after the 2020 Summer Olympics
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) |
257 | 178 | 144 | 579 |
| 2 |  Australia (AUS) |
69 | 70 | 73 | 212 |
| 3 |  East Germany (GDR) |
38 | 32 | 22 | 92 |
| 4 |  Hungary (HUN) |
28 | 26 | 20 | 74 |
| 5 |  Japan (JPN) |
24 | 27 | 32 | 83 |
| 6 |  Great Britain (GBR) |
20 | 29 | 30 | 79 |
| 7 |  Netherlands (NED) |
19 | 20 | 19 | 58 |
| 8 |  China (CHN) |
16 | 21 | 12 | 49 |
| 9 |  Germany (GER) |
13 | 18 | 30 | 61 |
| 10 |  Soviet Union (URS) |
12 | 21 | 26 | 59 |
| 11 |  Canada (CAN) |
9 | 18 | 27 | 54 |
| 12 |  Sweden (SWE) |
9 | 16 | 14 | 39 |
| 13 |  France (FRA) |
8 | 16 | 19 | 43 |
| 14 |  South Africa (RSA) |
7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| 15 |  Unified Team (EUN) |
6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 16 |  Italy (ITA) |
5 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 17 |  Russia (RUS) |
4 | 9 | 9 | 22 |
| 18 |  Ukraine (UKR) |
4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 19 | West Germany (FRG) |
3 | 5 | 14 | 22 |
| 20 |  Denmark (DEN) |
3 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 21 |  Romania (ROU) |
3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 22 |  Ireland (IRL) |
3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
 Tunisia (TUN) |
3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 24 |  Zimbabwe (ZIM) |
2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 25 |  Australasia (ANZ) |
2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 26 |  Spain (ESP) |
2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 27 |  ROC |
2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 28 |  New Zealand (NZL) |
2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 29 |  Austria (AUT) |
1 | 6 | 5 | 12 |
| 30 |  United Team of Germany (EUA) |
1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 31 |  Brazil (BRA) |
1 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| 32 |  Greece (GRE) |
1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
 Poland (POL) |
1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
| 34 |  South Korea (KOR) |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 |  Belgium (BEL) |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 36 |  Costa Rica (CRC) |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 37 |  Argentina (ARG) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Bulgaria (BUL) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 39 |  Yugoslavia (YUG) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 40 |  Mexico (MEX) |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Suriname (SUR) |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 42 |  Kazakhstan (KAZ) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Lithuania (LTU) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Singapore (SIN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 45 |  Belarus (BLR) |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 46 |  Hong Kong (HKG) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 Slovakia (SVK) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 48 |  Finland (FIN) |
0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 49 |  Cuba (CUB) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Norway (NOR) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 51 |  Croatia (CRO) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Serbia (SRB) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Slovenia (SLO) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 54 |  Switzerland (SUI) |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 55 |  Philippines (PHI) |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 56 |  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Venezuela (VEN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (57 entries) | 589 | 586 | 587 | 1,762 | |
Marathon Swimming Events
Marathon swimming is a special type of swimming event held in open water, not in a pool. It's a long-distance race that tests swimmers' endurance.
Marathon Swimming Medals
This table shows the medal counts specifically for marathon swimming events.
Last updated after the 2020 Summer Olympics
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands (NED) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Germany (GER) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Hungary (HUN) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Brazil (BRA) |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Russia (RUS) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tunisia (TUN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Great Britain (GBR) |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Italy (ITA) |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Greece (GRE) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| United States (USA) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | Australia (AUS) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Canada (CAN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| France (FRA) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (13 entries) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | |
Overall Medal Table for Swimming
This table combines all the medals won in both pool swimming and marathon swimming. It gives a full picture of which countries have been most successful in Olympic swimming.
Last updated after the 2020 Summer Olympics
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States |
257 | 179 | 144 | 580 |
| 2 | Australia |
69 | 70 | 74 | 213 |
| 3 | East Germany (GDR) |
38 | 32 | 22 | 92 |
| 4 | Hungary |
29 | 27 | 20 | 76 |
| 5 | Japan |
24 | 27 | 32 | 83 |
| 6 | Netherlands |
22 | 21 | 19 | 62 |
| 7 | Great Britain |
20 | 31 | 31 | 82 |
| 8 | China |
16 | 21 | 12 | 49 |
| 9 | Germany |
14 | 19 | 31 | 64 |
| 10 | Soviet Union (URS) |
12 | 21 | 26 | 59 |
| 11 | Canada |
9 | 18 | 28 | 55 |
| 12 | Sweden |
9 | 16 | 14 | 39 |
| 13 | France |
8 | 16 | 20 | 44 |
| 14 | South Africa |
7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| 15 | Unified Team (EUN) |
6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 16 | Russia |
5 | 9 | 9 | 23 |
| 17 | Italy |
5 | 7 | 17 | 29 |
| 18 | Ukraine |
4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 19 | West Germany (FRG) |
3 | 5 | 14 | 22 |
| 20 | Denmark |
3 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 21 | Romania |
3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 22 | Ireland |
3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Tunisia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 24 | Brazil |
2 | 4 | 11 | 17 |
| 25 | Zimbabwe |
2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 26 | Australasia (ANZ) |
2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 27 | Spain |
2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 28 | ROC |
2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 29 | New Zealand |
2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 30 | Austria |
1 | 6 | 5 | 12 |
| 31 | United Team of Germany (EUA) |
1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 32 | Greece |
1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 33 | Poland |
1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 34 | South Korea |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Belgium |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 36 | Costa Rica |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 37 | Argentina |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Bulgaria |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 39 | Yugoslavia (YUG) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 40 | Mexico |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Suriname |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 42 | Kazakhstan |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lithuania |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Singapore |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 45 | Belarus |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 46 | Hong Kong |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Slovakia |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 48 | Finland |
0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 49 | Cuba |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Norway |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 51 | Croatia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Serbia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Slovenia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 54 | Switzerland |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 55 | Philippines |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 56 | Trinidad and Tobago |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Venezuela |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (57 entries) | 596 | 594 | 595 | 1,785 | |
Olympic Records in Swimming
The International Olympic Committee keeps track of the best swimming times ever achieved at the Olympic Games. These are called Olympic records. There are records for all 35 current swimming events.
How Swimming Has Changed at the Olympics
Swimming has changed a lot since the first modern Olympics. Swimmers are always getting faster due to better training and new ideas in the sport.
Early Olympic Swimming
In the first few Olympics, swimming races weren't even held in pools! They took place in open water, like the Mediterranean Sea in 1896 and the Seine River in 1900. The 1904 Olympics were the only ones where races were measured in yards instead of meters. For the 1908 Olympics, a 100-meter pool was built right inside the main stadium. Electrical timing was first used at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.
Pool and Equipment Improvements
The 1924 Olympics were important because they were the first to use the standard 50-meter pool with marked lanes, which is still used today. Swimmers used to dive from the pool walls, but special diving blocks were added for the first time at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The quick "flip-turn" technique was developed in the 1950s. Swimming goggles were first allowed in 1976, helping swimmers see clearly underwater.
Pool designs have also improved to make them "faster." This means designing pools to reduce resistance in the water. Things like proper pool depth, special lane lines that absorb waves, and good gutters all help to make the water as still as possible for swimmers.
Evolution of Swimming Strokes and Events
- Butterfly Stroke: The butterfly stroke became its own event in 1956. Before that, swimmers could use the butterfly style in breaststroke races.
- Freestyle Distances: In 1968, both men and women got a 200-meter freestyle race. This gave swimmers a middle-distance option between the 100-meter and 400-meter races.
- Longer Freestyle Races: The 800-meter freestyle event was added for women in 1968. To make things equal, the 1500-meter freestyle was added for women and the 800-meter freestyle for men in 2020.
- Relay Races: The women's 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay was added in 1996. Interestingly, the winning time for women in 1996 was more than two minutes faster than the men's winning time for the same race in 1912! The medley relay races (4 × 100 meters) for both men and women started in 1960 and have been in every Games since.
- Open Water Marathon: Starting in 2008, both men and women began competing in 10-kilometer open water marathon swim events.
- Mixed Relays: The mixed 4 × 100-meter medley relay, with two women and two men, was added at the 2020 Olympic Games.
See also
In Spanish: Natación en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of Olympic venues in swimming
- Major achievements in swimming by nation
- Swimming at the Summer Paralympics
