Swimming at the Summer Olympics

Swimming at the Summer Olympics
Swimming at the Summer Olympics
IOC Code	SWM
Governing body	World Aquatics
Events	41 (men: 20; women: 20; mixed: 1)
Summer Olympics
	1896; 1900; 1904; 1908; 1912; 1920; 1924; 1928; 1932; 1936; 1948; 1952; 1956; 1960; 1964; 1968; 1972; 1976; 1980; 1984; 1988; 1992; 1996; 2000; 2004; 2008; 2012; 2016; 2020; 2024; 2028; 2032;
	Medalists men; women; ; Records;

Swimming has been contested at every modern Summer Olympics. It has been open to women since 1912. The discipline of swimming is part of the Olympic sport of aquatics alongside artistic swimming, diving, marathon swimming and water polo. At the Olympics, swimming has the second-highest number of medal-contested events after athletics.

Summary

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	32	United States (16)
30	2012	32	United States (17)
31	2016	32	United States (18)
32	2020	35	United States (19)
33	2024	35	United States (20)
34	2028	41

Events

Men's events

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	28	Years
50 metres freestyle			X^[1]	Not yet reintroduced																	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	12
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	X	30
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	X	18
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	X	29
800 metre freestyle			X^[1]	Not yet reintroduced																									X	X	X	4
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	X	29
50 metre backstroke	Not yet introduced																														X	1
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	X	28
200 metre backstroke		X	Not yet reintroduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	18
50 metre breaststroke	Not yet introduced																														X	1
100 metre breaststroke	Not yet introduced															X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
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	X	28
50 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced																														X	1
100 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced															X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
200 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	19
200 metre individual medley	Not yet introduced															X	X			X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	14
400 metre individual medley	Not yet introduced														X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	17
4 × 100 metre freestyle relay	Not yet introduced														X	X	X			X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	15
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	X	28
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	X	18
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	20

Past events

400 metre breaststroke: 1904,^[1] 1912, 1920
4 × 50 yard freestyle relay:^[1] 1904

Only at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Only at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Women's events

Current programme
Event	96	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	28	Years
50 metre freestyle	Not yet introduced																	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	11
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	X	27
200 metre freestyle (details)	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
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	X	26
800 metre freestyle	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
1500 metre freestyle	Not yet introduced																									X	X	X	3
50 metre backstroke	Not yet introduced																											X	1
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	X	25
200 metre backstroke	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
50 metre breaststroke	Not yet introduced																											X	1
100 metre breaststroke	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
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	X	25
50 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced																											X	1
100 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced									X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	19
200 metre butterfly	Not yet introduced												X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	16
200 metre individual medley	Not yet introduced												X	X			X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	14
400 metre individual medley	Not yet introduced											X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	17
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	X	27
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay	Not yet introduced																			X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	9
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	X	18
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	20

Mixed events

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	28	Years
4 × 100 metre medley relay	Not yet introduced																												X	X	X	3
Events																													1	1	1

Medal table

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


Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	267	193	151	611
2	Australia	76	79	78	233
3	East Germany	38	32	22	92
4	Hungary	33	29	21	83
5	Japan	24	28	32	84
6	Netherlands	23	21	21	65
7	Great Britain	22	37	33	92
8	Germany	21	31	52	104
9	China	18	24	19	61
10	Soviet Union	12	21	26	59
11	Canada	12	20	31	63
12	France	12	17	22	51
13	Sweden	11	18	14	43
14	South Africa	8	8	6	22
15	Italy	7	8	20	35
16	Unified Team	6	3	1	10
17	Russia	4	9	9	22
18	Ukraine	4	3	2	9
19	Romania	4	2	5	11
20	Ireland	4	0	3	7
21	West Germany	3	5	14	22
22	Denmark	3	5	7	15
23	Brazil	2	4	10	16
24	Zimbabwe	2	4	1	7
25	Australasia	2	3	3	8
26	Spain	2	2	4	8
27	ROC (ROC)	2	2	1	5
28	New Zealand	2	1	3	6
29	Tunisia	2	0	1	3
30	Austria	1	6	5	12
31	United Team of Germany	1	5	6	12
32	Greece	1	4	2	7
33	Poland	1	3	2	6
34	South Korea	1	3	1	5
35	Belgium	1	2	2	5
36	Costa Rica	1	1	2	4
37	Argentina	1	1	1	3
37	Bulgaria	1	1	1	3
39	Yugoslavia	1	1	0	2
40	Mexico	1	0	1	2
40	Suriname	1	0	1	2
42	Kazakhstan	1	0	0	1
	Lithuania	1	0	0	1
	Singapore	1	0	0	1
45	Hong Kong	0	2	2	4
46	Belarus	0	2	1	3
47	Slovakia	0	2	0	2
48	Finland	0	1	4	5
49	Cuba	0	1	1	2
49	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	4	4
55	Philippines	0	0	2	2
56	Trinidad and Tobago	0	0	1	1
56	Venezuela	0	0	1	1
Totals (57 entries)		641	648	653	1,942

Nations

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																													1	1	2
Albania																						1			2	2	2	2	2	2	7
Algeria																			5			1	1	3	6	5	1	1	2	2	10
American Samoa																										2	2		2	1	4
Andorra																							1	2	2	1	2	2			6
Angola																			5		8	3	1	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	11
Antigua and Barbuda																									2	1	2	2	2	2	6
Argentina							4	4	5	1	17	7		3	7	8	4	5		6	2	3	7	13	10	9	4	5	4	3	22
Armenia																							1	2	1	1	2	2	2	2	8
Aruba																									2	1	2	2	2	2	6
Australasia				5	9																										2
Australia		1				6	5	5	5	5	10	10	26	26	32	24	24	28	17	31	25	33	33	44	41	42	45	37	35	41	26
Austria	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	4	26
Azerbaijan																							1	2	4	2	2	2	2	2	8
Bahamas																		2		2	1	2	1	4	4	4	1	3	2	2	12
Bahrain																				2				2	2	2	2	1	2	2	8
Bangladesh																					2	1	1	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	10
Barbados																1				1	1		2	3	4	4	1	2	2	1	11
Belarus																							10	9	9	8	8	8	6		7
Belgium		1		7	5	12	6	5			6	10	6	3	2	6	4	10	7	4	7	7	4	9		6	12	10	2	4	25
Benin																									2	2	1	2	2	2	6
Bermuda										5	5		2							1	1	6		1	1	2	1	2		2	12
Bhutan																													1	1	2
Bolivia										1											1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	11
Bosnia and Herzegovina																						2	2	2	1	1	2	2	2	2	9
Botswana																										2		2	1	2	4
Brazil						2			8	16	13	12	4	5	4	4	12	9	9	7	15	9	10	13	23	22	18	33	26	18	23
British Virgin Islands																												1	1		2
Brunei																											1		1	2	3
Bulgaria																3	3	5	13		8	5	1	6	6	4	3	2	5	4	14
Burkina Faso																									1	2	2	2	2	2	6
Burundi																									2	1	2	2	2	2	6
Cambodia																	4						2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	9
Cameroon																									1	2	2		2	2	5
Canada				1	1	3	2	6	14	14	9	9	8	8	12	15	38	38		37	31	29	27	39	20	27	31	28	24	28	26
Cape Verde																													2	2	2
Cayman Islands																									3	2	2	2	2	2	6
Central African Republic																											1	2	1	2	4
Chile								4		4		1											1	2	3	2	1	2	2	2	11
China										2	1	1								14	24	16	21	21	28	40	50	43	19	31	14
Chinese Taipei														1		4	3			5	8		8	13	13	5	3	2	3	2	13
Colombia											2		3		1	9	4	5	2	1	1	1	5	5	3	5	3	4	2	2	18
Comoros																										1	1	2		2	4
Republic of the Congo																						1	2	2	2	1	2	2	1	2	9
Cook Islands																										1	2	2	1	2	5
Costa Rica																1		1	2	1	8	1	3	2	1	2	2	1	2	2	14
Croatia																							11	17	13	13	3	2	2	3	8
Cuba											2	2	2	1		3						2	3	7	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
Cyprus																			4			2	2	7	5	2	1	2	2	2	10
Czechoslovakia						4	9	1		3	3	4	2	3	3	1	3	1	5		6	8									17
Czech Republic																							10	6	12	8	5	7	8	4	8
Democratic Republic of the Congo																										1				2	2
Denmark		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																											1	1	2	2	4
Dominica																							1	2						2	3
Dominican Republic																								1		1	2	2	2	2	6
East Germany																24	37	23	30		26										5
Timor-Leste																													2	2	2
Ecuador																3	1	1	2			1	5	3	1	2	2	2	2	2	13
Egypt										1	6	3					2			8	5	2	2	6	2	2	2	5	4	3	15
El Salvador																14	7			2		1	2	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	12
Equatorial Guinea																								2					1	1	3
Eritrea																													1	2	2
Estonia										2												4	1	4	6	9	2	2	3	2	8
Ethiopia																											2	2	1	1	4
Fiji																				3	5	3	2	2	1	1	2	2	2	2	11
Finland				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		47		4	3	13	20	13	5	8	17	16	16	19	9	16	18	16	13	16	25	25	25	19	21	33	29	28	25	29	28
Gabon																												1	2	2	3
The Gambia																												1	1	2	3
Georgia																								1	1	2	1	2	2	2	7
Germany		6	4	5	17			19	2	24		9	18	26	38							24	28	35	35	23	27	27	28	24	20
Ghana																												2	2	2	3
Great Britain		7		25	18	18	26	21	15	22	32	26	22	32	33	27	36	40	32	33	31	28	39	32	37	37	43	26	30	31	28
Greece	15				1		1			5	2			2			5	2	2	3	4	2	8	14	28	17	12	13	11	16	20
Grenada																								1	2		1	2	2	2	6
Guam																					4	7	2	1	1	1	2	2	2		9
Guatemala												1				3				6	1	5	2	1	4	1	1	2	2	2	13
Guinea																								2	1	2	1	2	2	2	7
Guinea-Bissau																														1	1
Guyana																									1	1	2	2	2	2	6
Haiti																							1					2	2	2	4
Honduras																				6	3	4	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	11
Hong Kong												4	2	1	3	3	2	4		8	10	8	3	9	7	4	3	7	8	7	18
Hungary	1	1	2	10	8		6	8	5	13	15	15	16	18	19	14	16	8	13		13	13	21	18	25	27	31	33	32	21	28
Iceland											8			2	2	4	4	3		4	6	2	3	9	7	8	7	3	2	2	17
Independent Olympic Participants																						4									1
India									1		7	5	2								1		2	2	1	4	1	2	3	2	12
Independent Olympic Athletes																												2			1
Individual Neutral Athletes																														4	1
Indonesia												1	3	2				1		1	2		1	6	3	2	1	2	2	2	13
Iran															1								1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Iraq																								2	1		1	1		1	5
Ireland								2								4	7	4	3	2	5	2	5	4	2	3	4	3	9	12	16
Israel												1	1	4	2	6	1	2		3	1	4	4	10	2	7	5	7	12	27	18
Italy		2		4	2	4	6	5	2			10	7	23	16	10	24	13	13	26	21	24	14	21	29	32	33	35	36	38	26
Ivory Coast																									2	1	2	2	1		5
Jamaica																1	1			4			1		4	3	1	2	2	2	10
Japan						2	6	10	23	21		22	19	21	38	20	15	15		22	23	25	27	21	20	31	27	34	33	27	23
Jordan																							2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	8
Kazakhstan																							7	8	11	12	3	2	2	2	8
Kenya													1											2	2	2	2	2	2	2	8
Kosovo																												2	2	2	3
Kuwait																	2		3	5	2	3	3	2		1	2		2	2	11
Kyrgyzstan																							12	18	6	3	2	2	1	2	8
Laos																								1	2	2	1	2	2	2	7
Latvia																						1	4	4	5	2	2	2	2	2	9
Lebanon																1	2		2	4	4	1		2	5	2	2	2	2	2	13
Lesotho																											1				1
Libya																			4						2	2	1	2	1	2	7
Liechtenstein																											1	2	2		2
Lithuania																						2	8	6	10	9	4	6	6	7	9
Luxembourg						2	4	3		4		1	1	4	1	1					2	1		3	2	4	1	3	2	1	17
North Macedonia																							4	4	4	2	2	2	2	2	8
Madagascar																			3			1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	10
Malawi																									2	2	1	2	2	2	6
Malaysia													2	2	7		2	1		1	2	1	5	9	4	5	1	2	2	2	16
Maldives																						2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	9
Mali																								2	2	2	2	2	1	2	7
Malta																							1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	8
Marshall Islands																										2	2	2	2	2	5
Mauritania																														1	1
Mauritius																						6	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	9
Mexico									3		9	8	4	11	10	27	22	9	7	12	10	7	2	7	6	4	8	3	3	4	21
Federated States of Micronesia																								2	2	2	2	2	2	2	7
Moldova																							5		10	3	2	2	2	2	7
Monaco																		1		1		1	1	1	1		1		2	1	9
Mongolia																								2	1	2	2	2	2	2	7
Montenegro																										1		2	2	2	4
Morocco																								1	1	1	1	2	2	2	7
Mozambique																			5	2	2	3	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	12
Myanmar														1	1									1		1		1		1	6
Namibia																						2	1	1							3
Nepal																							2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	8
Netherlands		4		7		4	12	14	5	14	12	13		19	26	17	19	15	12	16	11	9	20	24	16	16	15	16	15	19	24
Netherlands Antilles																				3	1		1	2		1					5
New Zealand						1	1	4			1	2	5		2	4	6	9		8	7	11	14	8	13	15	17	8	7	9	21
Nicaragua																		2	1				1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	10
Niger																								2	1	2	1	2	2	2	7
Nigeria																						2		2	2	2		2	1	2	7
Norway					5	2	1	1	1		1	3				1	4	7		3	2	6	5		1	4	3	2	4	3	20
Oman																							1	1		4			1	1	5
Pakistan											4	2	3										1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	11
Palau																								2	1	1	1	2	2	2	7
Palestine																								1	1	2	2	2	2	2	7
Panama								1										3		1	1	1	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	13
Papua New Guinea																								2	1	2	2	1	2	2	7
Paraguay																		3				2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	9
Peru										3				6		3	3		4	5	2	2	2	3	2	2	3	2	2	2	16
Philippines								2	3	5	3	1	8	8	2	7	7	3		4	4	5	2	4	5	5	2	2	2	2	22
Poland								2		4		7	1	5		4	5	3	8		5	14	11	8	7	15	18	19	17	20	19
Portugal							1				1	4		5	3			5	2	2	12	9	12	7	11	8	7	4	7	4	18
Puerto Rico														1	4	9		12		5	3	6	7	3	6	4	2	2	2	2	15
Qatar																								1	1	1	2	2	2	1	7
Rhodesia														4																	1
Romania												1	2	2		2	3		5	2	5	10	14	11	7	6	4	6	4	3	17
Russia					4																		30	28	30	32	32	34	35		8
Rwanda																								2	2	2	2	2	2	2	7
Saar												1																			1
Saint Kitts and Nevis																														1	1
Saint Lucia																								2	1	1	1	1	2	1	7
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines																								2	1		1	2	2	2	6
Samoa																												2		2	1
San Marino																				2	2		1	1	2	2	1		1	1	10
Saudi Arabia																						2		1	1	1			1	2	6
Senegal																					2	2		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	9
Serbia and Montenegro																							4		7						2
Serbia																										9	8	6	7	5	5
Seychelles																						4	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	7
Sierra Leone																							1					2	2	2	4
Singapore												1					3			4	5	5	5	8	5	5	5	3	3	5	13
Slovakia																							3	4	2	3	5	3	2	2	8
Slovenia																						5	5	6	11	9	12	9	3	5	9
Solomon Islands																													1	1	2
South Africa					1	1		5	1		3	6	8	3								10	7	14	8	22	18	11	15	8	17
South Korea															4	1	1			3	15	4	20	17	19	16	15	8	12	15	14
Soviet Union												18	10	23	21	31	26	31	39		27	29									9
Spain						2	4	5			6	3		10	11	13	9	14	11	8	11	21	18	23	16	21	13	23	9	18	22
Sri Lanka												1		1						1	2	1		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	12
Sudan																								1		1	2	2	2	2	6
Suriname																				2	1	3	4	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	11
Swaziland																				1	2		1	2	1	1	1		2	2	9
Sweden		1		12	24	13	14	9	2	5	8	12	5	15	14	16	15	18	24	24	18	17	18	16	15	17	12	11	10	12	28
Switzerland						4	2	1		4	8	8		9	2	4	10	2	3	13	10	4	5	9	13	6	6	8	13	8	23
Syria																						1	1	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	9
Tajikistan																								2		2	1	2	2	2	6
Tanzania																										2	2	2		2	4
Thailand															2			2				5	6	8	6	2	2	2	2	2	11
Togo																											1	2	1	1	4
Tonga																											1	2	2	2	4
Trinidad and Tobago																1	1			1	1		2	3	3	3	1	2	2	2	12
Tunisia																		2		1	1			1	2	2	4	2	1	2	10
Turkey														2			2			4	2	3	4	7	9	11	6	4	11	8	13
Turkmenistan																									2	2	2	2	2	2	6
Uganda																				1				2	1	2	2	2	2	2	8
Ukraine																							13	25	27	21	12	7	7	5	8
United Arab Emirates																					6	5	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	2	10
United States	1	2	25	8	7	22	26	23	27	28	28	30	28	31	48	52	51	51		43	44	40	44	48	43	41	47	44	50	46	29
Uruguay											2	1				5	4	1		2	1	1	2	4	4	3	2	2	2	2	16
Uzbekistan																							6	10	15	7	2	2	2		7
Vanuatu																														2	1
Venezuela												1		1	2		4	12	3	6			7	5	4	12	8	4	3	3	14
Vietnam												1		2	3	2			11		2	2	2	2	1	1	1	2	2	2	15
Virgin Islands																		2		7	6	3	1	1	2	1	1	2	2	2	12
West Germany																27	44	22		24	29										5
Yemen																									1	2		1	2	1	5
Yugoslavia							6			4	6	3	1	9	2	6	5	4	3	3	3			9							22
Zambia															2									2	2	2	2	2	2	2	6
Zimbabwe															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	167	172	181	189
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	986	900	906	1000	854
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

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.

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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.
↑ In 1920, the women's event was 300 metres.
↑ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
↑ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

References

International Olympic Committee results database

External links

Swim Rankings results

[1904Games-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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.

[W300-2] 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.

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