List of Olympic records in swimming explained

The International Olympic Committee recognises the fastest performances in pool-based swimming events at the Olympic Games. Men's swimming has been part of the official program of the Summer Olympics since the Games' modern inception in 1896; it was not until 1912 that women's events were held. The swimming events at the 1896 Olympic Games were held in a bay in the Aegean Sea with swimmers being required to swim to the shore—Hungarian swimmer Alfréd Hajós won two gold medals that year, saying "My will to live completely overcame my desire to win."[1] [2] The 1900 Summer Olympic Games in Paris had the swimming events take place in the River Seine, and the events at the 1908 Summer Olympics were held in a 100-metre pool surrounded by an athletics track in the White City Stadium in London.[3]

Races are held in four swimming categories: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, over varying distances and in either individual or relay race events. Medley swimming races are also held, both individually and in relays, in which all four swimming categories are used. In the Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, both men and women competed in eighteen events in the pool. Of the 35 pool-based events, swimmers from the United States hold fifteen records, Australia five, France four, China, Canada and South Africa two each, and one each to Ireland, Great Britain, Russian Olympic Committee, Hungary, and Sweden. Nineteen of the current Olympic records were set at the 2024 Summer Olympics, seven in 2020, five in 2016, one in 2012, and three in 2008.[4] __TOC__

Men's records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.

EventTimeNameNationGamesDateRef
21.07 2020 Tokyo1 August 2021
♦46.40 2024 Paris31 July 2024 [5]
1:42.96 2008 Beijing12 August 2008[6]
3:40.14 2012 London28 July 2012[7]
7:38.19 2024 Paris30 July 2024[8]
♦14:30.67 Robert Finke2024 Paris4 August 2024[9]
51.85 2016 Rio de Janeiro13 August 2016[10]
1:53.27 2020 Tokyo30 July 2021[11]
57.13 2016 Rio de Janeiro7 August 2016[12]
2:05.85Léon Marchand2024 Paris31 July 2024[13]
♦49.45 2020 Tokyo31 July 2021[14]
1:51.21 2024 Paris31 July 2024[15]
1:54.06 2024 Paris2 August 2024[16]
4:02.95 2024 Paris28 July 2024[17]
♦3:08.24  (47.51)
Garrett Weber-Gale (47.02)
Cullen Jones (47.65)
Jason Lezak (46.06)		2008 Beijing11 August 2008[18]
6:58.56  (1:43.31)
Ryan Lochte (1:44.28)
Ricky Berens (1:46.29)
Peter Vanderkaay (1:44.68)		2008 Beijing13 August 2008[19]
♦3:26.78  (52.31)
(58.49)
Caeleb Dressel (49.03)
Zach Apple (46.95)		2020 Tokyo1 August 2021[20]

Women's records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.

EventTimeNameNationGamesDateRef
23.66 2024 Paris3 August 2024[21]
51.96 2020 Tokyo30 July 2021[22]
1:53.27 2024 Paris29 July 2024[23]
3:56.46 2016 Rio de Janeiro7 August 2016[24]
♦8:04.79 2016 Rio de Janeiro12 August 2016[25]
15:30.02 2024 Paris31 July 2024[26]
57.28 Regan Smith2024 Paris4 August 2024[27]
2:03.73 2024 Paris2 August 2024[28]
1:04.82 2020 Tokyo25 July 2021[29]
2:18.95 2020 Tokyo30 July 2021[30]
55.38 27 July 2024[31]
2:03.03Summer McIntosh2024 Paris1 August 2024[32]
2:06.56 2024 Paris3 August 2024[33]
4:26.36 2016 Rio de Janeiro6 August 2016[34]
3:28.92Mollie O'Callaghan (52.24)
Shayna Jack (52.35)
Emma McKeon (52.39)
Meg Harris (51.94)		2024 Paris27 July 2024[35]
7:38:08  (1:53.52)
Lani Pallister (1:55.61)
Brianna Throssell (1:56.00)
Ariarne Titmus (1:52.95)		2024 Paris1 August 2024[36]
♦3:49.63  (57.28)
Lilly King (1:04.90)
Gretchen Walsh (55.03)
Torri Huske (52.42)		2024 Paris4 August 2024[37]

Mixed records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Mullen, P. H. Jr. . Gold in the Water . 41 . 1 May 2003 . St. Martin's Griffin . 978-0-312-31116-2 . 26 October 2020 . 29 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083718/https://books.google.com/books?id=9KjPCgAAQBAJ&q=%22My+will+to+live+completely+overcame+my+desire+to+win%22&pg=PA41 . live .
  2. Web site: International Swimming Federation - Olympic Sport. International Olympic Committee. 30 December 2020. 30 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201230120603/https://www.olympic.org/international-swimming-federation. live.
  3. Web site: Aquatics – Swimming . https://web.archive.org/web/20080310220348/http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=SW . 10 March 2008. 10 August 2016. Olympic.org.
  4. Web site: Swimming - Olympic Records . olympics.com . 2 August 2021 . dead . 8 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211008073833/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games//en/results/swimming/records.htm .
  5. Web site: Men's 100m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 31 July 2024. 1 August 2024.
  6. Web site: Jason. Stallman. Phelps wins third gold. The New York Times. 11 August 2008. 7 September 2008. 29 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083718/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/sports/olympics/12phelpsweb.html. live.
  7. Web site: Olympic swimming: China's Sun Yang beats rival Park to gold . https://archive.today/20160824090940/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/18910464 . dead . 24 August 2016 . 28 July 2012 . . 8 August 2016 .
  8. Web site: Men's 800m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 30 July 2024. 30 July 2024.
  9. Web site: Men's 1500m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 4 August 2024. 8 August 2024.
  10. Web site: Ryan Murphy Downs 100 Backstroke World Record to Open 400 Medley Relay. Swimming World. 13 August 2016. 14 August 2016. 23 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160923132722/https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/ryan-murphy-downs-100-backstroke-world-record-to-open-400-medley-relay/. live.
  11. Web site: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results. olympics.com. 30 July 2021. 30 July 2021. 21 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210821220630/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C73A1_SWMM200MBA------------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  12. News: Adam Peaty makes light work of pressure as his hard work pays off in Rio pool. The Guardian. 7 August 2016. 8 August 2016. Andy. Bull. 23 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210223090425/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/08/adam-peaty-breaks-his-own-world-record-again-in-golden-olympic-swim. live.
  13. Web site: Men's 200m Breaststroke Final Results. olympics.com. 31 July 2024. 1 August 2024.
  14. Web site: Men's 100m Butterfly Final Results. olympics.com. 31 July 2021. 31 July 2021. 31 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731034904/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C73A1_SWMM100MBF------------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  15. Web site: Men's 200m Butterfly Final Results. olympics.com. 31 July 2024. 1 August 2024.
  16. Web site: Peene . Sam . 2 August 2024 . PARIS 2024 SWIMMING: FRANCE’S LEON MARCHAND CONTINUES UNBELIEVABLE CAMPAIGN WITH FOURTH OLYMPIC RECORD AND GOLD MEDAL IN THE 200M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY . live . Olympic.org.
  17. News: Leon Marchand rises to the moment, thrills Paris with 400m IM gold . Olympics on NBC . 28 July 2024 . 28 July 2024 . Kezele . Sarah . dmy-all .
  18. Web site: Lezak tracks down French in relay. Olympics on NBC. 9 August 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080816005136/http://www.nbcolympics.com/swimming/news/newsid=188791.html#. 16 August 2008. dead. dmy-all.
  19. Web site: U.S. wins 4x200 freestyle relay gold, Michael Phelps sets career Olympic medal record . CBS News . 31 July 2012 . 8 August 2016 . 29 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083720/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-wins-4x200-freestyle-relay-gold-michael-phelps-sets-career-olympic-medal-record/ . live .
  20. Web site: Men's 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results. olympics.com. 1 August 2021. 1 August 2021. 1 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210801042748/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C73B1_SWMM4X100MMD----------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  21. Web site: Women's 50m Freestyle Semifinal Results Summary. olympics.com. 3 August 2024. 8 August 2024.
  22. Web site: Women's 100m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 30 July 2021. 30 July 2021. 19 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210819080448/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C73A1_SWMW100MFR------------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  23. Web site: Women's 200m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 29 July 2024. 29 July 2024.
  24. Web site: Katie Ledecky Smashes Her Own World Record in 400 Freestyle . The New York Times . Karen . Crouse . Doug . Mills . 7 August 2016 . 8 August 2016 . 29 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083748/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/katie-ledecky-400-freestyle-swimming-record.html . live .
  25. Web site: Ledecky defends 800m free title, crushes her own world record. Rachel. Lutz. Olympics on NBC. 13 August 2016. 13 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160813073912/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/katie-ledecky-defends-800m-free-title-win-4th-gold-medal-rio-olympics#. 13 August 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  26. Web site: Women's 1500m Freestyle Final Results. olympics.com. 31 July 2024. 1 August 2024.
  27. Web site: Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results. olympics.com. 4 August 2024. 8 August 2024.
  28. Web site: Women's 200m Backstroke Final Results. olympics.com. 2 August 2024. 8 August 2024.
  29. Web site: Women's 100m Breaststroke Heats Results. olympics.com. 25 July 2021. 25 July 2021. 23 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210823071528/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C74A_SWMW100MBR------------HEAT--------.pdf. dead.
  30. Web site: Women's 200m Breaststroke Final Results. olympics.com. 30 July 2021. 30 July 2021. 23 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210823071631/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SWM/OG2020-_SWM_C73A1_SWMW200MBR------------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  31. Web site: Women's 100m Butterfly Semifinal Results Summary. olympics.com. 27 July 2024. 29 July 2024.
  32. Web site: 1 August 2024 . Women's 200m Butterfly Final Results . 1 August 2024 . Olympics.
  33. Web site: Summer McIntosh wins gold in women’s 200-metre individual medley, her fourth medal of the Paris Games . Robertson . Grant . . August 3, 2024 . August 3, 2024.
  34. Web site: 'Iron Lady' Katinka Hosszu shatters world record in 400 IM, American Maya DiRado takes second . Pat . Forde . 6 August 2016 . Yahoo! . 7 August 2016 . 29 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083748/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/iron-lady-katinka-hosszu-shatters-world-record-in-400-im-american-maya-dirado-takes-second-020404338.html . live .
  35. Web site: Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final Results. olympics.com. 27 July 2024. 29 July 2024.
  36. Web site: 1 August 2024 . Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final Results . live . olympics.com.
  37. Web site: Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results. olympics.com. 4 August 2024. 8 August 2024.
  38. Web site: Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results. olympics.com. 3 August 2024. 8 August 2024.

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