See main article: 1971 Pan American Games.
The Swimming competition at the 6th Pan American Games was held in Cali, Colombia during the Games' run in 1971. It consisted of 29 long course (50 m) events: 15 for males and 14 for females.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
A world record was beaten in this edition of the Games, by the U.S. 4 x 200 m freestyle men's relay.
The victory of Canada in the women's 4x100m medley marked the first time that the U.S. lost the gold in a relay event, at the Pan American Games.
In the 200 m butterfly, two swimmers won the first medals of their countries in swimming at Pan American Games at all times: Jorge Delgado got the gold for Ecuador, and Augusto González, the bronze for Peru.
| 100m freestyle | Frank Heckl  USA | 52.80 | José Aranha  Brazil | 53.74 | Robert Kasting  Canada | 53.76 | |
| 200m freestyle | Frank Heckl USA | 1:56.36 | James McConica USA | 1:58.18 | Ralph Hutton Canada | 1:59.89 | |
| 400m freestyle | James McConica USA | 4:08.97 GR | Steve Genter USA | 4:13.05 | Ralph Hutton Canada | 4:15.75 | |
| 1500m freestyle | Pat Miles USA | 16:32.03 GR | Tom McBreen USA | 16:32.99 | Guillermo García  Mexico | 16:45.56 | |
| 100m backstroke | Mel Nash USA | 59.84 | John Murphy USA | 1:00.84 | Bill Kennedy Canada | 1:01.35 | |
| 200m backstroke | Charlie Campbell USA | 2:07.09 GR | Tim McKee USA | 2:07.87 | John Hawes Canada | 2:14.72 | |
| 100 m breaststroke | Mark Chatfield USA | 1:06.75 GR | Brian Job USA | 1:07.93 | José Fiolo Brazil | 1:07.94 | |
| 200m breaststroke | Rick Colella USA | 2:27.12 GR | Felipe Muñoz MEX | 2:27.22 | Brian Job USA | 2:28.11 | |
| 100m butterfly | Frank Heckl USA | 56.92 | Jerry Heidenreich USA | 57.30 | Byron MacDonald Canada | 58.40 | |
| 200m butterfly | Jorge Delgado  Ecuador | 2:06.41 = GR, SA | C. Rob Orr USA | 2:08.39 | Augusto González  Peru | 2:09.90 | |
| 200m I.M. | Steve Furniss USA | 2:10.82 | Frank Heckl USA | 2:12.11 | Felipe Muñoz Mexico | 2:16.28 | |
| 400m I.M. | Steve Furniss USA | 4:42.69 GR | Ricardo Marmolejo Mexico | 4:49.04 NR | Rick Colella USA | 4:49.30 | |
| 4×100m Free Relay | USA David Edgar Steve Genter Jerry Heidenreich Frank Heckl | 3:32.15 GR | Canada Timothy Bach Ian MacKenzie Brian Phillips Robert Kasting | 3:38.15 | Brazil Ruy de Oliveira Flávio Machado Paulo Zanetti José Aranha | 3:42.48 SA | |
| 4×200m Free Relay | USA Jerry Heidenreich Jim McConica Steve Genter Frank Heckl | 7:45.82 WR | Canada Robert Kasting Ron Jacks Brian Phillips Ralph Hutton | 8:04.76 | Brazil Alfredo Machado Ruy de Oliveira José Aranha Flávio Machado | 8:08.42 SA | |
| 4×100m Medley Relay | USA John Murphy Brian Job Jerry Heidenreich Frank Heckl | 3:56.08 GR | Canada John Hawes/Bill Kennedy(?) William Mahony Byron MacDonald Robert Kasting/Timothy Bach(?) | 4:00.53 | Brazil César Lourenço José Fiolo Flávio Machado José Aranha | 4:02.94 SA | |
| 100m freestyle | Sandy Neilson USA | 1:00.60 | Angela Coughlan Canada | 1:01.15 | Karen James Canada | 1:01.88 | |
| 200m freestyle | Kim Peyton USA | 2:09.62 GR | Angela Coughlan Canada | 2:10.56 NR | Olga de Ángulo  Colombia | 2:14.34 SA | |
| 400m freestyle | Ann Simmons USA | 4:26.19 | Jill Strong USA | 4:36.15 | Angela Coughlan Canada | 4:38.86 | |
| 800m freestyle | Cathy Calhoun USA | 9:15.19 | Cynthia Enze USA | 9:32.15 | María Teresa Ramírez Mexico | 9:44.32 | |
| 100m backstroke | Donna Gurr Canada | 1:07.18 GR | Susie Atwood USA | 1:07.51 | Jill Hlay USA | 1:08.49 | |
| 200m backstroke | Donna Gurr Canada | 2:24.73 | Susie Atwood USA | 2:26.48 | Barbara Darby USA | 2:30.73 | |
| 100m breaststroke | Sylvia Dockerill Canada | 1:18.63 | Linda Kurtz USA | 1:19.30 | Lynn Colella USA | 1:19.72 | |
| 200m breaststroke | Lynn Colella USA | 2:50.03 | Jane Wright Canada | 2:50.96 NR | Leonor Urueta Mexico | 2:52.72 | |
| 100m butterfly | Deena Deardurff USA | 1:06.22 | Leslie Cliff Canada | 1:07.77 | Lucy Burle Brazil | 1:08.79 SA | |
| 200 m butterfly | Lynn Colella USA | 2:23.11 | Alice Jones USA | 2:28.10 | Susan Smith Canada | 2:32.60 | |
| 200m I.M. | Leslie Cliff Canada | 2:30.03 | Susie Atwood USA | 2:30.29 | Cindy Plaisted USA | 2:33.23 | |
| 400m I.M. | Leslie Cliff Canada | 5:13.31 | Cindy Plaisted USA | 5:13.64 | Susie Atwood USA | 5:13.75 | |
| 4×100m Freestyle Relay | USA Sandy Neilson Wendy Fordyce Katheryn McKitrick Lynn Skrifvars | 4:04.20 GR | Canada Leslie Cliff Donna Gurr Dianne Gate Angela Coughlan | 4:10.52 | Brazil Rosemary Ribeiro Cristiane Paquelet Maria Hungerbuler Lucy Burle | 4:15.24 | |
| 4×100m Medley Relay | Canada Donna Gurr Jane Wright Leslie Cliff Angela Coughlan | 4:35.50 | USA Susan Atwood Lynn Colella Deena Deardurff Sandra Neilson | 4:36.73 | Mexico María Teresa Ramírez Leonor Urueta Norma Amezcua Marcia Arriaga | 4:45.18 | |