Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics explained

Event:Swimming
Games:2004 Summer
Venue:Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre
Dates:14 – 21 August 2004
Competitors:937
Nations:152
Prev:2000
Next:2008

The swimming competitions at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens took place from 14 to 21 August 2004 at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre in Marousi.[1] It featured 32 events (16 male, 16 female), a total of 937 swimmers from 152 nations, and the program's changes instituted in the previous Games, including notably the three-phase format (heats, semifinals, and final) for all short-distance races (200 metres and under).[2] [3]

Swimmers from the United States continued to dominate the medal tally with a total of 28, earning twelve golds, nine silver, and seven bronze.[4] Australia still maintained the second spot from Sydney in 2000, but produced a total of 15 more medals (seven golds, five silver, and three bronze) to its historical hardware in swimming.[5] [6] Meanwhile, Japan moved from behind to third overall in the medal board with eight medals after a sterling breaststroke double from Kosuke Kitajima. A total of eight world records and twenty-five Olympic records were set during the competition.

Venue

Swimming events at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre, officially known as the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OCO) during the games.[7] Originally built for the 1991 Mediterranean Games,[8] it was refurbished to host swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, and water polo events; it was the first time in the history of the Olympics that all aquatics disciplines had been held at a single venue.[7] [9] Swimming events were held at the main outdoor pool of the complex, which held 10,893 spectators, and was interchangeably used for swimming and water polo events throughout the duration of the games.[9] A plastic-coated tarpaulin roof covering the two outdoor pools of the complex, designed to protect spectators and swimmers from being exposed to the summer heat, was originally planned to be built as part of the renovations.[8] [9] However, due to cost overruns and delays in construction, planners decided to scrap the roof in March 2004,[10] [11] which was criticised by FINA, the governing body of water sports.[8] [9] The venue would ultimately be approved by FINA weeks before the opening of the games in August.[8]

Events

The following events were contested (all pool events were long course, and distances are in metres unless stated):

4 × 100 free, 4 × 200 free, and 4 × 100 medley.

Schedule

Men[12]
Date → Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 17 Aug 18 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug 21
Event ↓ M E M E M E M E M EM E M E M E
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
HF
HF
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
HF
HF
HF
HF
Women
Date → Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 17 Aug 18 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug 21
Event ↓ M E M E M E M E M EM E M E M E
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
HF
HF
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
H½ F
HF
HF
HF
HF

Participating nations

A total of 937 swimmers (544 men and 393 women) from 152 nations would compete in swimming events at these Olympic Games.[13] Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Guyana, and Turkmenistan made their official debut in swimming. Meanwhile, Albania, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Norway returned to the sport after long years of absence. Nations with swimmers at the Games are (team size in parentheses):

Results

Men's events

50 m freestyle
21.9321.94
NR		22.02
100 m freestyle
48.1748.2348.56
200 m freestyle
1:44.71
1:45.231:45.32
AM
400 m freestyle
3:43.103:43.363:44.11
AM
1500 m freestyle
14:43.40
14:45.29
AM		14:45.95
ER
100 m backstroke
54.0654.3554.36
AS
200 m backstroke
1:54.95
1:57.351:57.56
NR
100 m breaststroke
1:00.081:00.251:00.88
200 m breaststroke
2:09.44
2:10.802:10.87
100 m butterfly
51.25
51.2951.36
ER
200 m butterfly
1:54.04
1:54.56
AS		1:55.52
NR
200 m individual medley
1:57.14
1:58.781:58.80
NR
400 m individual medley
4:08.26
4:11.814:12.15
4 × 100 m freestyle relay
valign=top
Roland Schoeman (48.17) AF
Lyndon Ferns (48.13)
Darian Townsend (48.96)
Ryk Neethling (47.91)		3:13.17
valign=top
Johan Kenkhuis (49.81)
Mitja Zastrow (49.25)
Klaas-Erik Zwering (48.51)
Pieter van den Hoogenband (46.79)
Mark Veens* 		3:14.36
NR		valign=top
Ian Crocker (50.05)
Michael Phelps (48.74)
Neil Walker 47.97)
Jason Lezak (47.86)
Nate Dusing*
Gary Hall, Jr.*
Gabe Woodward* 		3:14.62
4 × 200 m freestyle relay
valign=top
Michael Phelps (1:46.49)
Ryan Lochte (1:47.52)
Peter Vanderkaay (1:47.79)
Klete Keller (1:45.53)
Scott Goldblatt*
Dan Ketchum* 		7:07.33
AM 		valign=top
Grant Hackett (1:47.50)
Michael Klim (1:47.62)
Nicholas Sprenger (1:48.16)
Ian Thorpe (1:44.18)
Antony Matkovich*
Todd Pearson*
Craig Stevens* 		7:07.46valign=top
Emiliano Brembilla (1:48.16)
Massimiliano Rosolino (1:46.24)
Simone Cercato (1:49.85)
Filippo Magnini (1:47.58)
Federico Cappellazzo*
Matteo Pelliciari* 		7:11.83
4 × 100 m medley relay
valign=top
Aaron Peirsol (53.45)
Brendan Hansen (59.37)
Ian Crocker (50.28)
Jason Lezak (47.58)
Lenny Krayzelburg*
Mark Gangloff*
Michael Phelps*
Neil Walker* 		3:30.68
valign=top
Steffen Driesen (54.26)
Jens Kruppa (1:00.50)
Thomas Rupprath (51.40)
Lars Conrad (47.46)
Helge Meeuw* 		3:33.62
ER 		valign=top
Tomomi Morita (54.25) AS
Kosuke Kitajima (59.35)
Takashi Yamamoto (51.87)
Yoshihiro Okumura (49.75)		3:35.22
AS
* Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.

Women's events

50 m freestyle
24.5824.89
NR		24.91
100 m freestyle
53.8454.1654.40
200 m freestyle
1:58.031:58.221:58.45
400 m freestyle
4:05.34
ER		4:05.844:06.19
800 m freestyle
8:24.548:24.968:26.61
100 m backstroke
1:00.37 1:00.501:00.88
200 m backstroke
2:09.19
AF		2:09.72
2:09.88
100 m breaststroke
1:06.64
1:07.151:07.16
200 m breaststroke
2:23.37
2:23.602:25.82
100 m butterfly
57.72 57.8457.99
200 m butterfly
2:06.05 2:06.362:08.04
200 m individual medley
2:11.142:11.70
AM		2:12.72
AF
400 m individual medley
4:34.834:34.95
AM		4:37.51
SA
4 × 100 m freestyle relay
valign=top
Alice Mills
Lisbeth Lenton
Petria Thomas
Jodie Henry
Sarah Ryan		3:35.94
valign=top
Kara Lynn Joyce
Natalie Coughlin
Amanda Weir
Jenny Thompson
Lindsay Benko 		3:36.39
AM		valign=top
Chantal Groot
Inge Dekker
Marleen Veldhuis
Inge de Bruijn
Annabel Kosten		3:37.59
NR
4 × 200 m freestyle relay
valign=top
Natalie Coughlin
Carly Piper
Dana Vollmer
Kaitlin Sandeno
Lindsay Benko 		7:53.42
valign=top
Zhu Yingwen
Xu Yanwei
Yang Yu
Pang Jiaying
Li Ji		7:55.97
AS		valign=top
Franziska van Almsick
Petra Dallmann
Antje Buschschulte
Hannah Stockbauer
Janina Götz 		7:57.37
4 × 100 m medley relay
valign=top
Giaan Rooney (1:01.18) OC
Leisel Jones (1:06.50)
Petria Thomas (56.67)
Jodie Henry (52.97)
Brooke Hanson*
Alice Mills*
Jessicah Schipper* 		3:57.32
valign=top
Natalie Coughlin (59.68) OR
Amanda Beard (1:06.32)
Jenny Thompson (58.81)
Kara Lynn Joyce (54.31)
Haley Cope*
Tara Kirk*
Rachel Komisarz*
Amanda Weir* 		3:59.12valign=top
Antje Buschschulte (1:00.72)
Sarah Poewe (1:07.08)
Franziska van Almsick (58.54)
Daniela Götz (54.38)		4:00.72
ER
* Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Olympedia – Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics . 2023-12-17 . www.olympedia.org.
  2. News: USA Today 2004 Olympic Coverage: Swimming Format and Schedule. USA Today. 30 June 2013. 20 May 2005.
  3. Web site: Athens 2004: Volume Two – Aquatics (Swimming). PDF. Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. 9–27. 29 June 2013.
  4. News: U.S. adds another relay gold. ESPN. 22 August 2004. 30 June 2013.
  5. News: Gordos. Phil. Phelps causes biggest splash. BBC Sport. 21 August 2004. 30 June 2013.
  6. News: Australian team expects world swimming titles to close door on culture of drug abuse, bullying and bad behaviour . The Australian. 30 June 2013. 29 June 2013.
  7. Web site: Olympic Games staff . ATHENS 2004: 12 water polo teams qualified . . . 6 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180806001818/https://www.olympic.org/news/athens-2004-12-water-polo-teams-qualified . 6 August 2018 . 11 February 2004 . For the first time in Olympic Games history, all aquatics events will take place in a single venue, the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OCO)..
  8. Web site: Commings . Jeff . Olympic Pools: Where Are They Now? (Part Five) . . Sports Publications International . 6 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180806002229/https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/olympic-pools-where-are-they-now-part-five/ . 6 August 2018 . 27 July 2012 . Like the Sydney pool, the Athens competition pool was not built for the Games. It had been around for more than a decade, hosting the 1991 Mediterranean Games. But the heat was a concern, and organizers had planned to put a roof on the building as part of the renovation plans. Money fell through, and the roof was not built, much to the initial chagrin of FINA, which would later approve the facility mere weeks before Michael Phelps and others claimed gold..
  9. Web site: BBC Sport staff . Olympics 2004 - Venues Guide - Aquatic Center . . . 6 August 2018 . https://archive.today/20180806002454/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/venues_guide/default.stm . 6 August 2018 . 15 July 2004 . For the first time in Olympic history, all the aquatics events [...] will take place at one venue. [...] Progress on its construction fell way behind schedule. Organisers finally decided in March to scrap a planned plastic-coated tarpaulin roof over the main pool. That decision will leave swimmers exposed to searing August temperatures, to the dismay of swimming's ruling body Fina. [...] Spectators: Main pool 10,893.
  10. Web site: Stevens . Richard . Athens costs set to soar over budget . . . 6 August 2018 . https://archive.today/20180806002920/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/mar/31/athensolympics2004.olympicgames . 6 August 2018 . 31 March 2004 . Earlier this month officials cancelled a much delayed plastic roof for the swimming venue..
  11. Web site: Muriel . Diana . Athens in race against time . . . 6 August 2018 . https://archive.today/20180806003106/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/25/olympic.construction/ . 6 August 2018 . 6 May 2004 . The roof of the Olympic swimming pool had to be abandoned..
  12. Web site: BBC 2004 Olympic Coverage: Swimming Schedule. BBC Sport. 30 June 2013.
  13. Web site: Athens 2004: Swimming – Entry List by NOC. PDF. Athens 2004. LA84 Foundation. 2–23. 30 June 2013.

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