Swimming has a rich history as a Summer Games staple.
From compelling rivalries to potential world record-breaking performances, swimming was a showstopper at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here's everything you need to know about the sport.
When were swimming events at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
All swimming events occurred across a nine-day stretch, starting on July 27 and ending on Aug. 4.
Where were swimming events at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
All pool races were held at Paris La Defense Arena. The 2024 Olympics marked the first time the multipurpose venue hosted swimming. Two events -- the men's and women's 10K open water -- were held in the Seine River.
What are Olympic swimming events?
There are a total of 37 events. The breakdown of those events is as follows:
18 men's and women's races, with one mixed race.
30 events are individual, seven are team relays.
Freestyle is the most dominant stroke in terms of event total. Sixteen events are freestyle, including six different men's and women's individual distance competitions as well as two different men's and women's freestyle-specific relay events.
The non-freestyle strokes (backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly) each have two events in the men's and women's divisions, the 100-meter and the 200-meter. The men's and women's divisions each also have the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley (IM) event, a competition that involves the use of all four strokes.
The mixed race is the 4x100 medley relay that involves teams of two male and two female swimmers. It debuted as an event during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Great Britain taking home the gold medal.
What is the Olympic swimming format?
Each event is initially broken down into sub-events called heats to help slim the field of competitors. For events longer than 200 meters, the eight fastest times from the initial heats qualify for the final, medal-deciding round. Competing in events 200 meters or shorter in distance, however, is a three-part process. First, a swimmer will compete in their initial heat. Then, the 16 fastest swimmers from the initial heats are split into two semifinal heats. The top eight times from those heats advance to the final round, which decides the medals. Lanes for each race are determined by times from the previous round, with the swimmers getting the fastest and second-fastest times occupying the middle lanes.
Which country earned the most medals for swimming events at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
USA Swimming finished the pool competition atop the leaderboard with 28 medals-ten more than any other country.