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Top Olympic swimming records: Phelps, Ledecky, Dressel, more

Michael Phelps celebrates with Peter Vanderkaay and Ryan Lochte after winning the gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Anja Niedringhaus/AP Photo

Led by the dominant efforts of Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Mark Spitz and others, the United States has molded itself into an Olympic swimming powerhouse.

Phelps owns a record 28 career Olympic medals, including 23 of the golden variety. ESPN's top Olympian and top athlete of the 21st century also holds three individual Olympic swimming records and was part of two record-breaking Olympic relay teams.

Katie Ledecky broke her previously held record for the women's 1500m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Check out other top swimming records now:

Freestyle

Men's 50m: Caeleb Dressel (United States) 21.07 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 50m: Emma McKeon (Australia) 23.81 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 100m: Caeleb Dressel (United States) 47.02 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 100m: Emma McKeon (Australia) 51.96 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 200m: Michael Phelps (United States) 1:42.96 seconds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Women's 200m: Ariarne Titmus (Australia) 1:53.50 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 400m: Yang Sun (China) 3:40.14 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics

Women's 400m: Katie Ledecky (United States) 3:56.46 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Men's 800m: Mykhailo Romanchuk (Ukraine) 7:41.28 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 800m: Katie Ledecky (United States) 8:04.79 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Men's 1500m: Bobby Finke (United States) 14:30:67 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Women's 1500m: Katie Ledecky (United States) 15:30.02 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Backstroke

Men's 100m: Ryan Murphy (United States): 51.85 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Women's 100m: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) 57.47 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 200m: Evgeny Rylov (Russia) 1:53.27 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 200m: Missy Franklin (United States): 2:04.06 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics

Breaststroke

Men's 100m: Adam Peaty (Great Britain) 57.13 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Women's 100m: Tatjana Schoenmaker (South Africa) 1:04.82 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 200m: Leon Marchand (France) 2:05.85 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Women's 200m: Tatjana Schoenmaker (South Africa) 2:18.95 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Butterfly

Men's 100m: Caeleb Dressel (United States) 49.45 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 100m: Sarah Sjostroem (Sweden) 55.48 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Men's 200m: Leon Marchand (France) 1:51.21 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Women's 200m: Zhang Yufei (China) 2:03.86 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Individual medley

Men's 200m: Leon Marchand (France) 1:54:06 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Women's 200m: Summer McIntosh (Canada) 2:06:56 at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Men's 400m: Leon Marchand (France) 4:02:95 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Women's 400m: Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 4:26.36 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Freestyle relay

Men's 4x100m: Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak (United States) 3:08.24 seconds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Women's 4x100m: Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Emma McKeon, Cate Campbell (Australia) 3:29.69 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Men's 4x200m: Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, Peter Vanderkaay (United States) 6:58.56s seconds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Women's 4x200m: Junxuan Yang, Muhan Tang, Zhang Yufei, Li Bingjie (China) 7:40.33 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Medley relay

Men's 4x100m: Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple (United States) 3:26.78 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Women's 4x100m: Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske (United States) 3:49:63 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Mixed 4x100m: Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske (United States) 3:37.43 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics

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