It's one of the most watched disciplines at the Summer Olympics: swimming is the water sport of all records. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, the competition will take place at Paris La Défense Arena.
Although swimming is very popular these days, its origins date back to prehistoric times, although it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport became competitive.
Initially, breaststroke was the only stroke practised: since then, the discipline has grown to include four main strokes: butterfly, crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. The very first Olympic races were held in a natural environment, before taking place in a swimming pool for the very first time in 1908, at the London Olympic Games. In 1896, at the Athens Games, only the freestyle and breaststroke events were contested: in 1904, the backstroke was added, followed by the butterfly in 1956, at the Melbourne Olympic Games.
At the Summer Olympics, swimming takes place in a 50-meter-long Olympic pool. In all, there are almost twenty different formats, varying in distance and stroke variety (medley, freestyle, etc.), making this a competition where athletes are the real stars, setting records and winning medals.
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, the swimming events will take place from July 27 to August 4, 2024, at La Défense Arena.
Events on the program :
- 50 m freestyle
- 100m freestyle
- 200m freestyle
- 400m freestyle
- 800m freestyle
- 1500m freestyle
- 100m backstroke
- 200m backstroke
- 100m breaststroke
- 200m breaststroke
- 100m butterfly
- 200m butterfly
- 200m individual medley
- 400m individual medley
- 4 x 100m freestyle relay
- 4 x 200m freestyle relay
- 4 x 100m medley relay
- 4 x 100m medley mixed relay
The rules
For the time being, swimming doesn't really have any rules, but rather guidelines for good manners and respect for other swimmers when training in the pool.
The records
The Olympic swimming record is dominated by the United States, with more than 250 gold medals. American swimmer Michael Phelps holds the medal record with 28 trophies, including 23 gold in the men's event, and swimmer Jenny Thompson with 12 medals in all, including 8 gold.
The program of Olympic swimming events at the 2024 Olympics:
Saturday, July 27
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 100 m butterfly - women, heats
- 400 m freestyle - women, heats
- 100 m breaststroke - men, heats
- 400 m freestyle - men, heats
- 4x100 m freestyle relay - women, heats
- 4x100 m freestyle relay - men, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 100 m butterfly - women, semi-finals
- 400 m freestyle - men, final
- 400 m freestyle - women, final
- 100 m breaststroke - men, semi-finals
- 4 x 100 m freestyle relay - women, final
- 4 x 100 m freestyle relay - men, final
Sunday, July 28
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 200 m freestyle - men, heats
- 400 m individual medley - men, heats
- 100 m breaststroke - women, heats
- 100 m backstroke - men, heats
- 200 m freestyle - women, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 400 m individual medley - men, final
- 100 m butterfly - women, final
- 200 m freestyle - men, semi-final
- 100 m breaststroke - women, semi-finals
- 100 m backstroke - men, semi-finals
- 100 m breaststroke - men, final
- 200 m freestyle - women, semi-finals
Monday, July 29
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 400 m individual medley - women, heats
- 100 m backstroke - women, heats
- 800 m freestyle - men, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 400 m individual medley - women, final
- 200 m freestyle - men, final
- 100 m backstroke - women, semi-finals
- 100 m backstroke - men, final
- 100 m breaststroke - women, final
- 200 m freestyle - women, final
Tuesday, July 30
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 200 m butterfly - men, heats
- 100 m freestyle - men, heats
- 1,500 m freestyle - women, heats
- 100 m freestyle - women, heats
- 200 m breaststroke - men, heats
- 4 x 200 m freestyle relay - men, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 100 m freestyle - men, semi-finals
- 200 m butterfly - men, semi-finals
- 100 m backstroke - women, final
- 800 m freestyle - men, finals
- 100 m freestyle - women, semi-finals
- 200 m breaststroke - men, semi-finals
- 4x200 m freestyle relay - men, final
Wednesday, July 31
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 200 m breaststroke - women, heats
- 200 m backstroke - men, heats
- 200 m butterfly - women, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 100 m freestyle - women, final
- 200 m butterfly - men, final
- 200 m breaststroke - men, final
- 1500 m freestyle - women, final
- 200 m backstroke - men, semi-finals
- 200 m breaststroke - women, semi-finals
- 200 m butterfly - women, semi-finals
- 100 m freestyle - women, semi-finals
- 100 m freestyle - men, final
Thursday, August 1
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 200 m backstroke - women, heats
- 50 m freestyle - men, heats
- 200 m individual medley - men, heats
- 4 x 200 m freestyle relay - women, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 200 m butterfly - women, final
- 200 m backstroke - men, final
- 200 m backstroke - women, semi-finals
- 200 m breaststroke - women, final
- 200 m individual medley - men, semi-finals
- 30 m freestyle - men, semi-finals
- 4x200 m freestyle relay - women, final
Friday, August 2nd
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 100 m butterfly - men, heats
- 200 m individual medley - women, heats
- 800 m freestyle - women, heats
- 4 x 100 m medley relay - mixed, heats
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- 50 m freestyle - men, final
- 200 m backstroke - women, final
- 200 m individual medley - men, final
Saturday, August 3rd
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 50 m freestyle - women, heats
- 1500 m freestyle - women, semi-finals
- 200 m individual medley - women, final
- 800 m freestyle - women, final
- 4x100 m medley relay - mixed, final
Sunday, August 4th
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- 50 m freestyle - women, final
- 1,500 m freestyle - men, final
- 4 x 100 m medley relay - men, final
- 4 x 100 m medley relay - women, final
Olympics 2024: on which channels and at what time to watch the swimming and diving events?
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Olympics 2024: on which channels and at what time to watch the swimming and diving events?
