Swimming as a sport has been around since the early 1800s. Different categories of the sport exist from butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle and individual medley. Some of the athletes in these categories have performed exceptionally well at the international level.
Every other week Waterworks Aquatics organizes swimming competitions. Your kids have the opportunity to compete against their classmates, try to collect championship ribbons and beat their own final times. From IM to freestyle and breaststroke, kids learn the fundamentals in a fun competitive environment in our heated 25 yard pool. Hundreds of athletes practice day and night for one day at the Olympic Games, held every four years. There are many different idols and legends to look up to, so we decided to compile the top swimmers of all time.
Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz one of the most decorated swimmers of all time. His spectacular achievement of seven consecutive gold medals in a single Olympics at the 1972 Munich Games was long considered unbroken. That was until Michael Phelps repeated and bettered it at the 2008 Beijing Games. Nicknamed Mark the Shark, he had set several records throughout his career. Spitz goes down in history as a swimming legend, with 11 medals, nine of which are gold.
Mark Spitz World Records
- Men’s 100m freestyle (long course) (1970 – 1975)
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (1969 – 1974)
- Men’s 100m butterfly (long course) (1967 – 1977)
- Men’s 200m butterfly (long course) (1967 – 1976)
Michael Phelps
Michael holds the all-time world record for Olympic gold medals with 23 gold, three silver and two bronze medals, and is the record holder for the most gold medals ever earned in a single Olympics.
Michael Phelps World Records
- Men’s 400m individual medley (long course) (2002 – present)
- Men’s 200m individual medley (long course) (2003 – 2009)
- Men’s 100m butterfly (long course) (2003 – 2019)
- Men’s 200m butterfly (long course) (2001 – 2019)
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (2007 – 2009)
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe (nicknamed Thorpedo and Thorpe) is a retired Australian freestyle swimmer. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most by any Australian, and at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, he became the first man to win six gold medals at one world championship. Overall, Thorpe has won eleven world championship golds, the second most of any swimmer.
Ian Thorpe World Records
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (1999 – 2007)
- Men’s 400m freestyle (long course) (1999 – 2009)
- Men’s 800m freestyle (long course) (2001 – 2005)
His international swimming awards
- Swimming World Swimmer of the Year (four times)
- Australian Swimmer of the Year (1999 to 2003)
- Young Australian of the Year (2000)
Aleksandr Popov
Born on 16 November 1971, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Popov is a former Russian swimmer widely regarded as the greatest sprint swimmer in history. Popov won gold medals in both the 50 m and 100 m freestyle at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics, becoming the only man in Olympic history to defend both titles.
Aleksandr Popov World Records
- Men’s 50m freestyle (long course)
- Men’s 100m freestyle (long course)
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband (nicknamed The Flying Dutchman and Hoogie) is a Dutch former swimmer and triple Olympic champion. He began competing in the Olympic Games at the age of 18 and has won three gold, 10 silver and four bronze Olympic medals throughout his career.
Pieter van den Hoogenband World Records
- Men’s 100m freestyle (long course) (2000 – 2008)
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (2000 – 2001)
His international swimming awards
- Dutch Sportsman of the Year (twice)
- World Swimmer of the Year (2000)
- European Swimmer of the Year (three times)
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller, widely regarded as the greatest swimmer of all time and a celebrated actor, won five Olympic gold medals for the United States and set 67 world records during his career. Weissmuller was discovered by American swimming coach William Bacharak while swimming at the Illinois Athletic Club.
Johnny Weissmuller World Records
- Men’s 100m freestyle (long course) (1922 – 1934)
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (1922 – 1935)
- Men’s 400m freestyle (short course) (1922 – 1924)
- Men’s 800m freestyle (long course) (1927 – 1930)
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett is an Australian former swimmer who is most famous for winning the men’s 1500 m freestyle at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This feat has earned him recognition as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history.
Grant Hackett World Records
- Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) (1999)
- Men’s 800m freestyle (long course) (2005 – 2009)
- Men’s 800m freestyle (short course) (2001 – 2009)
- Men’s 1500m freestyle (long course) (2001 – 2011)
- Men’s 1500m freestyle (long course) (1998 – 2015)
His international swimming awards
- Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year (2005)
- Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year (2005)
Krisztina Egerszegi
Krisztina Egerszegi is a Hungarian former world record holder swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern era. She is a three-time Olympian (1988, 1992 and 1996) and a five-time Olympic champion; and one of two people to have won the same swimming event in 3 consecutive Summer Olympics.
Krisztina Egerszegi World Records
- Women’s 100m backstroke (long course) (1991 – 1994)
- Women’s 200m backstroke (long course) (1991 – 2008)
Her international swimming awards
- Best Female Athlete of Europe (1992)
- The Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year (1988 – 1993 / 1996)
- World Swimmer of the Year (1991 – 1992 / 1995)
- European Swimmer of the Year (1990 – 1992 / 1995)
- The Hungarian Female Athlete of the Century (2001)
Debbie Meyer
Deborah Elizabeth Mayer is a former American swimmer who won the 200, 400 and 800 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. While still a 16-year-old student at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California, she became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals in one Olympics.
Kristin Otto
Kristin Otto is a German Olympic swimming champion. She is most famous for being the first woman to win six gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Otto was also the first woman to swim the short course 100 m backstroke under one minute at an international short course meet. in 1983 at Indiana University.
Kristin Otto World Records
- Women’s 100m freestyle (long course) (1986 – 1992)
- Women’s 200m freestyle (long course) (1984 – 1986)
Her international swimming awards
- World Swimmer of the Year (1984, 1986, 1988)
- European Swimmer of the Year (1984, 1986, 1988)
- East German Sportswoman of the Year (1988 – 1989)
