Swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics delivered enough thrills, drama and star power to fill a rugby stadium. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Paris provided to stage nine days of memorable competition.
Superstars emerged from near and far, legacies were created and cemented, and a rivalry electrified two top swimming nations.
Everything you need to know about swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics…
SEE MORE: Olympic swimming at Paris 2024: Results, highlights and medalists for every event
Medal table
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8 | 13 | 7 | 28 |
| Australia | 7 | 8 | 3 | 18 |
| China | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
| Canada | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| France | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Italy | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Great Britain | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Hungary | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Ireland | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
World and Olympic records
| Event | Athlete/Relay | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s 100m freestyle | Pan Zhanle (CHN) | 46.40 |
| Mixed 4x100m medley relay | United States | 3:37.43 |
| Men’s 1500m freestyle | Bobby Finke (USA) | 14:30.67 |
| Women’s 4x100m medley relay | United States | 3:49.63 |
| Event | Athlete/Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 100m butterfly | Gretchen Walsh (USA) | *55.38 |
| Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay | Australia | 3:28.92 |
| Men’s 400m IM | Leon Marchand (FRA) | 4:02.95 |
| Women’s 200m freestyle | Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) | 1:53.27 |
| Women’s 100m backstroke | Kaylee McKeown (AUS) | 57.33 |
| Men’s 800m freestyle | Daniel Wiffen (IRL) | 7:38.19 |
| Men’s 200m butterfly | Leon Marchand (FRA) | 1:51.21 |
| Women’s 1500m freestyle | Katie Ledecky (USA) | 15:30.02 |
| Men’s 200m breaststroke | Leon Marchand (FRA) | 2:05.85 |
| Women’s 200m butterfly | Summer McIntosh (CAN) | 2:03.03 |
| Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay | Australia | 7:38.08 |
| Men’s 200m IM | Leon Marchand (FRA) | 1:54.06 |
| Women’s 50m freestyle | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | *23.66 |
| Women’s 200m IM | Summer McIntosh (CAN) | 2:03.03 |
| Women’s 100m backstroke | Regan Smith (USA) | **57.28 |
*Record occurred in semifinal round
**Record occurred in leadoff leg of relay
Ledecky locks up GOAT status
To many, Katie Ledecky already held the title of greatest female Olympic swimmer before swimming a single lap in Paris. By the time her Games were done, she had left zero doubt.
Ledecky captured four medals, including two gold, at her fourth career Olympic Games, making history with just about every swim.
She dominated the women’s 1500m freestyle in typical Ledecky fashion, breaking her own Olympic record and tying Jenny Thompson for most-ever gold medals by a female swimmer at eight.
Then, she led the U.S. 4x200m freestyle relay team to silver, thereby becoming the most decorated female swimmer ever in terms of total Olympic medals.
Finally, Ledecky’s triumph in the 800m freestyle on the penultimate night of Olympic swimming put her on a short list of athletes to four-peat in an individual Olympic event, and also made her officially the winningest female swimmer in history, and second only to Michael Phelps across all genders.
By any measure, it was a wildly successful week for the all-time great. But, as if in a final testament to the mentality that has propelled her this far, Ledecky wasn’t completely satisfied when reflecting on her Olympics.
“I feel not every time was necessarily what I wanted this week, but I still felt so much joy going out there and racing. I think that’s what I’m going to remember the most,” she said.
Marchand conjures up Paris perfection
Every Olympics host nation needs a hometown hero. Japan had Daiki Hashimoto in 2021. Brazil had Bruno and Alison in 2016. Great Britain had Mo Farah in 2012.
Leon Marchand was all that and then some for France.
The Toulouse-born prodigy delivered an unprecedented 4-for-4 performance in his slate of individual events, which included winning the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke in the same night. Never before had an Olympic swimmer won two individual gold medals in the same session (no, not even Michael Phelps).
Marchand also captured gold in the 200m and 400m IMs, breaking the Olympic record in all four of his finals — everything went right for Marchand.
“I don’t think anything went wrong this week. It was perfect,” Marchand confirmed.
Bob Bowman, Marchand’s coach and the mastermind behind Phelps’ legendary career, agreed.
“It was just a complete success… He’s just 100% successful. So I’m very proud of him, it takes a lot to be perfect.”
Marchand managed it despite a mountain of pressure and expectation as the host nation’s best hope for a winner in the pool. Suffice it to say, the kid delivered.
USA and Australia go medal-for-medal
Much was made in the lead-up to the Paris Games about the race between Australia and Team USA to top the swimming gold medal count, and that drama only escalated as the meet unfolded.
Australia struck first, picking up two gold medals on opening night at La Defense Arena. Fueled mainly by their female stars, including Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown, the Aussies posted a total of seven gold medals by the final night of competition.
But it was Team USA who had the last laugh. The Americans, who entered the final night at six golds, got clutch performances from Bobby Finke in the men’s 1500m freestyle and from the women’s 4x100m medley relay team to overtake Australia and top the gold-medal count in the final swimming event of the Games.
As for total medals, though, it was the U.S. by a landslide.
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