A deep dive into the greatest swimmer apart from the mighty Michael Phelps!
Swimming is one of only five sports that have been featured in every modern Olympics since 1896. With the second-largest number of events after athletics, it sees numerous records broken in both male and female categories across short- and long-distance races. The United States dominates swimming, far outpacing second-place Australia in Olympic golds (USA: 230, Australia - 57). Not surprisingly, many of the sport's greatest names are American. The most successful Olympian ever, American swimmer Michael Phelps, is obviously a major reason for the USA's swimming dominance. However, in this piece, we will explore greats other than him, giving them a much-deserved spotlight!
Mark Spitz's remarkable achievement of winning seven consecutive gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics remained unmatched for 36 years until Michael Phelps surpassed it in Beijing in 2008. Mark ‘the Shark’ lived up to the tremendous expectations leading up to the 1972 Games by dominating the swimming events in Munich, setting a new world record in each of his seven victorious races—a feat that remains unparalleled. Although his attempt to make a comeback in Olympic swimming in 1992 at the age of 41 was unsuccessful, unlike Dara Torres, Spitz remains a legendary figure in history. He won a total of 11 Olympic medals, nine of which were gold, making him one of only five Olympians to have won nine or more gold medals at the Games.
A member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and an Olympic legend from California, Matthew Biondi won just one relay gold in his Olympic debut at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. However, in his second outing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Biondi dominated the competition, securing seven consecutive medals, five of which were gold, and setting four new world records. Nicknamed the California Condor for his impressive wingspan, Biondi was expected to surpass or match Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in Seoul, but he fell short. After winning two more team golds and an individual freestyle silver in Barcelona, Biondi retired in 1992 with an impressive tally of 11 Olympic medals across three editions (eight golds, two silvers, and one bronze).
Australia's most decorated Olympian, Ian Thorpe, gave the home audience much to cheer about as he became the most successful athlete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Nicknamed "The Thorpedo" for his incredible speed, the freestyle swimming specialist won 3 golds and 2 silvers in Sydney, and added 4 more medals, including 2 freestyle golds, at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His dominance in his favourite discipline for six years until his break after the Athens Games was a rare achievement at the Olympic level. Although his career was cut short by illness in 2006, Ian Thorpe had already established himself as one of the greatest swimmers in Olympic history.
Swimming has been featured in every Olympics since 1896. The USA dominates, leading with 230 golds compared to Australia’s 57. Among the greatest American swimmers, Michael Phelps stands out as the most successful Olympian ever. Dara Torres, from Beverly Hills, made a stunning comeback in Sydney 2000, earning two golds and three bronze medals. At 41, she became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic medal in Beijing in 2008, securing three silvers. Coach Michael Lohberg praised her record-breaking performance. Torres’s twelve Olympic medals across five Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008) highlight her enduring excellence.
Other greats include swimmers such as Natalie Coughlin, Amy Van Dyken, Ryan Lochte, Kristin Otto, and Janet Evans.
