# List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (men)

This is an overview of the men's swimming champions in individual events at the Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships. These tournaments are the only global long course (50 meter pool) swimming championships organized by world swimming federation FINA. This list gives an overview of the dominant swimmers throughout the history of swimming.
Currently, the Olympic program includes 14 individual events, and the World Championships program 17. These numbers were lower in the past, as shown in the table.
Asterisks (*) link to the event article. Use the sort function in the left-hand column to separate Olympics and World Championships.
| Year | Freestyle | Freestyle | Freestyle | Freestyle | Freestyle | Freestyle | Backstroke | Backstroke | Backstroke | Breaststroke | Breaststroke | Breaststroke | Butterfly | Butterfly | Butterfly | Individual medley | Individual medley |
| Year | 50 m | 100 m | 200 m | 400 m | 800 m | 1500 m | 50 m | 100 m | 200 m | 50 m | 100 m | 200 m | 50 m | 100 m | 200 m | 200 m | 400 m |
| OG 1896 | – | Hajós* | – | Neumann* (500 m) | – | Hajós* (1200 m) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1900 | – | – | Lane* | – | Jarvis* (1000 m) | – | – | – | Hoppenberg* | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1904 | Halmay* (50 yd) | Halmay* (100 yd) | Daniels* (220 yd) | Daniels* (440 yd) | Rausch* (880 yd) | Rausch* (1 mile) | – | Brack* (100 yd) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1908 | – | Daniels* | – | Taylor* | – | Taylor* | – | Bieberstein* | – | – | – | Holman* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1912 | – | Kahanamoku* | – | Hodgson* | – | Hodgson* | – | Hebner* | – | – | – | Bathe* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1920 | – | Kahanamoku* | – | Ross* | – | Ross* | – | Kealoha* | – | – | – | Malmrot* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1924 | – | Weissmuller* | – | Weissmuller* | – | Charlton* | – | Kealoha* | – | – | – | Skelton* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1928 | – | Weissmuller* | – | Zorrilla* | – | Borg* | – | Kojac* | – | – | – | Tsuruta* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1932 | – | Miyazaki* | – | Crabbe* | – | Kitamura* | – | Kiyokawa* | – | – | – | Tsuruta* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1936 | – | Csik* | – | Medica* | – | Terada* | – | Kiefer* | – | – | – | Hamuro* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1948 | – | Ris* | – | Smith* | – | McLane* | – | Stack* | – | – | – | Verdeur* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1952 | – | Scholes* | – | Boiteux* | – | Konno* | – | Oyakawa* | – | – | – | Davies* | – | – | – | – | – |
| OG 1956 | – | Henricks* | – | Rose* | – | Rose* | – | Theile* | – | – | – | Furukawa* | – | – | Yorzyk* | – | – |
| OG 1960 | – | Devitt* | – | Rose* | – | Konrads* | – | Theile* | – | – | – | Mulliken* | – | – | Troy* | – | – |
| OG 1964 | – | Schollander* | – | Schollander* | – | Windle* | – | – | Graef* | – | – | O'Brien* | – | – | Berry* | – | Roth* |
| OG 1968 | – | Wenden* | Wenden* | Burton* | – | Burton* | – | Matthes* | Matthes* | – | McKenzie* | Muñoz* | – | Russell* | Robie* | Hickcox* | Hickcox* |
| OG 1972 | – | Spitz* | Spitz* | Cooper* | – | Burton* | – | Matthes* | Matthes* | – | Taguchi* | Hencken* | – | Spitz* | Spitz* | Larsson* | Larsson* |
| WC 1973 | – | Montgomery* | Montgomery* | DeMont* | – | Holland* | – | Matthes* | Matthes* | – | Hencken* | Wilkie* | – | Robertson* | Backhaus* | Larsson* | Hargitay* |
| WC 1975 | – | Coan* | Shaw* | Shaw* | – | Shaw* | – | Matthes* | Verrasztó* | – | Wilkie* | Wilkie* | – | Jagenburg* | Forrester* | Hargitay* | Hargitay* |
| OG 1976 | – | Montgomery* | Furniss* | Goodell* | – | Goodell* | – | Naber* | Naber* | – | Hencken* | Wilkie* | – | Vogel* | Bruner* | – | Strachan* |
| WC 1978 | – | McCagg* | Forrester* | Salnikov* | – | Salnikov* | – | Jackson* | Vassallo* | – | Kusch* | Nevid* | – | Bottom* | Bruner* | Smith* | Vassallo* |
| OG 1980 | – | Woithe* | Koplyakov* | Salnikov* | – | Salnikov* | – | Baron* | Wladár* | – | Goodhew* | Žulpa* | – | Arvidsson* | Fesenko* | – | Sydorenko* |
| WC 1982 | – | Woithe* | Gross* | Salnikov* | – | Salnikov* | – | Richter* | Carey* | – | Lundquist* | Davis* | – | Gribble* | Gross* | Sydorenko* | Prado* |
| OG 1984 | – | Gaines* | Gross* | DiCarlo* | – | O'Brien* | – | Carey* | Carey* | – | Lundquist* | Davis* | – | Gross* | Sieben* | Baumann* | Baumann* |
| WC 1986 | Jager* | Biondi* | Gross* | Henkel* | – | Henkel* | – | Polyansky* | Polyansky* | – | Davis* | Szabó* | – | Morales* | Gross* | Darnyi* | Darnyi* |
| OG 1988 | Biondi* | Biondi* | Armstrong* | Dassler* | – | Salnikov* | – | Suzuki* | Polyansky* | – | Moorhouse* | Szabó* | – | Nesty* | Gross* | Darnyi* | Darnyi* |
| WC 1991 | Jager* | Biondi* | Lamberti* | Hoffmann* | – | Hoffmann* | – | Rouse* | López-Zubero* | – | Rózsa* | Barrowman* | – | Nesty* | Stewart* | Darnyi* | Darnyi* |
| OG 1992 | Popov* | Popov* | Sadovyi* | Sadovyi* | – | Perkins* | – | Tewksbury* | López-Zubero* | – | Diebel* | Barrowman* | – | Morales* | Stewart* | Darnyi* | Darnyi* |
| WC 1994 | Popov* | Popov* | Kasvio* | Perkins* | – | Perkins* | – | López-Zubero* | Selkov* | – | Rózsa* | Rózsa* | – | Szukała* | Pankratov* | Sievinen* | Dolan* |
| OG 1996 | Popov* | Popov* | Loader* | Loader* | – | Perkins* | – | Rouse* | Bridgewater* | – | Deburgh-graeve* | Rózsa* | – | Pankratov* | Pankratov* | Czene* | Dolan* |
| WC 1998 | Pilczuk* | Popov* | Klim* | Thorpe* | – | Hackett* | – | Krayzelburg* | Krayzelburg* | – | Deburgh-graeve* | Grote* | – | Klim* | Sylantyev* | Wouda* | Dolan* |
| OG 2000 | Ervin & Hall, Jr.* | Van den Hoogenband* | Van den Hoogenband* | Thorpe* | – | Hackett* | – | Krayzelburg* | Krayzelburg* | – | Fioravanti* | Fioravanti* | – | Frölander* | Malchow* | Rosolino* | Dolan* |
| WC 2001 | Ervin* | Ervin* | Thorpe* | Thorpe* | Thorpe* | Hackett* | Bal* | Welsh* | Peirsol* | Lisohor* | Sludnov* | Hansen* | Huegill* | Frölander* | Phelps* | Rosolino* | Boggiatto* |
| WC 2003 | Popov* | Popov* | Thorpe* | Thorpe* | Hackett* | Hackett* | Rupprath* | Peirsol* | Peirsol* | Gibson* | Kitajima* | Kitajima* | Welsh* | Crocker* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* |
| OG 2004 | Hall, Jr.* | Van den Hoogenband* | Thorpe* | Thorpe* | – | Hackett* | – | Peirsol* | Peirsol* | – | Kitajima* | Kitajima* | – | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* |
| WC 2005 | Schoeman* | Magnini* | Phelps* | Hackett* | Hackett* | Hackett* | Grigoriadis* | Peirsol* | Peirsol* | Warnecke* | Hansen* | Hansen* | Schoeman* | Crocker* | Korze-niowski* | Phelps* | Cseh* |
| WC 2007 | Wildman-Tobriner* | Hayden & Magnini* | Phelps* | Park* | Stańczyk* | Sawry-mowicz* | Zandberg* | Peirsol* | Lochte* | Lisohor* | Hansen* | Kitajima* | Schoeman* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* |
| OG 2008 | Cielo* | Bernard* | Phelps* | Park* | – | Mellouli* | – | Peirsol* | Lochte* | – | Kitajima* | Kitajima* | – | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Phelps* |
| WC 2009 | Cielo* | Cielo* | Biedermann* | Biedermann* | Zhang* | Mellouli* | Tancock* | Koga* | Peirsol* | Van der Burgh* | Rickard* | Gyurta* | Čavić* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Lochte* | Lochte* |
| WC 2011 | Cielo* | Magnussen* | Lochte* | Park* | Sun* | Sun* | Tancock* | Lacourt & Stravius* | Lochte* | França Silva* | Dale Oen* | Gyurta* | Cielo* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Lochte* | Lochte* |
| OG 2012 | Manaudou* | Adrian* | Agnel* | Sun* | – | Sun* | – | Grevers* | Clary* | – | Van der Burgh* | Gyurta* | – | Phelps* | Le Clos* | Phelps* | Lochte* |
| WC 2013 | Cielo* | Magnussen* | Agnel* | Sun* | Sun* | Sun* | Lacourt* | Grevers* | Lochte* | Van der Burgh* | Sprenger* | Gyurta* | Cielo* | Le Clos* | Le Clos* | Lochte* | Seto* |
| WC 2015 | Manaudou* | Ning* | Guy* | Sun* | Sun* | Paltrinieri* | Lacourt* | Larkin* | Larkin* | Peaty* | Peaty* | Koch* | Manaudou* | Le Clos* | Cseh* | Lochte* | Seto* |
| OG 2016 | Ervin* | Chalmers* | Sun* | Horton* | – | Paltrinieri* | – | Murphy* | Murphy* | – | Peaty* | Balandin* | – | Schooling* | Phelps* | Phelps* | Hagino* |
| WC 2017 | Dressel* | Dressel* | Sun* | Sun* | Detti* | Paltrinieri* | Lacourt* | Xu* | Rylov* | Peaty* | Peaty* | Chupkov* | Proud* | Dressel* | Le Clos* | Kalisz* | Kalisz* |
| WC 2019 | Dressel* | Dressel* | Sun* | Sun* | Paltrinieri* | Wellbrock* | Waddell* | Xu* | Rylov* | Peaty* | Peaty* | Chupkov* | Dressel* | Dressel* | Milák* | Seto* | Seto* |
| OG 2020 | Dressel* | Dressel* | Dean* | Hafnaoui* | Finke* | Finke* | – | Rylov* | Rylov* | – | Peaty* | Stubblety-Cook* | – | Dressel* | Milák* | Wang* | Kalisz* |
| WC 2022 | Proud* | Popovici* | Popovici* | Winnington* | Finke* | Paltrinieri* | Ress* | Ceccon* | Murphy* | Fink* | Martinenghi* | Stubblety-Cook* | Dressel* | Milák* | Milák* | Marchand* | Marchand* |
| WC 2023 | McEvoy* | Chalmers* | Richards* | Short* | Hafnaoui* | Hafnaoui* | Armstrong* | Murphy* | Kós* | Qin* | Qin* | Qin* | Ceccon* | Grousset* | Marchand* | Marchand* | Marchand* |
| WC 2024 | Bukhov* | Pan* | Hwang* | Kim* | Wiffen* | Wiffen* | Cooper* | Armstrong* | González* | Williamson* | Fink* | Dong* | Ribeiro* | Ribeiro* | Honda* | Knox* | Clareburt* |
| OG 2024 | McEvoy* | Pan* | Popovici* | Märtens* | Wiffen* | Finke* | – | Ceccon* | Kós* | – | Martinenghi* | Marchand* | – | Milák* | Marchand* | Marchand* | Marchand* |
Note: Only events that are presently contested have their own column in the above table. In some of the early Olympics, events were held that have been discontinued later on. Where possible, the champions in these events have been placed in a column corresponding to the nearest distance. In those cases the actual distance is added below the champion's name. Champions not included in the table are:
* OG 1896. 100 m freestyle for sailors: Malokinis
* OG 1900. 4000 m freestyle: Jarvis, 200 m obstacle: Lane, underwater: Devendeville
* OG 1904. 440 yd breaststroke: Zacharias
* OG 1912. 400 m breaststroke: Bathe
* OG 1920. 400 m breaststroke: Malmrot

## Title leaders

* The leaders in these events are listed below. All swimmers with at least three individual titles are included. Note that this list favors more recent swimmers due to the increasing number of events held, and the introduction and increasing frequency of the World Championships.
Asterisks (*) and bold denote active swimmers
| Rank | Name | Year of birth | Total titles | Olympic Games | World Championships | Time span |
| 1. | Michael Phelps | 1985 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 2001–2016 (16) |
| 2. | Sun Yang* | 1991 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 2011–2019 (9) |
| 3. | Ryan Lochte* | 1984 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 2007–2015 (9) |
| 4. | Caeleb Dressel* | 1996 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 2017–2022 (6) |
| 5. | Aaron Peirsol | 1983 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 2001–2009 (9) |
| 6. | Alexander Popov | 1971 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1992–2003 (12) |
| 6. | Léon Marchand* | 2002 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2022–2024 (3) |
| 6. | Ian Thorpe | 1982 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1998–2004 (7) |
| 6. | Grant Hackett | 1980 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1998–2005 (8) |
| 10. | Tamás Darnyi | 1967 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1986–1992 (7) |
| 10. | Adam Peaty* | 1994 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2015–2021 (7) |
| 12. | Roland Matthes | 1950 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1968–1975 (8) |
| 12. | Kosuke Kitajima | 1982 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2003–2008 (6) |
| 12. | Michael Gross | 1964 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1982–1988 (7) |
| 12. | Vladimir Salnikov | 1960 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1978–1988 (11) |
| 12. | César Cielo | 1987 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2008–2013 (6) |
| 17. | Kristóf Milák* | 2000 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2019–2024 (6) |
| 17. | Chad le Clos* | 1992 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2012–2017 (6) |
| 17. | Gregorio Paltrinieri* | 1994 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2015–2022 (8) |
| 20. | Mark Spitz | 1950 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1972 (1) |
| 20. | Bobby Finke* | 1999 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2021–2024 (4) |
| 20. | Matt Biondi | 1965 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1986–1991 (6) |
| 20. | Kieren Perkins | 1973 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1992–1996 (5) |
| 20. | Tom Dolan | 1975 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1994–2000 (7) |
| 20. | Lenny Krayzelburg | 1975 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1998–2000 (3) |
| 20. | Anthony Ervin* | 1981 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2000–2016 (17) |
| 20. | Evgeny Rylov* | 1996 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2017–2021 (5) |
| 20. | Ryan Murphy* | 1995 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2016–2023 (8) |
| 20. | David Wilkie | 1954 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1973–1976 (4) |
| 20. | Norbert Rózsa | 1972 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1991–1996 (6) |
| 20. | Dániel Gyurta | 1989 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2009–2013 (5) |
| 20. | Brendan Hansen | 1981 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2001–2007 (7) |
| 20. | Camille Lacourt | 1985 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2011–2017 (7) |
| 20. | Daiya Seto* | 1994 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2013–2019 (7) |
| 35. | Charles Daniels | 1885 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1904–1908 (5) |
| 35. | Johnny Weissmuller | 1904 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1924–1928 (5) |
| 35. | Murray Rose | 1939 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1956–1960 (5) |
| 35. | Mike Burton | 1947 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1968–1972 (5) |
| 35. | Pieter van den Hoogenband | 1978 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2000–2004 (5) |
| 35. | Gunnar Larsson | 1951 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1972–1973 (2) |
| 35. | John Hencken | 1954 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1972–1976 (5) |
| 35. | Rick Carey | 1963 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1982–1984 (3) |
| 35. | Denis Pankratov | 1974 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1994–1996 (3) |
| 35. | Jim Montgomery | 1955 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1973–1976 (4) |
| 35. | Victor Davis | 1964 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1982–1986 (5) |
| 35. | Igor Polyansky | 1967 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1986–1988 (3) |
| 35. | Martín López-Zubero | 1969 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1991–1994 (4) |
| 35. | Park Tae-hwan | 1989 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2007–2011 (5) |
| 35. | Cameron van der Burgh | 1988 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2009–2013 (5) |
| 35. | Florent Manaudou* | 1990 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2012–2015 (4) |
| 35. | Chase Kalisz* | 1994 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2017–2021 (5) |
| 35. | Ahmed Hafnaoui* | 2002 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2021–2023 (3) |
| 35. | Thomas Ceccon* | 2001 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2022–2024 (3) |
| 35. | David Popovici* | 2004 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2022–2024 (3) |
| 35. | Daniel Wiffen* | 2001 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2024 (1) |
| 35. | András Hargitay | 1956 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1973–1975 (3) |
| 35. | Tim Shaw | 1957 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1975 (1) |
| 35. | Roland Schoeman* | 1980 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2005–2007 (3) |
| 35. | Qin Haiyang* | 1999 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2023 (1) |