# List of Olympic records in swimming

The International Olympic Committee recognises the fastest performances in pool-based swimming events at the Olympic Games. Men's swimming has been part of the official program of the Summer Olympics since the Games' modern inception in 1896; it was not until 1912 that women's events were held. The swimming events at the 1896 Olympic Games were held in a bay in the Aegean Sea with swimmers being required to swim to the shore—Hungarian swimmer Alfréd Hajós won two gold medals that year, saying "My will to live completely overcame my desire to win." The 1900 Summer Olympic Games in Paris had the swimming events take place in the River Seine, and the events at the 1908 Summer Olympics were held in a 100-metre pool surrounded by an athletics track in the White City Stadium in London.
Races are held in four swimming categories: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, over varying distances and in either individual or relay race events. Medley swimming races are also held, both individually and in relays, in which all four swimming categories are used. In the Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, both men and women competed in eighteen events in the pool. Of the 35 pool-based events, swimmers from the United States hold fifteen records, Australia five, France four, China, Canada and South Africa two each, and one each to Ireland, Great Britain, Russian Olympic Committee, Hungary, and Sweden. Nineteen of the current Olympic records were set at the 2024 Summer Olympics, seven in 2020, five in 2016, one in 2012, and three in 2008.

## Men's records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.
| Event | Time | Name | Nation | Games | Date |
| 50 m freestyle | 21.07 | Caeleb Dressel | United States (USA) | 2020 Tokyo | 1 August 2021 |
| 100 m freestyle | ♦46.40 | Pan Zhanle | China (CHN) | 2024 Paris | 31 July 2024 |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:42.96 | Michael Phelps | United States (USA) | 2008 Beijing | 12 August 2008 |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:40.14 | Sun Yang | China (CHN) | 2012 London | 28 July 2012 |
| 800 m freestyle | 7:38.19 | Daniel Wiffen | Ireland (IRL) | 2024 Paris | 30 July 2024 |
| 1500 m freestyle | ♦14:30.67 | Robert Finke | United States (USA) | 2024 Paris | 4 August 2024 |
| 100 m backstroke | 51.85 | Ryan Murphy | United States (USA) | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 13 August 2016 |
| 200 m backstroke | 1:53.27 | Evgeny Rylov | ROC | 2020 Tokyo | 30 July 2021 |
| 100 m breaststroke | 57.13 | Adam Peaty | Great Britain (GBR) | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 7 August 2016 |
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:05.85 | Léon Marchand | France (FRA) | 2024 Paris | 31 July 2024 |
| 100 m butterfly | ♦49.45 | Caeleb Dressel | United States (USA) | 2020 Tokyo | 31 July 2021 |
| 200 m butterfly | 1:51.21 | Léon Marchand | France (FRA) | 2024 Paris | 31 July 2024 |
| 200 m individual medley | 1:54.06 | Léon Marchand | France (FRA) | 2024 Paris | 2 August 2024 |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:02.95 | Léon Marchand | France (FRA) | 2024 Paris | 28 July 2024 |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | ♦3:08.24 | Michael Phelps (47.51) Garrett Weber-Gale (47.02) Cullen Jones (47.65) Jason Lezak (46.06) | United States (USA) | 2008 Beijing | 11 August 2008 |
| 4×200 m freestyle relay | 6:58.56 | Michael Phelps (1:43.31) Ryan Lochte (1:44.28) Ricky Berens (1:46.29) Peter Vanderkaay (1:44.68) | United States (USA) | 2008 Beijing | 13 August 2008 |
| 4×100 m medley relay | ♦3:26.78 | Ryan Murphy (52.31) Michael Andrew (58.49) Caeleb Dressel (49.03) Zach Apple (46.95) | United States (USA) | 2020 Tokyo | 1 August 2021 |

## Women's records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.
| Event | Time | Name | Nation | Games | Date |
| 50 m freestyle | 23.66 | Sarah Sjöström | Sweden (SWE) | 2024 Paris | 3 August 2024 |
| 100 m freestyle | 51.96 | Emma McKeon | Australia (AUS) | 2020 Tokyo | 30 July 2021 |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:53.27 | Mollie O'Callaghan | Australia (AUS) | 2024 Paris | 29 July 2024 |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:56.46 | Katie Ledecky | United States (USA) | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 7 August 2016 |
| 800 m freestyle | ♦8:04.79 | Katie Ledecky | United States (USA) | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 12 August 2016 |
| 1500 m freestyle | 15:30.02 | Katie Ledecky | United States (USA) | 2024 Paris | 31 July 2024 |
| 100 m backstroke | 57.28 | Regan Smith | United States (USA) | 2024 Paris | 4 August 2024 |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:03.73 | Kaylee McKeown | Australia (AUS) | 2024 Paris | 2 August 2024 |
| 100 m breaststroke | 1:04.82 | Tatjana Schoenmaker | South Africa (RSA) | 2020 Tokyo | 25 July 2021 |
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:18.95 | Tatjana Schoenmaker | South Africa (RSA) | 2020 Tokyo | 30 July 2021 |
| 100 m butterfly | 55.38 | Gretchen Walsh | United States (USA) | 2024 Paris | 27 July 2024 |
| 200 m butterfly | 2:03.03 | Summer McIntosh | Canada (CAN) | 2024 Paris | 1 August 2024 |
| 200 m individual medley | 2:06.56 | Summer McIntosh | Canada (CAN) | 2024 Paris | 3 August 2024 |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:26.36 | Katinka Hosszú | Hungary (HUN) | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 6 August 2016 |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:28.92 | Mollie O'Callaghan (52.24) Shayna Jack (52.35) Emma McKeon (52.39) Meg Harris (51.94) | Australia (AUS) | 2024 Paris | 27 July 2024 |
| 4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:38:08 | Mollie O'Callaghan (1:53.52) Lani Pallister (1:55.61) Brianna Throssell (1:56.00) Ariarne Titmus (1:52.95) | Australia (AUS) | 2024 Paris | 1 August 2024 |
| 4×100 m medley relay | ♦3:49.63 | Regan Smith (57.28) Lilly King (1:04.90) Gretchen Walsh (55.03) Torri Huske (52.42) | United States (USA) | 2024 Paris | 4 August 2024 |

## Mixed records

♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events.
| Event | Time | Name | Nation | Games | Date | Ref |
| 4×100 m medley relay | ♦3:37.43 | Ryan Murphy (52.08) Nicolas Fink (58.29) Gretchen Walsh (55.18) Torri Huske (51.88) | United States | 2024 Paris | 3 August 2024 | |

## Footnotes

* ^ Ryan Murphy broke the men's 100 m backstroke world record in the final of the men's 4×100 m medley relay.
* ^ Sarah Sjöström broke the Olympic record in semifinal 2 of the women's 50 m freestyle.
* ^ Regan Smith broke the women's 100 m backstroke Olympic record in the final of the women's 4×100 m medley relay.
* ^ Tatjana Smith broke the Olympic record in heat 5 of the women's 100 m breaststroke.
* ^ Gretchen Walsh broke the Olympic record in semifinal 1 of the women's 100 m butterfly.