A Historical Overview of Swimming as an Olympics Sport.
Swimming was officially considered a sport in the middle of the 19th century after England’s National Swimming Society was established in London in 1837. Subsequently, the first major swimming tournament was held in Australia in 1846. However, swimming became a part of the first Olympic games in 1896 in Athens, Greece. With gymnastics, fencing, and athletics, swimming remains one of the four Olympic events from 1896 that was retained.
It is important to note that, during the 1896 Olympics, there was a 100-meter freestyle swimming event dedicated only to sailors in the Greek navy. Also, before the London Olympics, which introduced indoor swimming pools in 1908, Olympic Swimming happened in open waters. Swimmers were often subject to unpredictable weather conditions and waves.
For instance, before the 1908 London Olympics, swimmers were exposed to water temperatures as low as 55.4 degrees Fahrenheit. However, today the modern Olympic swimming pool has a temperature of about 77 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, before the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, only men were allowed to participate in the swimming event. However, women were only allowed to participate in the 100- and 400-meter freestyle relay in the 1912 Olympics.
After World War II, there was a surge in technology and innovation, as the whole of Europe focused on rebuilding what remained of the continent. This advancement in technology and innovation also positively impacted sports. For instance, this era saw the introduction of improved training facilities and methods like better pool systems and hydrodynamic swimsuits.
Further, by the 1950s and 1960s, new swimming styles and events were introduced into the Olympics. For instance, the butterfly stroke was introduced in the Melbourne Olympics of 1968. That year, the number of swimming events for men at the Olympics increased from 10 to 15, while the women’s events increased from eight to fourteen.
Similarly, between the 1970s and the 1980s, the world was wowed by the exceptional abilities of swimmers like Matt Biondi, Michael Gross, Kristen Otto, and Mark Spitz. Today swimmers like Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps dominate swimming events at the Olympics. Michael Phelps is considered the most decorated Olympic athlete in history, having won 28 medals at the games. He also surpassed Mark Spitz’s record of seven successive first finishes at an Olympic game.
On the other hand, Ledecky might soon become the most decorated female swimmer at the Olympic games. So far, she has won seven gold medals at the Olympic games.
The Tokyo Olympics introduced an era of gender equality in the Olympic games. Male and female athletes were allowed to participate in the same number of events for the first time. Therefore, compared to the 32 swimming events at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, the Tokyo Olympics introduced three new swimming events, making it 35 events.
Notable among these events at the Tokyo 2020 games was the mixed 400 meters medley relay. This new category allowed men and women to compete in the same teams. Britain won this event within the time of 3 minutes. China and Australia came second and third respectively.
