Paris Olympics 2024 Swimming: Essential Knowledge Before The Tournament

 

Swimming is one of the most watched events at the Olympic Games with the speed and stamina of the athletes, and the close racing, forming a thrilling spectacle for the audience.

There are 35 events on the Olympic swimming schedule at Paris 2024.

According to World Aquatics, 854 athletes – 463 male and 391 female – from 187 countries, the Individual Neutral Athletes and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) Refugee Olympic Team, will compete in the swimming events at the games.

Each participating nation at the Summer Games will have a chance to send at least two athletes to Paris and five – Dominica, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Vanuatu – will make their Olympic swimming debuts.

Which swimming-based events are part of Paris Olympics 2024?

Artistic swimming

Diving

Marathon swimming

Modern pentathlon

Triathlon

Water polo

Which pool swimming competitions will be held at the Olympics?

In addition to a mixed 4x100m medley relay, the world’s top swimmers will be vying for medals in these men’s and women’s categories:

50m freestyle

100m freestyle

200m freestyle

400m freestyle

800m freestyle

1,500m freestyle

100m backstroke

200m backstroke

100m breaststroke

200m breaststroke

100m butterfly

200m butterfly

200m individual medley

400m individual medley

4x100m freestyle relay

4x200m freestyle relay

4x100m medley relay

Which countries are favourites to bag the most swimming medals?

The United States has been leading the swimming medal tally for the past six Olympic Games, with Australia often finishing second.

China and Great Britain have been top five finishers at recent games, while some other European nations, including France and the Netherlands, have increasingly been winning medals.

This year’s favourites will be:

Australia

United States

China

Great Britain

Who are the top swimmers to watch at Paris 2024 Olympics?

Here are Al Jazeera’s picks for the men’s and women’s swimmers set to rule the pool at the Games:

Leon Marchand (France): The man named the French Michael Phelps is the favourite to bag gold in the pool in several competitions, including men’s 400m medley, 200m medley and 200m butterfly.

David Popovici (Romania): The 19-year-old Romanian will be the one to watch in the men’s 100m freestyle competition.

Kyle Chalmers (Australia): The powerful Australian will be another top-three contender for gold in the men’s 100m freestyle. Chalmers won gold in the 100m freestyle at the 2016 Olympics and silver at the 2020 Olympics.

Caeleb Dressel (US): The celebrated American swimmer holds six Olympic gold medals from two Olympics and will be looking to add to his tally in the men’s butterfly and freestyle events.

Katie Ledecky (US): The 27-year-old American, who holds seven Olympic gold medals, will once again be the favourite in the women’s freestyle events to improve her record tally.

Summer McIntosh (Canada): The 17-year-old McIntosh is expected to be in several events, including the 800m freestyle which Ledecky has ruled for more than a decade.

Ariarne Titmus (Australia): Titmus is the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 200m and 400m freestyle, having won both events at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is also the world record holder for 200m and 400m freestyle.

Kaylee McKeown (Australia): The Australian appears poised for another big performance after sweeping the women’s backstroke events at the 2023 world championship. McKeown is part of a powerhouse Aussie women’s team which also includes Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan.

Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden): The Swede will be competing in her fifth Olympic Games and will be among the favourites for gold in the women’s 100m freestyle.

Adam Peaty (UK): Peaty is the greatest 100m breaststroker in history, having swum the 14 fastest times of all time and taken gold at the past two Olympics.

What’s the swimming pool schedule for the Olympics?

The pool swimming competitions will get under way on July 27 with several men’s and women’s events.

The first medals will be handed out in the evening for the men’s and women’s 400m freestyle as well as both the 4x100m freestyle relay competitions.

The last swimming finals will be held on August 4, with the women’s 50m freestyle, men’s 1,500m freestyle, as well as the men’s and women’s 4x100m medal relay finals.

‘Must watch’ swimming events at the 2024 Olympics:

Men’s 100m freestyle – One of the premier events at the Olympics, the men’s 100m freestyle promises to be an epic contest between Chinese world record holder Pan Zhanle, teenage sprint phenom and former world record holder David Popovici of Romania, and Australia’s 2016 Olympics gold medal winner Kyle Chalmers.

The men’s 100m freestyle will be held at 10:20pm local time (1920 GMT) on Wednesday July 31.

Women’s 400m freestyle – This event has been billed by the media as the ‘race of the century’ and features three superstars of the swimming world: Katie Ledecky, Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.

The women’s 400m freestyle final will be held at 8:50pm local time (1850 GMT) on Saturday 27 July. Read more about this incredible three-way rivalry in the pool.

- Al Jazeera