For the reason that 1896 debut of swimming on the first fashionable Olympic Video games in Athens, 49 nations nonetheless present at present have gained a medal within the sport. Of those 49 nations, 27 lie throughout the continent of Europe, with at the least one European nation medaling in each Olympic Video games for the reason that first Olympiad in Athens in 1896. Because of nationwide borders shifting consistently all through the 20 th century, for this text, solely nations which might be nonetheless actively competing at present will likely be thought-about. (See Germany and Russia beneath)
Beneath, the nations which have gained a medal (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) in a contemporary Olympic Video games (since 1896) are listed, in alphabetical order. The newest swimming medalists for the nation (pool or open water swimming) are listed beneath the nation’s identify, together with the opposite Olympic video games by which that nation has gained a medal.
Austria: Beijing 2008
Austria, certainly one of three nations to medal in swimming on the first video games in Athens, appears to have nice success successful medals on the flip of a century. The nation’s most up-to-date medalist, breaststroker Mirna Jukic, nonetheless holds the Austrian nationwide data within the 50, 100, and 200 breaststrokes, all set in 2009. Alongside her bronze medal within the 100 breaststroke in Beijing, Jukić narrowly missed the rostrum within the 200 breaststroke, inserting fourth by 0.22 seconds. She stays to be Austria’s solely feminine particular person medalist in swimming.
Podium Appearances: 1896, 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 2004, 2008
Belarus: Rio 2016
Belarus’ solely medalist within the sport, Aliaksandra Herasimenia, was a standard sight on dash free podiums within the London and Rio Olympics. In 2012, Herasimenia gained a pair of silver medals within the 50 and 100 freestyles, ending behind the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo in each. Belarus had two swimmers make finals in Tokyo, with Ilya Shymanovich within the 100 breaststroke and Anastasiya Shkurdai within the 100 butterfly. Each swimmers positioned eighth.
Podium Appearances: 2012, 2016
Belgium: Rio 2016
In 2016, Timmers completed second amongst a star-studded area of 100 freestylers, together with Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy, Nathan Adrian, Caeleb Dressel, Duncan Scott, and Santo Condorelli. With this swim, he turned the primary Belgian in 20 years to win a medal on the Olympics, after Frédérik Deburghgraeve gained the 100 breaststroke in world file time in 1996.
Podium Appearances: 1920, 1924, 1984, 1996, 2016
Bulgaria: Seoul 1988
- Tanya Dangalakova: 100 Breast (Gold)
- Antoaneta Frenkeva: 100 Breast (Silver), 200 Breast (Bronze)
Bulgaria’s three medals all come from girls’s breaststroke occasions on the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. The duo of Dangalakova and Frenkeva swept the 100 breaststroke for his or her nation, taking the gold and silver medals forward of East German standout Silke Hörner. Frenkeva would go on to earn a bronze medal within the 200 breaststroke on the identical video games, making her Bulgaria’s solely dual-medal winner in swimming.
Podium Appearances: 1988
Croatia: Athens 2004
Duje Draganja, the silver medalist within the 50 freestyle in Athens, is the one Croatian to win a medal in swimming on the Olympics. On high of his Olympic success, Draganja was an eight-time NCAA champion competing for Cal. He was inducted into the California Athletics corridor of fame in 2018. Since 2004, Croatia hasn’t gained any medals in swimming, however the nation has had success within the pool in different disciplines, successful one gold and two silvers in water polo.
Podium Appearances: 2004
Denmark: Tokyo 2021
Denmark holds 15 medals throughout 10 Olympic video games, courting again so far as the second Olympiad in 1900. Pernille Blume, the bronze medalist within the 50 freestyle in 2021, is Denmark’s sole podium consultant from the Tokyo video games. Blume is the one swimmer in her nation’s historical past to medal in a number of Olympic video games, having positioned within the 50 freestyle in each Rio and Tokyo, in addition to the 4×100 medley relay in 2016.
Podium Appearances: 1900, 1908, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1980, 1988, 2008, 2016, 2021
Finland: Tokyo 2021
Matti Mattsson is Finland’s most up-to-date swimming medalist, after inserting third within the 200 breaststroke in Tokyo. The Finnish nationwide file holder within the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, Mattsson is certainly one of 4 medalists within the nation’s historical past, and is the one swimmer in Finnish historical past to interrupt a minute within the 100 breaststroke. Amongst Finland’s small batch of Olympic medalists, Mattsson is certainly one of two to have earned a spot on the rostrum in distance breaststroke occasion, the opposite being Arvo Aaltonen, the dual-bronze medalist within the 200 and 400 breaststrokes in 1920.
Podium Appearances: 1920, 1992, 1996, 2021
France: Tokyo 2021
France has gained 43 medals throughout 15 Olympics, with sprinter Florent Manaudou holding the dignity of France’s solely particular person medalist up to now two video games. Manaudou is also a member of a prestigious set of swimmers which have medalled in the identical occasion throughout three consecutive Olympiads (50 freestyle, gold in 2012, silver in 2016 and 2021), and he’s wanting so as to add a fourth medal within the 50 this summer season in his house nation.
Podium Appearances: 1900, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1964, 1968, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021
Germany: Tokyo 2021
Competing on the Tokyo 2021 video games, the now-married couple of Florian and Sarah Wellbrock had been Germany’s first pool swimming medalists since 2008. The couple gained a pair of bronze medals within the 1500 freestyles, and Florian later gained the ten kilometer marathon swim. As the ladies’s 1500 freestyle hadn’t been contested earlier than 2021, Sarah holds the dignity of being certainly one of three folks in historical past to win a medal on this occasion on the Olympics.
Podium Appearances: 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1928, 1936, 1952, ***, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2021
***From 1956-1988, some mixture of the United Crew of Germany, East Germany, and West Germany gained medals.
Nice Britain: Tokyo 2021
- Tom Dean: 200 Free (Gold)
- Luke Greenbank: 200 Again (Bronze)
- Adam Peaty: 100 Breast (Gold)
- Duncan Scott: 200 Free/200 IM (Silver)
- Males’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay: Gold
- Males’s 4×100 Medley Relay: Silver
- Combined 4×100 Medley Relay: Gold
Nice Britain has medaled in at the least one swimming occasion at each Olympics barring 1896 and 1904, making them essentially the most constant medal contenders within the historical past of Olympic swimming. Their over-100-year podium streak is presently being preserved by a deep 200 freestyle area and present 100 breaststroke world-record holder Adam Peaty. The nation has 4 gold medals that they’ll need to battle to defend in Paris, with an thrilling area of opponents, most notably the boys’s 200 freestyle and the blended 4×100 medley relay.
Podium Appearances: 1900, 1908, 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021
Greece: Rio 2016
Greece, the host nation for the primary video games in 1896, has an attention-grabbing historical past inside Olympic swimming. Their solely medals in “pool swimming” (if it may possibly even be thought-about that, the unique competitors was held within the Bay of Zea, off the coast of Athens) come from the primary video games, by which occasions like the five hundred meter freestyle, 1200 meter freestyle, and a particular model of the 100 freestyle, solely open to Greek naval sailors, had been contested. Spyridon Gianniotis turned the primary swimmer in 120 years to medal within the water for Greece, successful a silver medal within the 10 kilometer marathon swim.
Podium Appearances: 1896, 2016
Hungary: Tokyo 2021
Alongside Austria and Greece, Hungary is the third and solely different nation to have gained a medal within the 1896 Athens Olympics. Since then, Hungary has exhibited dominance within the water, solely lacking medals within the 1920, 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1984 video games. With superstars within the likes of Laszlo Cseh, Katinka Hosszu, and Kristof Milak, Hungary has proven their prowess up to now couple of years, and the Hungarians look to proceed this streak in Paris.
Podium Appearances: 1896, 1900, 1904, 1908, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021
Italy: Tokyo 2021
Italy solely started sending representatives within the pool in 1956, which is odd contemplating they’ve despatched at the least one athlete to each Olympics for the reason that conception of the video games in 1896. The Mediterranean nation has gained at the least one medal at each Olympiad for the reason that 1988 video games in Seoul, and their streak was removed from damaged in Tokyo. In 2021, the Italians added seven swimming medals to their nationwide whole, bringing it to 29 (26 pool, 3 open water).
Podium Appearances: 1972, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021
Eire: Atlanta 1996
Michelle Smith’s standout Olympic efficiency in 1996 has given her many accolades related to the Irish Olympic workforce. She stays, to at the present time, as essentially the most profitable Irish athlete within the Olympics, having gained three golds and a bronze medal. On high of being the one swimmer from Eire to ever win a medal, she holds essentially the most medals by a person with 4, inserting her forward of two-time gold medal hammer thrower Pat O’Callaghan and two-time rowing medalist Paul O’Donovan. Since Smith’s displaying in 1996, Eire has not gained a medal within the water.
Podium Appearances: 1996
Lithuania: London 2012
The nation’s most up-to-date Olympic swimming medalist, Ruta Meilutyte took house gold for her nation within the 100 breaststroke in London. The 50 breaststroke world file holder and former 100 breaststroke world file holder is certainly one of solely 5 athletes within the historical past of her nation to win an Olympic gold medal, and the one swimmer from her nation to win a medal.
Podium Appearances: 2012
The Netherlands: Tokyo 2021
One other constant podium fixture, the Netherlands has gained a swimming medal at each Olympiad for the reason that video games held in its capital metropolis of Amsterdam in 1928, except for 1956 (boycott over USSR’s therapy of Hungary) and 1972. The Netherlands’ fixed presence in each pool and open water swimming has given the nation 62 medals (58 pool, 4 marathon), 22 of that are gold. Their most up-to-date medalists, breaststroker Arno Kamminga and distance specialist Sharon van Rouwendaal each maintain a number of Dutch nationwide data, with Kamminga incomes the breaststroke triple and van Rouwendaal holding the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyle nationwide data alongside the 200 meter data in each backstroke and butterfly.
Podium Appearances: 1900, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021
Norway: Beijing 2008
Norway holds two silver medals within the sport, each gained by breaststrokers in 2008. Alexander Dale Oen, the Norwegian nationwide file holder within the 50, 100, and 200 meter breaststrokes, positioned second within the 100 breaststroke in Beijing. Sara Nordenstam, the nationwide file holder within the 200 breaststroke and each IM distances positioned second within the 200 breaststroke in 2008. The pair stay as Norway’s solely medalists in swimming.
Podium Appearances: 2008
Poland: Athens 2004
Otylia Jedrzejczak, the three-time medalist on the 2004 video games in Athens, claims half of Poland’s Olympic medals earned within the pool, together with the nation’s solely swimming gold medal. Jedrzejczak nonetheless holds the Polish nationwide data within the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles alongside the 100 and 200 butterfly double. Since Jedrzejczak’s efficiency in Athens, no athlete has gained a medal for the Poles within the pool.
Podium Appearances: 1980, 1988, 1992, 2004
Romania: Athens 2004
Like Poland, the final time a Romanian swimmer gained an Olympic medal was in 2004. Razvan Florea, the present Romanian file holder within the 200 backstroke, positioned third within the occasion, which was gained by world file holder Aaron Peirsol. Camelia Potec, certainly one of Romania’s most spectacular swimmers to this point, gained the 200 freestyle in Athens. Potec presently holds the Romanian data within the 200, 400, 800, and 1500 freestyles. The pair of Athens medalists are joined by three others in Romania’s medal rely, for a complete of 9 medals for the nation.
Podium Appearances: 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004
Russia: Rio 2016
The final time athletes competed beneath the Russian flag at an Olympic video games was in Rio in 2016, earlier than a doping scandal compelled the nation to compete beneath the “Russian Olympic Committee” for the Tokyo 2021 video games. In 2016, big-name Russian athletes Anton Chupkov, Evgeny Rylov, and Yulia Efimova (all Russian file holders of their respective occasions) earned 4 medals for his or her nation. Russia, together with Belarus, won’t be able to take part beneath their nation’s flag in Paris this summer season, prolonging their official medal drought one other 4 years till at the least 2028.
Podium Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021***
***athletes competing beneath the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee)
Serbia: Beijing 2008
Serbia’s solely medal in Olympic swimming comes from one of the crucial well-known races within the sport, the 100 butterfly in Beijing 2008. This race, by which Michael Phelps out-touched Milorad Cavic for the gold medal by one one-hundredth of a second, has gone down as one of the crucial iconic moments in swimming historical past. Cavic stays Serbia’s solely medalist in swimming, and he nonetheless holds the nationwide file within the 50 and 100 butterfly.
Podium Appearances: 2008
Slovakia: Sydney 2000
Martina Moravcova, the one Slovakian swimmer to win an Olympic medal, has two beneath her belt after finishing the 100 butterfly/200 freestyle silver medal double in Sydney in 2000. Moravcová nonetheless holds a formidable variety of Slovak nationwide data, within the 50, 100, 200, and 800 freestyles and the 100 butterfly, all of which she has held for over 20 years.
Podium Appearances: 2000
Slovenia: Beijing 2008
Slovenia holds one medal within the pool, a silver from Sara Isakovic’s 200 freestyle in Beijing. From this swim, Isakovic briefly held the Olympic file, swimming almost two seconds beneath the earlier quickest time till Federica Pellegrini broke it and the world file within the very subsequent warmth. She holds the Slovenian nationwide data within the 200 freestyle and the 100 and 200 butterfly.
Podium Appearances: 2008
Spain: Rio 2016
Mireia Belmonte holds 4 of Spain’s eight medals in swimming, together with certainly one of their two golds. Among the best swimmers from Spain, she positioned atop the rostrum within the 200 butterfly in Rio after getting second in London. She missed out on one other medal on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, inserting fourth within the 400 IM by slightly below 1 / 4 of a second. Sadly, Belmonte won’t be competing on this summer season’s Olympics, after falling in need of the Olympic “A” requirements whereas coping with shoulder troubles up to now few years.
Podium Appearances: 1980, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2012, 2016
Sweden: Tokyo 2021
- Sarah Sjostrom: 50 Free (Silver)
The Swedish function 39 medals throughout 16 totally different Olympic video games, with veteran Sarah Sjostrom including 4 to their whole in 2016 and 2021. Sjostrom holds the lengthy course world data within the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and the 50 butterfly, in addition to the Swedish data within the 100 butterfly and 200 and 400 freestyles. She seems to be to be one of many favorites for the 50 freestyle in Paris, as she broke the world file on this occasion on the Fukuoka Worlds final summer season.
Podium Appearances: 1908, 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1952, 1960, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2016, 2021
Switzerland: Tokyo 2021
Switzerland holds three bronze medals throughout two Olympic video games, most lately supplemented by Noe Ponti and Jeremy Desplanches’ third-place finishes within the 100 butterfly and 200 IM, respectively. Each Ponti and Desplanches maintain all the lengthy course Swiss nationwide data of their respective disciplines. Ponti holds every of the three butterfly data and is a member of every nationwide record-holding relay, and Desplanches holds the IM double alongside the 100 breaststroke and the 4×100 medley relay.
Podium Appearances: 1984, 2021
Ukraine: Tokyo 2021
Mykhailo Romanchuk, the Ukrainian nationwide file holder within the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyles, holds two of Ukraine’s 9 whole swimming medals. After getting fifteenth within the 1500 freestyle in 2016, Romanchuk earned his first two Olympic medals in the course of the Tokyo Olympics, within the 800 and 1500 freestyles. Romanchuk is the primary swimmer since Yana Klochkova in 2004 and 2000 to win a number of medals in the identical video games.
Podium Appearances: 2000, 2004, 2021
Map beneath depicts the final time every nation worldwide gained a medal.
All-Time Continental Medal Depend (Pool + Open Water):
- North America: 651
- Europe: 529
- Oceania: 207
- Asia: 142
- Africa: 31
- South America: 23
Data sourced from Olympedia, maps created with mapchart.web
