The second largest sport at the Olympics, swimming’s 37 events are separated by length, style (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly—a combination of the four is called a medley) and individual or relay. One exciting new addition: a boy-girl-boy-girl swimming lineup. The new mixed 4×100-meter medley relay will include two male and two female swimmers from each country. Team USA has collected 246 swimming gold medals since 1896 (23 of those belong to MichaelPhelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time—he won a record-setting eight at the Beijing Olympics in 2008)
Swimmers to Watch at Tokyo Olympics
Caeleb Dressel
Competing in: 100 free, 100 fly, 4×100 free relay, 50 free The next Phelps? Two-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel, 24, broke the International Swimming Hall of Famer’s 100-meter butterfly world record, which had stood for a decade. At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, he tied his own American record of 21.04 in the 50 freestyle.
Michael Andrew
Competing in: 100 breast, 200 IM, 50 free The youngest swimmer to turn pro (at age 14), Michael Andrew, 22, picked up his third event for the Olympic Games in Tokyo by finishing second in 21.48.
Regan Smith
Competing in: 100 back ReganSmith, 19, who broke the 100- and 200-meter backstroke world records two years ago, will travel to Tokyo for her first Olympics.
Katie Ledecky
Competing in: 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle events and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay “It really is a four-, or in this case, five-year journey to get here,” says two-time Olympian and six-time medalist Katie Ledecky, 24, whose training schedule includes swimming 10 times a week for two hours and three weekly weightlifting sessions. Some athletes will swim up to 20,000 meters in a day—more than 12 miles.
Katie Ledecky 2020 Olympics Swimming Schedule
Sunday, July 25
Monday, July 26
Tuesday, July 27
Wednesday, July 28
Thursday, July 29
Friday, July 30
Team USA swimming schedule
Saturday, July 24
Sunday, July 25
Monday, July 26
Tuesday, July 27
Wednesday, July 28
Thursday, July 29
Friday, July 30
Saturday, July 31
Good luck charms
Two-time Olympic medalist Leah Smith, 26, gets her nails done. Katie Ledecky claps three times on the starting block before every takeoff. And Lilly King likes to mess with her competitors, getting in their heads by asking questions or slapping her legs loudly on the starting block.
Is swimming safe?
Experts say that it’s unlikely for COVID-19 to be spread through water in pools. Your best bet: Get vaccinated, distance yourself from other swimmers and stick to outdoor chlorinated pools—chlorine is actually a disinfectant!
Is cupping still around?
You might remember cupping, which left strange circular marks on swimmers in Rio. According to elite swim coach GlennMills, cupping remains popular, along with kaatsu, a blood flow moderation exercise that involves “strapping bands around specific points of muscles to restrict blood flow and make those muscles work harder.” Next, Everything You Need To Know About the 2021 Summer Games
