Swimming as a human activity is ancient and undocumented at any single origin point, depicted in Stone Age rock art and practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Organized competitive swimming in the modern sense is a much later and better documented development: the National Swimming Society began organizing swimming competitions in London from 1837 onward, generally taken as the start of the sport as an organized competition rather than simply a widespread human skill.
Facts
Disputed
Origin Year1837 marks the start of organized competitive swimming in London under the National Swimming Society, taken here as the sport organized origin. Swimming itself as a human activity is far older and effectively undocumented at any single origin point, practiced across many ancient cultures including Egypt, Greece and Rome, so 1837 answers only the question of when organized competition began, not when people first swam competitively. Originating RegionPrehistoric and ancient practice worldwide; organized competition begins in England 1 International Governing BodyWorld Aquatics, founded 1908 as the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. 1 Swimming
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Source Wikipedia, 1896 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1920 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1980 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1984 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1988 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Source International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference
Source International Paralympic Committee, Official History
Governed By
Source Wikipedia, British Swimming
Source Wikipedia, USA Swimming
Source Wikipedia, World Aquatics
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Source Wikipedia, Federica Pellegrini
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source Wikipedia, Ryan Lochte
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Wikipedia, World Aquatics
Wikimedia FoundationFounding and early years (1896-1945) section
The founders' stated priorities were to standardise the rules of swimming, diving and water polo; to ratify and maintain a list of world records; and to take charge of the Olympic competitions in those disciplines.
- Governed By: World Aquatics
View the Source International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference
International Olympic CommitteeFeatured In: Olympic Games
International Paralympic Committee, Official History
International Paralympic CommitteeFeatured In: Paralympic Games
Wikipedia, Federica Pellegrini
WikipediaPlayed By: Federica Pellegrini, Lead paragraph, first sentence (discipline)Quote, Played By: Federica Pellegrini, Lead paragraph, first sentence (discipline)
Federica Pellegrini is an Italian retired swimmer.
Wikipedia, Ryan Lochte
WikipediaPlayed By: Ryan Lochte, Lead paragraph, first sentence (discipline)Quote, Played By: Ryan Lochte, Lead paragraph, first sentence (discipline)
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American former competitive swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist.
Wikipedia, 1896 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1896 Summer Olympics, Swimming sectionQuote, Featured In: 1896 Summer Olympics, Swimming section
The swimming competition was held in the open sea
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1900 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1900 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, seven swimming events were contested.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1904 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1904 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1904 Summer Olympics, nine swimming events were contested.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1908 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1908 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, six swimming events were contested.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1912 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1912 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, nine swimming events were contested.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1920 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1920 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1920 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, ten swimming events were contested.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1924 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1924 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1928 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1928 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1932 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1932 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1936 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1936 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1948 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1948 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, 11 swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1952 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1952 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, a total number of eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1956 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1956 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1960 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1960 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, 15 swimming events were contested, eight for men and seven for women.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1968 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1968 Summer Olympics, Lead section
The swimming competitions at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City took place from 17 to 26 October at the Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez.
Wikipedia: Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1972 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1972 Summer Olympics, Lead section
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany. 29 events in swimming were contested.
Wikipedia, 1980 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1980 Summer Olympics, Article textQuote, Featured In: 1980 Summer Olympics, Article text
impacted the competitiveness of swimming, track and field, boxing, basketball, diving, field hockey and equestrian sports
Wikipedia, 1984 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1984 Summer Olympics, Venues list, Olympic Swim Stadium, University of Southern CaliforniaQuote, Featured In: 1984 Summer Olympics, Venues list, Olympic Swim Stadium, University of Southern California
swimming, diving, synchronized swimming
Wikipedia, 1988 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1988 Summer Olympics, Article textQuote, Featured In: 1988 Summer Olympics, Article text
synchronized swimming, swimming, water polo
Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, HighlightsQuote, Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, Highlights
The young Krisztina Egerszegi of Hungary won three individual swimming gold medals.
Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Sports contested list with event countsQuote, Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Sports contested list with event counts
Swimming (32)
Wikipedia, Diving (sport)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Diving, GovernanceQuote, Associated With: Diving, Governance
The global governing body of diving is World Aquatics (name adopted in 2023), which also governs swimming, artistic swimming, water polo and open water swimming.
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