Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics

The swimming events took place at the Paris La Défense Arena, in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. The arena was finished in 2017 as the indoor home of the Racing 92 rugby club and utilized a temporary pool for the Olympics. There was discussion that the pool was somewhat slow, possibly due to it being only the minimal 2 metres in depth. The programme was the same as in 2020, with 17 events for men and women, and a mixed medley relay.

Australia and the United States have often been the dominant nations in Olympic swimming and that continued at Paris. The United States won 28 medals, with eight gold medals, while Australia took home 18 medals and seven golds. In both cases, the nations were led by their women, as the USA women won 18 medals and five golds, while the Australia women won 11 medals and six gold medals.

The dominant swimmer of the Paris Olympics, however, came from the host country, France. Léon Marchand became only the fourth swimmer to win four individual gold medals at a single Olympic Games, after Mark Spitz (USA - 1972), Kristin Otto (GDR - 1988), and Michael Phelps (USA) in 2004 and 2008, with five individual golds in 2008. Because of Marchand, the French men won the most gold medals of any nation.

Zhang Yufei of China won the most swimming medals in Paris, with six, and in the process became the first Olympic athlete to ever win five bronze medals at a single Olympic Games in any sport. Torri Huske of the USA and Australian Mollie O’Callaghan also shone with five medals and three gold medals, while Canada’s Summer McIntosh won three gold medals and added a silver.

Four world records were set in Paris, two in individual events. Pan Zhanle of China swam the men’s 100 metre freestyle in 46.40, while American Bobby Finke defended his gold medal in the men’s 1,500 metre freestyle in 14:30.67, both breaking those world records. Two world records were set in relay events, with the American women swimming the 4x100 medley relay in 3:49.63, and the USA also breaking the world record in the mixed medley relay, recording 3:37.43.