Photo: via Reddit

Swimming The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming  

Voteable
2k votes 173 voters 5.4k views
List of the best Olympic athletes in the sport of swimming. Olympians on this list have competed at the Olympic games in swimming. Olympic athletes on this list have made it all the way to the Olympics in their sport and have either won their event or did not even place. But this list isn't just about winners, times, distances and points, it's about who are the public's favorite Olympic athletes in swimming. Olympians on this list have captured the hearts of the public in one way or another, and have led their peers in swimming competitions. Only the greatest swimming Olympic athletes are featured on the front page of this list, so vote for your favorites and let only the best swimming Olympians see the top. Swimming athletes who have competed in the Olympics don't all have what it takes to be called the "best" in their Olympic sport, so vote carefully and make sure that only the true greats get a place on the front page of this list. Examples of athletes on this list include Amaury Leveaux and Brenton Rickard. You may want to copy this fact-based list to build your own just like it, re-rank it to fit your opinions, then publish it to share it with your Facebook friends, Twitter followers or with any other social networks you use regularly. (234 items)
list ordered by

1
109 12
Michael Phelps is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 32 Michael Fred Phelps II is an American competition swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 22 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals, ...more

2
36 3
Katie Ledecky is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
OCD Man added age 21 Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky is an American competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and current world record-holder in multiple events. She is the current world record holder in the 400-, ...more

3
49 8
Natalie Coughlin is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 35 Natalie Coughlin Hall, née Natalie Anne Coughlin, is an American competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. Ten days before her 20th birthday in 2002, she became the first ...more

4
36 10
Ian Thorpe is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 35 Ian James Thorpe, OAM is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any ...more

5
29 5
Leisel Jones is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 32 Leisel Marie Jones OAM is an Australian former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medallist. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she ...more

6
27 5
Dana Vollmer is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
Dave_7672 added age 30 Dana Whitney Vollmer is an American competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and world record holder. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United ...more

7
30 8
Aaron Peirsol is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 34 Aaron Wells Peirsol is an American former competition swimmer and backstroke specialist who is a former world champion and world record-holder. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic ...more

8
13 1
Murray Rose is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
IanHarvey added Died at 73 (1939-2012) Iain Murray Rose, AM was an Australian swimmer, actor, sports commentator and marketing executive. He was a six-time Olympic medalist, and at one time held the world records in the 400-metre, ...more

9
25 6
Pieter van den Hoogenband is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 40 Pieter Cornelis Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.

10
37 16
Mark Spitz is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 68 Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competition swimmer, nine-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in multiple events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics ...more

11
27 8
Janet Evans is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 46 Janet Beth Evans is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in distance freestyle events. Evans was a world champion and world record-holder, and won a total of four gold medals ...more

12
28 10
Dara Torres is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 50 Dara Grace Torres is an American former competition swimmer who is a twelve-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events. Torres is the first and only swimmer to ...more

13
19 3
Libby Lenton is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 33 Lisbeth "Libby" Constance Trickett, OAM, née Lisbeth Constance Lenton, is an Australian competition swimmer. She was a gold medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 ...more

14
20 4
Inge de Bruijn is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
IanHarvey added age 44 Inge de Bruijn is a Dutch former swimmer. She is a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record holder.

15
16 2
Stephanie Rice is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 29 Stephanie Louise Rice, OAM is an Australian competitive swimmer. She won three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 ...more

16
21 5
Jenny Thompson is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 45 Jennifer Beth Thompson is an American former competition swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992, 1996, 2000, ...more

17
26 10
Amanda Beard is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 36 Amanda Ray Beard is an American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke. Beard's success has earned her the American Swimmer ...more

18
20 5
Emily Seebohm is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 25 Emily Jane Seebohm, OAM is an Australian backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer.

19
27 12
Ryan Lochte is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 33 Ryan Steven Lochte is an American competitive swimmer and an 11-time Olympic medalist. His seven individual Olympic medals ranks near the top in men's swimming. As part of the American team, he ...more

20
18 5
Missy Franklin is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
chicosh added age 22 Melissa Jeanette Franklin is an American competition swimmer and four-time Olympic gold medalist. She currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke and American records in both ...more

21
21 8
Rebecca Soni is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 31 Rebecca Soni is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who is a six-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record-holder in the 100-meter breaststroke and the ...more

22
14 2
Grant Hackett is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 37 Grant George Hackett OAM is an Australian swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. ...more

23
16 4
Brendan Hansen is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 36 Brendan Joseph Hansen is an American competition swimmer who specializes in breaststroke events. He is a six-time Olympic medalist, and is also a former world record-holder in both the 100-meter ...more

24
22 10
Federica Pellegrini is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 29 Federica Pellegrini is an Italian swimmer. A native of Mirano, in the province of Venice, she holds the women's 200 m freestyle world records, and won a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ...more

25
15 4
Hayden Stoeckel is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 33 Hayden Ernest Stoeckel is an Olympic and National Record holding backstroke swimmer from Australia. He swam for Australia at the 2008 Olympics where he tied with Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin for ...more

26
15 5
Sarah Sjöström is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 24 Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish swimmer. On 5 July 2014 she beat the world record for women on 50 meter butterfly. On 22 March 2008, at the age of 14, she took the gold medal in ...more

27
19 9
Rebecca Adlington is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 29 Rebecca "Becky" Adlington, OBE is a retired English freestyle swimmer. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 400 m and 800 m, breaking the 19-year-old world record ...more

28
13 4
Kosuke Kitajima is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 35 Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004, and the Beijing 2008 ...more

29
21 12
Matt Biondi is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 52 Matthew Nicholas Biondi is an American former competition swimmer, eleven-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in five events. Biondi competed in the Summer Olympic Games in ...more

30
9 1
Andrew Lauterstein is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 30 Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.

31
10 2
Cate Campbell is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 25 Cate Natalie Campbell, OAM is an Australian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Her family moved from Malawi to Australia in 2001 and it was shortly after this ...more

32
12 4
Britta Steffen is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 34 Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle. In 1999, Steffen won six titles at the ...more

33
12 4
Gary Hall, Jr. is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 43 Gary Wayne Hall, Jr. is an American former competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals. He is a former world ...more

34
15 7
Haley Cope is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 38 Haley Cope is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, eight world championship medals, and ...more

35
9 2
Krisztina Egerszegi is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
IanHarvey added age 43 Krisztina Egerszegi is a Hungarian former world record holding swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern era. She is a three-time Olympian and five time Olympic ...more

36
10 3
Laure Manaudou is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
Dave_7672 added age 31 Laure Manaudou is a retired French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She has held the world record in freestyle events between 200 and 1500 meter. She is the daughter of a French ...more

37
11 4
John Naber is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 62 John Phillips Naber is an American former competition swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in multiple events. Naber was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois. ...more

38
12 5
Kirsty Coventry is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 34 Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and former world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States. At the 2004 Summer ...more

39
12 5
Jessica Hardy is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
Dave_7672 added age 31 Jessica Adele Hardy is an American international swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and freestyle events. Hardy earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle and a gold medal in ...more

40
8 2
Michael Klim is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 40 Michael George Klim, OAM is a Polish-born Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, world champion, and former world record-holder.

41
10 4
Mary T. Meagher is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 53 Mary Terstegge Meagher Plant is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and world record-holder. In 1981 she bettered her own existing world records in the 100-meter butterfly ...more

42
9 4
Chloe Sutton is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 26 Chloe Elizabeth Sutton is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle and long-distance events. Sutton represented the United States at two consecutive Olympic Games. Sutton has ...more

43
7 2
Kaitlin Sandeno is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
Dave_7672 added age 35 Kaitlin Shea Sandeno is an American former competition swimmer who is an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and former world record-holder. Sandeno was a member of the American team that set ...more

44
11 6
Jason Lezak is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 42 Jason Edward Lezak is an American competition swimmer who is a four-time Olympic gold medalist. He formerly swam for Irvine Novaquatics. He graduated from Irvine High School in 1994, and then ...more

45
10 5
Lenny Krayzelburg is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
Dave_7672 added age 42 Lenny Krayzelburg is an American former backstroke swimmer, and Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder. He swam in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He won a total of four Olympic gold

46
7 2
Elizabeth Beisel is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 25 Elizabeth Lyon Beisel is an American competition swimmer who specializes in backstroke and individual medley events. She has won a total of nine medals in major international competition, four ...more

47
12 7
Park Tae-hwan is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 28 Park Tae-hwan is a South Korean swimmer. He is an Olympic and world champion who represents South Korea. He has four Olympic medals, two world titles, and 20 Asian Games medals under his belt. ...more

48
8 3
Femke Heemskerk is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 30 Frederike Johanna Maria "Femke" Heemskerk is a Dutch swimmer who mainly specializes in freestyle, but also has a strong backstroke and medley. As part of the Dutch team, she holds the ...more

49
8 3
Joanne Jackson is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 31 Joanne Amy Jackson is a British freestyle swimmer. She is the sister of retired Olympic swimmer Nicola Jackson. She went to Richmond School, North Yorkshire.

50
8 3
Amanda Weir is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Olympic Athletes in Swimming
age 32 Amanda Jo Weir is an American competition swimmer and Olympic silver medalist. She was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic Team, and won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle ...more