Ian Thorpe
Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe reacts after setting a world record and winning a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Thorpe won five medals in Sydney and four more at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Water Polo
Water polo, a team sport played in swimming pools, became an Olympic sport in 1900. A water polo team, such as the team wearing white caps pictured here, has 35 seconds to score each time it attacks its opponent. Goals are scored by throwing or pushing the ball past the opponent’s floating goalposts.
Synchronized Swimming
Synchronized swimming comprises the execution of precise movements set to music. Athletes perform solo, in pairs, or in teams (made up of eight swimmers), and are rated for technical merit and artistic impression.
Mark Spitz
American swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympic Games at Munich (in what is now Germany), breaking world records in all seven events. Spitz’s success in 1972 came on the heels of his controversial performance at the 1968 games in Mexico City, Mexico, when he publicly predicted he would win six gold medals, but won only two. Pictured here in 1972, Spitz attempted an unsuccessful comeback from retirement for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Swimming Meet
Swimming meets, such as this intercollegiate meet, have been organized in the United States since the 1870s. Because swimming competition is principally a function of time, extraordinary effort is made to break previous time records.
Duke Kahanamoku
In 1911 Hawaiian-American freestyle swimmer Duke Kahanamoku shattered world records in the 50-yd and 100-yd races. He went on to win a total of three gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1912 and 1920.
Shirley Babashoff
American swimmer Shirley Babashoff won eight Olympic medals (two gold and six silver) and 17 United States national championships. She is shown swimming the crawl stroke at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Helene Madison
American freestyle swimmer Helene Madison is shown after earning one of the three gold medals she was awarded at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. During her three-year career Madison set 16 world records.
Gertrude Ederle
In 1926 American swimmer Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, cutting almost two hours off the previous record.
Michael Gross
West German swimmer Michael Gross won two gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, and another at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He was nicknamed the Albatross because of his large arm span. He is seen here swimming the 100-meter butterfly during the 1984 Games.
Janet Evans
American swimmer Janet Evans raises her arm in triumph after winning the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley in 1988. Evans won a total of three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics and she has registered world records for three separate events. Women’s swimming has been an Olympic sport since 1912
Matt Biondi
American swimmer Matt Biondi won five gold medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He is seen here at those Games during the medal presentation ceremony for the 800-meter freestyle relay race, which the United States team won. Biondi earned a total of 11 Olympic medals during his career, 8 of them gold.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is a popular activity that involves swimming face down in the water while breathing through a slender plastic tube called a snorkel. Most people snorkel as a way to view aquatic plants and animals. Snorkelers use a mask to see the underwater objects and wear fins to propel themselves.
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii
Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, is very popular with tourists, who come to the island of Oahu to lie on its sand and swim in its surf. This view shows the extinct volcano Diamond Head in the background.
Recreational Swimming
Swim instructors favor initiating swim lessons at a young age, as children learn to swim easier and faster than adults. Flotation devices can assist the learning process, helping swimmers overcome any fear of water. Kickboards and water wings are common flotation devices used with small children.
Kristin Otto
East German swimmer Kristin Otto was the first woman to claim six gold medals at a single Olympic Games—in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. In 1994 it was discovered that members of the East Germany team, including Otto, used performance-enhancing drugs.
Dawn Fraser
Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser set 27 individual world records in her career, in addition to winning eight Olympic medals. She is considered one of the most accomplished women swimmers of modern times.
Encarta Encyclopedia
Huynh Cong/AP/Wide World Photos
