The World Records in the Olympic Pool

Swimming is one of the most popular sports at the Summer Olympics. Just at the Tokyo Olympics the sport reached a worldwide audience of 10.5 million viewers, according to NBC Sports and TV Line. 

The popularity of the aquatic sport has a lot to do with the history of it. Swimming is part of the main core of Summer Olympic sports and therefore, its World Records have created a mark and impact on the Olympics history. 

The World Records set at the Olympics London 2012 and Rio 2016 

London 2012: 

At the 2012 London Olympics one of the most impactful World Records seen was the Women’s 100 butterfly where Dana Volmer became the first woman to swim the event under 56 seconds, with  time of 55.98. This mark also broke the former Olympic Record. 

Another WR that was broken was the women’s 400 IM. Ye Shiwen went a time of 4:28.43 to break the WR at that time. 

Finally, Missy Franklin (USA) broke the World and Olympic Record in the women’s 200 backstroke with a mark of 2:04.06, at just 17 years of age. 

 (International Olympic Committee, 2012)

Rio 2016:

In Rio 2016 ​​Sarah Sjostrom, broke the WR in the women’s 100 butterfly in a time of 55.48 seconds. By doing this, she also took possession of Volmer’s Olympic Record of 2012. 

Adam Peaty was the revelation of the meet on the men’s side. He destroyed all his competitors and set the World and Olympic Records in the men’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 57.13 seconds. 

(International Olympic Committee, 2016) 

Last update: May, 2022