Swimming of course is one of the most prominent summer Olympic sports and one the US does extremely well at. It has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympics and has included women’s events since 1912. The program has expanded all the way to 34 events from the original four (only the 100m freestyle remains). The US has won an astounding 489 medals in swimming, approximately 1 in every 3. This includes 214 golds, 43.7% of the total awarded and more than all the other countries (excluding Australia and Russia) combined. Wow. Safe to say that Swimming is dominated by the US.
The Team:
This year’s team is made up of 49 athletes, 25 women and 24 men. 18 of the athletes were on the team in Beijing, eight were on the team in Athens and two were on the team in Sydney.
Links are to twitter accounts for the athletes.
USA Swimming
Men:
Nathan Adrian* – 100m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Ricky Berens* – 200m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Clark Burckle – 200m Breaststroke
Tyler Clary – 200m Butterfly, 200m Breaststroke
Connor Dwyer – 400m Freestyle, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Anthony Ervin^ – 50m Freestyle
Jimmy Feigen – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Andrew Gemmell – 1500m Freestyle
Matt Grevers* – 100m Backstroke, 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Brendan Hansen** – 100m Breaststroke
Charlie Houchin – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Connor Jaeger – 1500m Freestyle
Cullen Jones* – 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Jason Lezak** – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Ryan Lochte** – 200m Freestyle, 200m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Tyler McGill – 100m Butterfly
Matt McLean – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Alex Meyer – 10km Open Water
Michael Phelps*** – 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley, 100m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Eric Shanteau* – 100m Breaststroke
Davis Tarwater – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Nick Thoman – 100m Backstroke
Peter Vanderkaay** – 400m Freestyle
Scott Weltz – 200m Breaststroke
Women:
Cammile Adams – 200m Butterfly
Haley Anderson – 10km Open Water
Alyssa Anderson – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Elizabeth Beisel* – 200m Backstroke, 400m Individual Medley
Rachel Bootsma – 100m Backstroke
Natalie Coughlin** – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Claire Donahue – 100m Butterfly
Missy Franklin – 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 4×200, Freestyle Relay
Jessica Hardy – 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Kathleen Hersey* – 200m Butterfly
Kara Lynn Joyce** – 50m Freestyle
Ariana Kukors – 200m Individual Medley
Breeja Larson – 100m Breaststroke
Micah Lawrence – 200m Breaststroke
Katie Ledecky – 800m Freestyle
Caitlin Leverenz – 400m Individual Medley, 200m Individual Medley
Lia Neal – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Lauren Perdue – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Allison Schmitt* – 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Rebecca Soni* – 100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke
Chloe Sutton* – 400m Freestyle
Dana Vollmer& – 100m Butterfly, 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Shannon Vreeland – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Amanda Weir& – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Kate Ziegler* – 4x200m Freestyle Relay
* – Was on team in Beijing
** – Was on team in Beijing and Athens
*** – Was on team in Beijing, Athens, and Sydney
& – Was on team in Athens
^ – Was on team in Sydney
Schedule:
Most swimming events will consist of a round of heats, then a round of two semifinals, and then the final. Some of the events don’t have a semifinal round. Your time is compared to the other swimmers at that round, not just those in your heat. So the top 16 times of everyone in the heats advances and the top 8 times of everyone in the semifinals advances. The 10km open water races consist of only a final.
All Times ET
Saturday July 28th
5 AM – Men’s Swimming – 400m Individual Medley – Heats
5:26 AM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Heats
5:47 AM – Men’s Swimming – 400m Freestyle – Heats
6:17 AM – Women’s Swimming – 400m Individual Medley – Heats
6:52 AM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Heats
7:16 AM – Women’s Swimming – 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Heats
2:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 400m Individual Medley – Final
2:40 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Semifinals
2:49 PM – Men’s Swimming – 400m Freestyle – Final
3:09 PM – Women’s Swimming – 400m Individual Medley – Final
3:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Semifinals
3:50 PM – Women’s Swimming – 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Final
Sunday July 29th
5 AM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Heats
5:20 AM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Heats
5:51 AM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Heats
6:13 AM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Heats
6:33 AM – Women’s Swimming – 400m Freestyle – Heats
7:05 AM – Men’s Swimming – 4x100m Freestyle – Heats
2:30 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Final
2:37 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Semifinals
2:48 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Semifinals
3:08 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Final
3:15 PM – Women’s Swimming – 400m Freestyle – Final
3:25 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Semifinals
3:44 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Semifinals
3:54 PM – Men’s Swimming – 4x100m Freestyle – Final
Monday July 30th
5 AM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Heats
5:25 AM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Heats
5:49 AM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Heats
2:30 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Semifinals
2:41 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Final
2:49 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Final
2:56 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Backstroke – Final
3:13 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Breaststroke – Final
3:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Semifinals
3:51 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Semifinals
Tuesday July 31st
5 AM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Heats
5:25 AM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Heats
5:47 AM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Heats
6:17 AM – Men’s Swimming – 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Heats
2:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Semifinals
2:39 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Freestyle – Final
2:47 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Final
2:55 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Semifinals
3:17 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Semifinals
3:39 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Final
3:47 PM – Men’s Swimming – 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Final
Wednesday August 1st
5 AM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Heats
5:20 AM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Heats
5:47 AM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Heats
6:14 AM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Heats
6:39 AM – Women’s Swimming – 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Heats
2:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Final
2:38 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Semifinals
2:47 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Semifinals
3:09 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Butterfly – Final
3:17 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Final
3:24 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Semifinals
3:36 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Semifinals
3:57 PM – Women’s Swimming – 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Final
Thursday August 2nd
5 AM – Men’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Heats
5:27 AM – Women’s Swimming – 800m Freestyle – Heats
6:21 AM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Heats
6:46 AM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Heats
2:30 PM – Men’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Semifinals
2:38 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Breaststroke – Final
2:46 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Final
2:54 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Semifinals
3:16 PM – Men’s Swimming – 200m Individual Medley – Final
3:34 PM – Women’s Swimming – 100m Freestyle – Final
3:51 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Semifinals
Friday August 3rd
5 AM – Women’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Heats
5:23 AM – Men’s Swimming – 1500m Freestyle – Heats
6:50 AM – Women’s Swimming – 4x100m Medley Relay – Heats
7:04 AM – Men’s Swimming – 4x100m Medley Relay – Heats
2:30 PM – Women’s Swimming – 200m Backstroke – Final
2:38 PM – Men’s Swimming – 100m Butterfly – Final
2:45 PM – Women’s Swimming – 800m Freestyle – Final
3:09 PM – Men’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Final
3:25 PM – Women’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Semifinals
Saturday August 4th
2:30 PM – Women’s Swimming – 50m Freestyle – Final
2:36 PM – Men’s Swimming – 1500m Freestyle – Final
3:07 PM – Women’s Swimming – 4x100m Medley Relay – Final
3:27 PM – Men’s Swimming – 4x100m Medley Relay – Final
Thursday August 9th
7 AM – Women’s Swimming – 10km Open Water
Friday August 10th
7 AM – Men’s Swimming – 10km Open Water
Past Results:
The US won 31 medals in Beijing including 12 golds. This was even better than the 28 medals in Athens, but fell short of the 33 in Sydney. The US has medaled in every women’s event at least once during the last three Olympics with the exception of the 10km open water race (22nd in the inaugural race in Beijing) and the 200m Freestyle (best finish was 4th in Beijing). The US medaled in every men’s event at least once during the last three Olympics except for the 10km open water race where the US finished 8th in Beijing.
Here is what the returning Olympians have done in the past
Nathan Adrian – Gold in 4x100m freestyle relay in Beijing
Ricky Berens – Gold in 4x200m freestyle relay in Beijing
Anthony Ervin – Gold in 50m freestyle and silver in 4x100m freestyle relay in Sydney
Matt Grevers – Silver in 100m backstroke, gold in 4x100m freestyle relay and gold in 4x100m individual medley relay in Beijing
Brendan Hansen – 4th in 100m breaststroke in Beijing… silver in 100m breaststroke and bronze in 200m breaststroke in Athens
Cullen Jones – Gold in 4x100m freestyle relay in Beijing
Jason Lezak – Gold in 4x100m individual medley relay, gold in 4x100m freestyle relay, and bronze in 100m freestyle in Beijing
Ryan Lochte – Gold in 200m backstroke, bronze in 200m individual medley, bronze in 400m individual medley, and gold in 4x200m freestyle medley in Beijing… silver in 200m individual medley, gold in 4x200m freestyle relay in Athens
Michael Phelps*** – Gold in 200m freestyle, gold in 100m butterfly, gold in 200m butterfly, gold in 200m individual medley, gold in 400m individual medley, gold in 4x100m freestyle relay, gold in 4x200m freestyle relay, gold in 4x100m individual medley in Beijing… bronze in 200m freestyle, gold in 100m butterfly, gold in 200m butterfly, gold in 200m individual medley, gold in 400m individual medley, gold in 4x200m freestyle relay, gold in 4x100m individual medley relay and bronze in 4x100m freestyle relay in Athens… 5th in 200m butterfly in Sydney
Eric Shanteau – 10th in 200m breaststroke in Beijing
Peter Vanderkaay – bronze in 200m freestyle, 4th in 400m freestyle, 11th in 1500m freestyle, gold in 4x200m freestyle in Beijing… gold in 4x200m freestyle relay in Athens
Elizabeth Beisel – 5th in 200m backstroke, 4th in 400m individual medley in Beijing
Natalie Coughlin – Bronze in 100m freestyle, gold in 100m backstroke, bronze in 200m individual medley, silver in 4x100m freestyle relay, bronze in 4x200m freestyle relay, and silver in 4x100m individual medley relay in Beijing… bronze in 100m freestyle, gold in 100m backstroke, silver in 4x100m freestyle relay, gold in 4x200m freestyle relay, silver in 4x100m individual medley relay in Athens
Kathleen Hersey – 8th in 200m butterfly in Beijing
Kara Lynn Joyce – 6th in 50m freestyle, silver in 4x100m freestyle relay, silver in 4×100 individual medley relay in Beijing… 5th in 50m freestyle, 5th in 100m freestyle, silver in 4x100m freestyle relay, silver in 4x100m individual medley relay in Athens
Allison Schmitt – 9th in 200m freestyle, bronze in 4x200m freestyle relay in Beijing
Rebecca Soni – silver in 100m breaststroke, gold in 200m breaststroke, silver in 4x100m individual medley in Beijing
Chloe Sutton – 22nd in 10km open water in Beijing
Dana Vollmer – 6th in 200m freestyle, gold in 4x200m freestyle relay in Athens
Amanda Weir – silver in 4x100m freestyle relay and silver in 4x100m individual medley relay in Athens
Kate Ziegler – 14th in 400m freestyle and 10th in 800m freestyle in Beijing
At the 2011 World Aquatic Championships the US won 29 medals including 16 golds. The 10km open water male swimming, Alex Meyer, even finished in 4th missing a medal by two seconds.
Here are the medals won by Olympians in their events
Men:
200m freestyle – Ryan Lochte – gold
200m backstroke – Ryan Lochte – gold, Tyler Clary – bronze
100m butterfly – Michael Phelps – gold, Tyler McGill – bronze
200m butterfly – Michael Phelps – gold
200m individual medley – Ryan Lochte – gold, Michael Phelps – silver
400m individual medley – Ryan Lochte – gold
4x100m freestyle relay – bronze (Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, Nathan Adrian)
4x200m freestyle relay – gold (Michael Pehlps, Ricky Berens, Ryan Lochte)
4x100m individual medley relay – gold (Nick Thoman, Michael Phelps, Nathan Adrian)
Women:
800m freestyle – Kate Ziegler – bronze
200m backstroke – Missy Franklin – gold
100m breaststroke – Rebecca Soni – gold
200m breaststroke – Rebecca Soni – gold
100m butterfly – Dana Vollmer – gold
200m individual medley – Ariana Kukors – bronze
400m individual medley – Elizabeth Beisel – gold
4x100m freestyle relay – silver (Natalie Coughlin, Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy)
4x200m freestyle relay – gold (Missy Franklin, Allison Schmitt)
4x100m individual medley relay – gold (Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer, Missy Franklin)
Clearly the US will win a lot of medals in London. It’s just a question of which swimmers and which events.