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An Illustrated History of Swimming
An Illustrated History of Swimming

Where are They Now? Past US Olympic Swimmers
Where are They Now? Past US Olympic Swimmers

Top American Olympic Swimmers
Top American Olympic Swimmers

Swimmer's Profiles
Swimmer's Profiles

Swimmers Katie Hoff and Michael Phelps 2007 USOC Honorees
Katie Hoff has been selected as the 2007 United States Olympic Committee (USOC) SportsWoman of the Year. Michael Phelps was selected for the 2007 Outstanding Performance of the Year Award.

Three Swimmers Nominated for 2007 USSA Athlete of the Year
The United States Sports Academy has nominated Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps and Kate Ziegler for its 2007 Academy Athlete of the Year. The Academy Athlete of the Year ballot is the culmination of the Academy’s yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the globe. The Academy’s Athlete of the Month is selected by an international voting committee comprised of former athletes, media, sports organizations and governing bodies.

Michael Phelps Three-Time Winner at 2007 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards
Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff took home top honors tonight at the USA Swimming Foundation’s Golden Goggle Awards, as the two Maryland natives were named Male and Female Athlete of the Year. The Golden Goggle Awards, held at The Beverly Hilton and hosted by late night talk show host Carson Daly (NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly”), celebrated the swimming accomplishments of 2007, a year in which USA Swimming had one of its most successful international seasons to date.

Watch the USA Swimming 2007 Golden Goggle Awards' Webcast Wednesday
The Golden Goggle Awards is the most prestigious awards show in American swimming, complete with a red carpet, celebrity presenters and accomplished honorees. On Wednesday, November 21, fans across the nation will have a front row seat to the exclusive event. For the first time ever, USA Swimming, in partnership with Wasserman Media Group and AT&T blue room, will broadcast the entire awards ceremony.

A Swimmer's Journey - Taking on a Challenge Like that of Cheever's "The Swimmer"
Based upon the John Cheever story "The Swimmer", my intentions are to swim from the San Francisco peninsula down to the Los Angeles area. Positioned along the California coast are approximately fifteen pools chosen by me as locations for the swim.

USA Swimming Announces Nominees For Fourth-Annual Golden Goggle Swimming Awards
USA Swimming today released the nominations for the 2007 Golden Goggle Awards, a red carpet event celebrating the accomplishments of top American swimmers in 2007. The star-studded celebration will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, on Sunday, Nov. 18, and will feature U.S. Olympic swimmers as well as entertainment industry celebrities. Late night talk show host Carson Daly will host. Fans, vote for your 2007 Golden Goggle Swimming Awards favorite swimmers and coaches online.

Michael Phelps Named 2007 USA Swimming Athlete of the Year
Olympic Swimmer and World Record Holder Michael Phelps Michael Phelps, who won seven gold medals and set five world records last March at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, was voted USA Swimming’s 2007 Athlete of the Year last week at the United State Aquatic Sports Convention in Anaheim, Calif. Phelps also won the organization’s ConocoPhillips Performance Award for the second straight year.

Help Michael Phelps become the 2007 Sports Illustrated Kids' Athlete of the Year
World Champion Swimmer Michael Phelps is a finalist for the Sports Illustrated Kids’ 2007 Athlete of the Year award. Phelps, who received the award in 2004, has been nominated alongside Peyton Manning, Tim Duncan, Sidney Crosby, Alex Rodriguez, Candace Parker, Roger Federer and Kevin Durant.

Dave Denniston and the NTAF Midwest/West Spinal Cord Injury Fund
Dave Denniston, 1999 NCAA Champion for Auburn University, and 2003 World Championship Team Member in the 200 Breaststroke, was on vacation in the mountains, sledding down some snow-covered slopes; Dave slid into a tree and damaged his spine. The accident has left Dave, for the time being, without the use of his legs. This accident happened in 2005, and Dave is still on the path to recovery.

Twenty-Two Olympians To Swim For Team USA At World Swimming Championships
Forty-three of the USA's top swimmers, including 22 Olympians, will head to Melbourne, Australia, to compete in the 12th FINA World Aquatics Championships, March 17-April 1. The World Championships are considered the top international swimming competition in the world outside of the Olympic Games. Twenty-two members of the 2003 World Championship squad went on to make the 2004 USA Olympic Swim Team. Here are a few swimming highlights to keep an eye on in Melbourne.

Olympian Dara Torres Sets Two World Masters Records
39 year-old Olympian Dara Torres recently set two World Masters swimming records during the Fort Lauderdale Annual Masters Challenge Swim Meet. Both records are the fastest ever swum by any female masters swimmer.

Swimmer Jessica Long Selected as USOC 2006 Paralympian of the Year
Swimmer Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.) has been selected as the 2006 U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympian of the Year. Long’s distinction as Paralympian of the Year is the second time in three years that a swimmer has been recognized.

History of FINA Swimming World Records
FINA has published a history of swimming record setting. It gives the background on swimming records from when FINA was founded in 1908 through "modern day" record setting in 2007.

Olympic Swimmers Bios
Biographies of current, future, and legend Olympic swimmers from the US Olympic Team site.

The Third-Annual USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards
It was a night when new stars shared the stage with old ones, as world record-holder Cullen Jones and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps brought home two awards apiece at the third-annual Golden Goggle Awards, Nov. 19 2006. Phelps, Jones both win two, and Hansen, Hoff take home USA Swimming Golden Goggle Athlete of the Year Honors.

2006 Golden Goggle Awards Voting - The Best US Swimmers of 2006
USA Swimming has released the nominations for the 2006 Golden Goggle Awards, an event celebrating the year’s top performances in competitive swimming in the USA. The celebration will take place in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 19, and will feature more than 30 U.S. Olympic swimmers as well as entertainment industry celebrities. A total of 13 U.S. Olympians are nominated for awards in eight categories. Online voting starats Oct. 11 and will continue through November.

International Swimming Hall of Fame 2007 Honorees
The International Swimming Hall of Fame has announced its 2007 group of inductees. The list includes two swimmers, one diver, one synchronized swimmer, one water polo player, and two coaches. The honorees will be inducted into the ISHOF on 12 May, 2007 at the annual induction ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale.

Swimmer Brendan Hansen Named 2006 USA Swimming Athlete of the Year
Olympic gold medalist swimmer Brendan Hansen was voted the USA Swimming Athlete of the Year on Saturday at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention, held Sept. 12-16 at the Hyatt Dearborn in Detroit. Swimmer Michael Phelps accepted the ConocoPhillips Performance of the Year Award on Friday night for the world record he set while swimming the 200m individual medley.

Want to be in a Swim Movie?
Casting directors are searching for several hundred people to play swimmers, swim coaches, urban and suburban men and women and others for the Lionsgate Productions and L.I.F.T. Productions of the feature film, P.D.R. starring Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac. The film is based on the true story of Jim Ellis, a Philadelphia swim coach, who fights to build a swimming team in one of Philly's toughest neighborhoods in the 1970's.

Second Oldest Woman's Record, Janet Evans 400m Freestyle Record, Broken
The second-oldest world record in the women’s record book has fallen. Laure Manaudou of France broke U.S. Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans’ 17-and-a-half-year-old record in the 400m freestyle at the French Championships, turning in a time of 4:03.03. Evans’ old mark, set on Sept. 22, 1988, at the Olympic Games in Seoul, stood at 4:03.88.

Swimmer Katie Hoff voted the 2005 United States Olympic Committee SportsWoman of the Year
Olympian Katie Hoff is the eighth swimmer to be awarded the United States Olympic Committee SportsWoman of the Year honor. She joins the list that includes swimmers like Shirley Babashoff, Kathy Heddy, Tracy Caulkins, Cynthia Woodhead, Janet Evans, Amy Van Dyken, and Jenny Thompson.

USSA Athlete of the Year Award Voting
The United States Sports Academy's Athlete of the Year Award voting is now open. Cast your vote for the male and female athlete of the year on-line. My picks? Swimmers Aaron Piersol and Natalie Coughlin of course!

The USA Swimming 2005 Golden Goggle Awards
It was a big night for Texas swimmers at Monday’s Golden Goggle Awards in New York City, as four of the eight awards went to athletes with ties to the University of Texas - Aaron Peirsol, Eddie Reese, Ian Crocker, and Brendan Hansen. The Golden Goggle Awards, USA Swimming’s annual year-end gala, recognized the outstanding swimming accomplishments of 2005.

Polar Swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh Takes on Antarctica
Polar swimming sensation Lewis Gordon Pugh is set to tackle his toughest challenge yet - a series of three long distance swims in Antarctica in water temperatures expected to be close to freezing. Amongst other swims, Lewis Gordon Pugh was the first person to swim around North Cape in Norway, around the Cape of Good Hope, down a Norwegian fjord and across an African Great Lake. The Norwegian press often refer to him as the "Ice Bear."

About Swimming Contribution - Submit Your Article
I'm always looking for ways to help other readers - and maybe you have the answer. Use this form to submit your articles to share with others, as well as grant permission to reprint an article and/or photographs on the About Swimming site.

Ancient Origins of Swimming
Babylonian bas-reliefs and Assyrian wall drawings point to very early swimming skills among humans. The most ancient and famous of drawings depicting men swimming are to be found in the Kebir desert.

Australian Swimming Legends
This database from Telstra covers both past and current greats from the land down under.

Babashoff, Shirley
HickokSports.com's describes the career of one of the USA's great athletes whose shine was clouded by the GDR's drug-enhanced swimmers.

Biographies from Encarta Online
Thumbnail pictures and opening sentences on many swimmers, from Encarta Online.

Biondi, Matt
One of the USA's stars of the Seoul Olympics; from HickokSports.com.

Biondi, Matt
Won a total of 11 medals at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympic Games; from Encarta Online.

Caulkins, Tracy
First swimmer to set American records in all four racing strokes; from Encarta Online.

Chadwick, Florence
The first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions; from Encarta Online.

ChampionsCanada.com
Info on top Canadian athletes (not just swimmers). Communicate with your favorites via email. Help them with their training costs when you surf and shop on-line.

Colombo, LeRoy
The "Hero of Galveston" saved 907 people over his 40 year career. He was listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for the number of lives he saved as a deaf lifeguard.

Dave Denniston Injury Update
Dave Denniston will remain in Poudre Valley Hospital to begin rehab treatment following surgery to repair his spine. Denniston, age 26, was injured on February 6th in a sledding accident near Laramie, Wyoming. Dave, a graduate of Auburn University and 1999 NCAA Champion in the 200 breaststroke, was also a member of the 2003 US World Championship team. As an Irvine Novaquatics star, he placed 4th in the 100 breast and 6th in the 200 breast at last summer's US Olympic Trials.

De Varona, Donna
Won two gold medals at the 1964 Olympic Games; from Encarta Online.

Early History of Competitive Swimming
When Flying Gull winged past Tobacco, swimming the length of a 130-foot pool in thirty seconds, Londoners were flabbergasted.

Ederle, Gertrude
The first woman to cross the English channel without a boat, and an Olympic Champion; from "Encarta Encyclopedia".

English Channel Onlie Exhipiton
Captain Matthew Webb dived off the end of Admiralty Pier in Dover to start what became the first successful unaided swim across the English Channel. To mark the 125th anniversary of this event, Dover Museum is compiling an online resource - a brief history of Channel Swimming, together with details of the museum's collection relating to swimming the Channel.

Evans, Janet
A quick look into this swimmer's story, from "Current Biography."

Evans, Janet
Won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games and one gold medal at the 1992 Olympics; from Encarta Online.

Favorite Athletes from USA Swimmer
Click on the "Your Favorite Athlete" button on this page and you will be able to select an athlete's name from the drop-down box, getting their biography, accompishments, and contact information. Includes many Olympians.

Galvich, John - Swimming Coach
A Memorial to a great swimming coach - John Galvich. This site contains a brief biography and photographs.

Gould, Shane
Shane Gould won five Olympic swimming medals (three gold, a silver and bronze) at the 1972 Munich Games. At one stage of her career she held every women's world freestyle record.

Hall Jr., Gary
He has had ups and downs. Olympic success, confronted with a suspension, diagnosed with a life threatening disease. Gary Hall Jr. fought back and surprised everyone; from Leah Wizelman.

History of Men's Swimwear
The story (and pictures) of men's swimsuits.

History of Swimwear
A brief overview of the development of swimming. Of course, the original swimsuit was the body itself. However, bathing apparel, in one shape or another, has been around for over 2000 years.

History of Women's Swimwear
The story (and pictures) of women's swimsuits.

Home of the Champions
USA Swimmers.com lists bios and information on your "favorite swimmer" including a to contact them via email or join their fan club.

Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn Links from your About.com Guide to Swimming

International Hall of Fame Athletes and Achievements
The ISHOF (International Swimming Hall of Fame) list of swimmers, divers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers, coaches, and contributors to the aqautic sports, and what they have done to get in the hall of fame. This list is organized alphabetically and by country, making it easy to find these great one's from aquatic history.

International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)
The world center of swimming history, located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Long Distance Swimmers
People that swim a very long way - as in across the English Channel, or across a whole Ocean - or at least make the attempt; From Around the World.

Long-distance Swimmer Tammy Van Wisse - Swim around the world and more
Tammy Van Wisse, from Victoria Australia, told me that she started swimming around the age of 11 because she was being teased for being overweight. Now she has swam the equivalent of 1 1/2 times around the world.

Long-distance swimming legend Lewis Gordon Pugh
Long-distance swimming legend Lewis Gordon Pugh was the first person to swim around North Cape, around the Cape of Good Hope, down a Norwegian fjord and across an African Great Lake.  However, he is perhaps most well known for his exploits in the Arctic.  In 2005 he became the first person to undertake a long distance swim near the North Pole.    

Meagher, Mary T.
Won three gold medals at the 1984 Olympics and, at 14 years old, set a world record in the 200-meter butterfly event at the 1979 Pan American Games; from Encarta Online.

NBCOlympics.com Swimmer's Bios
Quick and to the point information, photos, and a little bit more,  on your favorite swimmers from the around the world.

Neurofibromatosis and My First Masters Swim Meet
As an adaptive swimmer, I was going into my swim meet with low expectations. I was in the mind set that I was going to be last or at least close to the end of the line. I am an amputee; I lost my leg when I was 13, due to a disease called Neurofibromatosis. It has been about 17 years. I have always been pretty active, but I was not in the mind set to be in any competitive level. And, at my first Masters Swim Meet, I fared much better then I thought I could ever do.

Olympian Interview - Amand Beard
Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Amanda Beard answers some questions about swimming and life.

Olympic Gold Medalists (Men)
Lists of who won gold medals in Olympic swimming.

Olympic Gold Medalists (Women)
Lists of who won gold medals in Olympic swimming.

Olympic Swimming History
Swimming has been part of the Games since the beginning of the modern Olympiad in 1896 but the first two Games were rather quirky aquatic affairs, and exclusively male.

Open Water Great Abilio Couto
Brazilian marathon swimmer Abilio Couto crossed the English Channel 3 times, and was four time world champion in open water swimming. Includes historical pictures and documents about open water swimming.

Opera Browser CEO Tetzchner's Bid to Swim The Atlantic Ocean is Over
Jon von Tetzchner, the CEO of Opera Software (makers of the Opera Browser) had planned to swim from Norway to the USA if enough people downloaded the new version of the Opera Web Browser. He tried, but due to an accident the attempt was stopped.

Origins of Sea Swimming
The story of the Brighton Swimming Club's sea swimming exploits - started in 1860.

Otto, Kristen
German swimmer, who won six gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games; from Encarta Online.

Perkins, Kieren
Plenty of information on one of the great Australian swimmers, from an unofficial home page.

Q and A with Maritza Correia
Maritza Correia, 2003 NCAA Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyles, and a gold medalist from the freestyle relay at the 2003 World Championships, has added her answers some questions about swimming - and life - that could help other swimmers.

Q and A with Olympian Jeff Rouse
Swimmer Jeff Rouse, multiple Olympic Gold Medalist and Swimming World Record setter, took some time to answer some questions about swimming - and life - that could help other swimmers.

Q and A with Staciana Stitts, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist
Staciana Stitts, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer in the 400 Medley Relay, took some time to answer some questions about swimming - and life - that could help other swimmers.

Schollander, Don
The first person to win four gold medals in swimming in a single Olympiad; from Encarta Online.

Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center Opens
Sheryl Crow helped her hometown of Kennett, Missouri raise funds to build a new aquatic center.

Speedo and FINA to Help the World Swim for Malaria
SPEEDO and FINA officially announced they would be lending their support to the World Swim for Malaria 2005. SPEEDO has committed its support with athletes such as Grant Hackett, Markus Rogan, Michael Klim, David Davies, Mike Brown and Federica Pellegrini to capture the public's attention.

Spitz - Untouchable
Seven races. Seven gold medals. Seven world records. In 1972, Mark Spitz established an Olympic standard of unparalleled proportions; From CNNSI/AP.

Spitz, Mark
The official Mark Spitz page, with several related stories and statistics.

Spitz, Mark
Winner of seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games; from Encarta Online.

Streeter, Allison - Queen of the English Channel
40 English Channel Crossings - no one else is even close!

Stroke Development through History
USA Swimming and the ARC explain the development of the modern competitive strokes - beginning in 2,000 B.C.

Superstar's of Swimming
A collection of short biographies from swimming super-fan Jeff Fisher.

Swimmer and Surfer Duke Kahanamoku
Wednesday, August 24th marks the birthday of one of Hawaii’s most famous — Duke Kahanamoku. A powerful swimmer, he won five medals at four different Olympics, retiring from competition at the age of 42.

Swimmer's Biographies
A collection of one paragraph biographies USA Swimming.

Swimming History from USA Swimming
The saga of swimming's development from the International Swimming Hall of Fame from "Weissmuller to Spitz;" The History of Swimming, which was edited from "The World of Sports," Mexico XIX, Olympiad 8.

Swimming History Outline
An outline of a chapter on swimming history from CSU Long Beach.

Swimming History
A wealth of information from USA Swimming.

Swimming the English Channel - Gertrude Ederle
It isn’t often that a young person does something alone that captures the attention of the whole world. On August 6 in 1926, 19-year old New Yorker Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She chose a day so rough that steamship trips were canceled.

Swimming's Development from the Washington Post
A review of the history of swimming and related topics.

The 2006 International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees
TheInternational Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Fort Lauderdale, FL has announced the list of aquatic athletes to be honored at a ceremony on 13 May, 2006.

The development of the forward start
How did the forward start develop since 1883? These pictures will give you some answers.

USA Swimming History Fact File
Statistics and facts on current and past swimming events, including the Olympics, World Championships, open water, and other events.

Weissmuller, Johnny
American swimmer and motion-picture actor, won five gold medals at the Olympic Games; from Encarta Online.

World Swim for Malaria
The World Swim for Malaria (WSM) aims to have 1 million people from around the world swimming on 3 December 2005 in order to raise money to fight malaria. With 150,000 already committed to swim it is already the largest participatory swim ever organised - all to help prevent malaria.