The Australian Swim Team, also known as The Dolphins, [1] is the national swim team of Australia. The team has a rich history of success at major international championships, with its primary rival being the United States Swimming Team. The nickname 'The Dolphins' was first used in 1989. [1]
The Australian Swim Team has produced numerous world-class swimmers, with thirty-six members inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as of 2015. [2] Notable inductees include Dawn Fraser, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Kieren Perkins, Murray Rose, and Shane Gould. Swimming Australia annually recognizes the Australian Swimmer of the Year.
The Australian Swim Team has finished first in the gold medal rankings once at the Olympic Games in 1956 in Melbourne and twice at the Long Course World Championships in 2001 and 2023, both held in Fukuoka, Japan.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1904 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1906 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 1908 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1912 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 1920 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1924 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1928 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 1932 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1936 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1948 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 1952 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1956 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 1 |
| 1960 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 2 |
| 1964 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 1968 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 1972 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| 1976 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
| 1984 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 5 |
| 1988 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 1992 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 1996 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 5 |
| 2000 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 18 | 2 |
| 2004 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 2 |
| 2008 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| 2016 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| 2020 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 19 | 2 |
Notes - Open water included from 2008. [3]
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 1975 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 1978 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1982 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1991 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
| 1994 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| 1998 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 2 |
| 2001 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 1 |
| 2003 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 2 |
| 2005 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 2 |
| 2007 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 2 |
| 2009 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 4 |
| 2011 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 4 |
| 2013 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| 2015 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| 2019 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 2 |
| 2022 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 2 |
| 2023 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 25 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 3 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2005 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 3 |
| 1995 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 1 |
| 1997 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 1 |
| 1999 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 27 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 2002 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| 2004 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 30 | 2 |
| 2006 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 1 |
| 2008 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 9 |
| 2012 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| 2014 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 11 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 9 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | na |
| 2022 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 6 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1934 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 1938 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 1950 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 1 |
| 1954 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| 1958 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 1 |
| 1962 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 36 | 1 |
| 1966 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 1 |
| 1970 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 42 | 1 |
| 1974 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 33 | 1 |
| 1978 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 2 |
| 1982 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 34 | 1 |
| 1986 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 33 | 1 |
| 1990 | 21 | 19 | 13 | 53 | 1 |
| 1994 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 53 | 1 |
| 1998 | 23 | 14 | 11 | 48 | 1 |
| 2002 | 26 | 13 | 8 | 47 | 1 |
| 2006 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 55 | 1 |
| 2010 | 22 | 16 | 16 | 54 | 1 |
| 2014 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 57 | 1 |
| 2018 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 73 | 1 |
| 2022 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 65 | 1 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 2 |
| 1987 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 2 |
| 1989 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 2 |
| 1991 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 29 | 2 |
| 1993 | 8 | 17 | 5 | 30 | 2 |
| 1995 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 2 |
| 1997 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 2 |
| 1999 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 32 | 1 |
| 2002 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 28 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 3 |
| 2010 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 32 | 2 |
| 2014 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | 2 |
| 2018 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 2 |
Notes - includes Open water since 2006.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 4 |
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 2013 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 1 |
| 2015 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 2019 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 3 |
| 2022 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 24 | 2 |
Australia did not send a team to the 2006 nor the 2022 Championships.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 1964 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 2 |
| 1968 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| 1972 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| 1976 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| 1980 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 15 |
| 1984 | 20 | 30 | 24 | 74 | 9 |
| 1988 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 31 | 14 |
| 1992 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 6 |
| 1996 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 44 | 3 |
| 2000 | 14 | 15 | 21 | 50 | 5 |
| 2004 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 35 | 5 |
| 2008 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 29 | 7 |
| 2012 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 2 |
| 2016 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 5 |
| 2020 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 27 | 7 |
World Para Swimming Championships, known before 30 November 2016 as the IPC Swimming World Championships.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 17 | 42 | 2 | ||
| 1998 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 47 | 3 |
| 2002 | 8 | 12 | 29 | ||
| 2006 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 27 | |
| 2010 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 30 | 6 |
| 2013 | 11 | 4 | 12 | 27 | 7 |
| 2015 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 30 | 7 |
| 2019 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 17 |
| 2022 | 7 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 7 |
| 2023 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 30 | 6 |
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