Swimming at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad | |
---|---|
Venue | Paris La Défense Arena (pool) Pont Alexandre III (marathon) |
Dates | 27 July – 4 August 2024 (pool) 8–9 August 2024 (marathon) |
No. of events | 37 (18 men, 18 women, 1 mixed) |
Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics | |||
---|---|---|---|
Qualification | |||
Freestyle | |||
50 m | men | women | |
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
800 m | men | women | |
1500 m | men | women | |
Backstroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Breaststroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Butterfly | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Individual medley | |||
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
Freestyle relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | women | |
4 × 200 m | men | women | |
Medley relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | mixed | women |
Marathon | |||
10 km | men | women | |
The swimming competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were held from 27 July to 9 August 2024. Pool events (27 July to 4 August) took place at the Paris La Défense Arena, with the two-day marathon swimming (8 to 9 August) staged at Pont Alexandre III through the Seine River. [1] [2]
Similar to the 2020 program format, swimming features a total of 37 events (18 each for men and women and 1 mixed event), including two 10 km open-water marathons. The following events were contested (all pool events are long-course, and distances are in meters unless stated):
The swimming program schedule for Paris 2024 will occur in two segments. For the pool events, similar to the case for the 2012 Games, prelims ran in the morning, followed by the semifinal and final sessions in the evening and the night session (due to the substantial fees NBC has paid for rights to the Olympics, the IOC has allowed NBC to have influence on event scheduling to maximize U.S. television ratings when possible; NBC agreed to a $7.75 billion contract extension on 7 May 2014, to air the Olympics through the 2032 Games [3] and is also one of the major sources of revenue for the IOC). [4] [5] Several significant changes are instituted to the swimming schedule, with the program extending to nine days for the first time as opposed to the regular eight-day format. The extra day would be used to alleviate the schedules of the swimmers who would compete in the individual and relay events at the same period. Moreover, it relieves a packed schedule that witnessed three new events added to the program at the previous Games. [6] [7]
In February 2024, a change was announced to the original schedule for Days 5 and 6, after lobbying by the French swimming governing body to give Léon Marchand a chance to win both the men's 200 metre butterfly and 200 metre breaststroke events. [8] [9] All events remain on the originally planned days, but the event order has been modified to create a longer gap between the 200 metre butterfly and 200 metre breaststroke events.
H | Heats | ½ | Semi-finals | F | Final |
World Aquatics establishes qualifying times for individual events. The time standards consist of two types, namely an "Olympic Qualifying Time" (OQT, colloquially known as the A-cut) and an "Olympic Consideration time" (OCT, colloquially known as the B-cut). Each country can enter a maximum of two swimmers per event, provided that they meet the (faster) qualifying time. A country can enter one swimmer per event that meets the invitation standard. Any swimmer who meets the "qualifying" time will be entered into the event for the Games; a swimmer meeting the "invitation" standard is eligible for entry allotted by ranking. If a country does not have a swimmer who meets either of the qualifying standards, it may have entered one male and one female. A country that does not receive an allocation spot but enters at least one swimmer achieving a qualifying standard might have entered those with the highest ranking. [12] [13]
Each relay event features 16 teams, composed of the following: [12] [14]
All athletes entered in individual events can be used in relays, even if they have not achieved the OCT for the corresponding stroke and distance of the relay in which they are entered. [15] Relay teams may compose of additional athletes according to the number of events they have qualified for.
The men's and women's 10 km races featured 22 swimmers each, three less than those in the Tokyo 2020 roster: [16] [17]
* Host nation (France)
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 8 | 13 | 7 | 28 |
2 | Australia | 7 | 9 | 3 | 19 |
3 | France* | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
4 | Canada | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
5 | Hungary | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
6 | China | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
7 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
8 | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
9 | Great Britain | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
10 | Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
11 | South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
12 | Ireland | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
14 | Romania | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
15 | Greece | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Japan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
17 | Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
18 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (19 entries) | 37 | 38 | 36 | 111 |
b Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 × 100 m medley relay | United States Ryan Murphy (52.08) Nic Fink (58.29) Gretchen Walsh (55.18) Torri Huske (51.88) Regan Smith [b] Charlie Swanson [b] Caeleb Dressel [b] Abbey Weitzeil [b] | 3:37.43 WR | China Xu Jiayu (52.13) Qin Haiyang (57.82) Zhang Yufei (55.64) Yang Junxuan (51.96) Tang Qianting [b] Pan Zhanle [b] | 3:37.55 AS | Australia Kaylee McKeown (57.90) Joshua Yong (58.43) Matthew Temple (50.42) Mollie O'Callaghan (52.01) Iona Anderson [b] Zac Stubblety-Cook [b] Emma McKeon [b] Kyle Chalmers [b] | 3:38.76 OC |
b Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
The following world and Olympic records were set during the competition:
Date | Round | Event | Time | Name | Nation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 July | Final | Men's 100 metre freestyle | 46.40 | Pan Zhanle | China |
3 August | Final | Mixed 4 × 100 metre medley relay | 3:37.43 | Ryan Murphy (52.08) Nic Fink (58.29) Gretchen Walsh (55.18) Torri Huske (51.88) | United States |
4 August | Final | Men's 1500 metre freestyle | 14:30.67 | Bobby Finke | United States |
4 August | Final | Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay | 3:49.63 | Regan Smith (57.28) Lilly King (1:04.90) Gretchen Walsh (55.03) Torri Huske (52.42) | United States |
On 20 April 2024, The New York Times revealed that 23 members of the Chinese swimming team tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug called Trimetazidine seven months prior to the start of the 2020 Summer Games and were allowed to participate in the games with some of the swimmers winning medals. Following the publication of the report, Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) of covering up doping by Chinese swimmers. [18] [19]
WADA argued the amount detected was too low to enhance performance. CHINADA, who had reported the results to WADA and FINA (now World Aquatics), blamed them on contamination from a hotel kitchen, a rationale that potentially exempts findings from being made public. [20] WADA released a statement, explaining that "[it] was not possible for WADA scientists or investigators to conduct their enquiries on the ground in China given the extreme restrictions in place due to a COVID-related lockdown. WADA ultimately concluded that it was not in a position to disprove the possibility that contamination was the source of TMZ and it was compatible with the analytical data in the file." [21] World Aquatics's investigation agreed with WADA. [22]
After the story was leaked, WADA was criticised by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and athletes. WADA's choice of a Swiss attorney to lead an investigation into the matter also drew criticism because he was hand-picked by the agency. [23] Experts interviewed by The New York Times said trace amounts of TMZ can be detected near the end of a doping excretion period but could not rule out contamination either. [24]
In a second statement, Tygart accused both the WADA and the CHINADA for not being transparent about the findings and keeping "clean athletes in the dark". WADA was also accused of having a double-standard as Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for TMZ and used the same excuse, but was subsequently banned for four years. WADA argued, based on non-published information and pharmacokinetics, that contamination would not have been possible in Valieva's case, but in the case of the Chinese swimmers, that no international competition was occurring around the time of the positive tests, only athletes who stayed at one of the hotels tested positive, and some individuals alternated between positive and negative results all point to contamination, not doping. [25] [26] In May 2024, WADA announced that it held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the doping case of the Chinese swimmers. [27] [28]
Eleven of the 23 swimmers involved in the controversy were named to the 2024 Chinese Olympic swimming team. [29]
On July 9, independent Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier concluded that WADA did not mishandle the Chinese swimmers' doping case or show bias. His interim report stated, "There is nothing in the file... to suggest that WADA showed favouritism or in any way favoured the 23 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) between January 1 and 3, 2021." He also found no evidence of "interference or meddling" from within WADA, Chinada, or Chinese authorities. Cottier stated Wada's decision not to appeal against Chinada's conclusion was "reasonable, both from the point of view of the facts and the applicable rules". WADA President Witold Bańka welcomed the conclusion and reconfirmed the importance of clarifying these "two fundamental questions in advance of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games." [30] [31]
Per reports from multiple news outlets, the Chinese swimming delegation has reportedly been tested nearly 200 times since arriving in Paris. [32] According to World Aquatics on 2 August 2024, China’s swimmers in Paris have been tested an average of 21 times by various anti-doping organizations since the start of the year. [33] Drug-testing data in 2023 from the International Testing Agency also found that Chinese swimmers had been tested more often than swimmers of any other nationality even before news of their positive tests were made public. [34]
Former Chinese diver Gao Min alleged in a post on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo that the Chinese swimmers' poor performance in the games was due to excessive drug testing they underwent. [35] Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang said the tests "come early in the morning before we're even awake, during midday rest periods, forcing us to rest on hotel lobby sofas, and even late at night, keeping us up past midnight". [36] Wang Xue'er told a reporter from the Mandarin service of Radio Free Asia that the drug tests were okay, while Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei stated that the drug tests did not affect her much. [35]
British swimming star Adam Peaty questioned China's performances at the 2024 Summer Olympics, alluding to the cover-up of positive doping cases by Chinese swimmers, and expressing dissatisfaction with the World Anti-Doping Agency's efforts to combat cheating in sports. [37] American swimmer Caeleb Dressel emphasized the need to put trust in WADA and said that he was mainly focused on racing really tough, acknowledging that China were the better team. [38] Pan Zhanle was the only swimmer from the chinese team, to have won an individual gold in Paris 2024 and also breaking his own world record. Despite not being one of the 23 swimmers who had tested positive to TMZ, he has similarly received allegations of doping. Kyle Chalmers who came in second to him at the 100 freestyle final, however defended Pan and stated that he was confident that Pan wasn’t doping and that also he “deserves that gold medal" in [100 free]. [39] [40] David Popovici also came to Pan's defense by stating that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and adding in that, “This is only motivation for us. I mean, we can’t be mad, we can only congratulate him. This is what sports is.” [41] [42]
World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA, is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in water sports. It is one of several international federations which administer a given sport or discipline for both the IOC and the international community. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent doping in the United States with a performance-enhancing substance, the USADA provides education, leads scientific initiatives, conducts testing, and oversees the results management process. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USADA is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, which harmonizes anti-doping practices around the world, and is widely considered the basis for the strongest and strictest anti-doping programs to prevent doping in sport.
The World Anti-Doping Agency is an international organization co-founded by the governments of over 140 nations along with the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. The agency's key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code, whose provisions are enforced by the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport. The aims of the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention and the United States Anti-Doping Agency are also closely aligned with those of WADA.
Trimetazidine is a drug sold under many brand names for angina pectoris. Trimetazidine is described as the first cytoprotective anti-ischemic agent developed and marketed by Laboratoires Servier (France). It is an anti-ischemic (antianginal) metabolic agent of the fatty acid oxidation inhibitor class, meaning that it improves the heart muscle's ability to use glucose as a fuel by inhibiting its use of fatty acid metabolism. It has become controversial for its use as a performance-enhancing drug, with several scandals involving its use erupting at successive Olympic games.
Competitors at the Olympic Games have used banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs.
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He is a three-time Olympic medalist, is an African record holder, and trains with the USC Trojans team based at the University of Southern California, where he studied as a computer science undergraduate and swam collegiately.
Yuliya Andreyevna Yefimova is a Russian competitive swimmer. She is the Russian record holder in the 200 metre individual medley, 50 metre breaststroke, 100 metre breaststroke, and 200 metre breaststroke. After making her Olympic debut in 2008, she went on to win the bronze medal in the 200 metre breaststroke in 2012, and silver medals in the 100 metre and 200 metre breaststroke in 2016. She is a six-time World Champion, winning the 50 metre breaststroke in 2009 and 2013, the 100 metre breaststroke in 2015, and the 200 metre breaststroke in 2013, 2017, and 2019. In 2019, she became the first woman to win the 200 metre breaststroke at a FINA World Aquatics Championships three times. She is a former world record holder in the long course 50 metre breaststroke. She has won 109 medals, including 48 gold medals, at Swimming World Cups.
Sun Yang is a Chinese Olympic and former world-record-holding competitive swimmer. In 2012, Sun became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's swimming. Sun is the first male swimmer in history to earn Olympic and World Championship gold medals at every freestyle distance from 200 to 1500 metres. A three-time Olympic gold medalist and eleven-time world champion, he is the most decorated Chinese swimmer in history. In 2017, NBC Sports described him as "very arguably the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time".
Ye Shiwen is a Chinese swimmer. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in the 400 metres and 200 metres individual medley, breaking the world record in the 400 m event and the Olympic record in the 200 m event.
Conor James Dwyer is a former American competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. He competed in freestyle and medley events, and won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In total, he has won seventeen medals in major international competitions: nine gold, six silver, and two bronze spanning the Summer Olympics, the FINA World Championships, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Pan American Games. Dwyer placed second at the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials in the 400m freestyle.
China was alleged to have conducted a state-sanctioned doping operation in the 1980s and 1990s by former General Administration of Sport physician Xue Yinxian. The World Anti-Doping Agency investigated these allegations and found no evidence to corroborate them. Other allegations of doping have focused on swimmers and track and field athletes, such as those taught by Ma Junren. In the Olympics, China has been stripped of a total of three gold medals for doping; all were weightlifters competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Eleven Chinese athletes were stripped of medals for doping at the 1994 Asian Games.
The swimming competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were due to take place from 25 July to 6 August 2020 at the Olympic Aquatics Centre. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were postponed to 2021. However, their official name remained 2020 Summer Olympics with swimming events set for 24 July–1 August 2021 and marathon swimming set for 4–5 August 2021.
Mackenzie James Horton is an Australian retired freestyle swimmer. He is an Olympic gold medallist, World Championships gold medallist, and 4-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he took the gold in the 400m freestyle, and became the first male swimmer from the state of Victoria to win an Olympic swimming gold in the Games' history.
Witold Bańka is a Polish former 400 metres sprinter turned politician. Since 2015, he served as Minister of Sport and Tourism in the cabinet of Beata Szydło and cabinet of Mateusz Morawiecki. In May 2019, he was elected President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Wang Xue'er is a Chinese competitive swimmer who specializes in backstroke. She qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the 100 meter backstroke. She swam the 14th time in the heats and reached the semifinals where she finished 16th. She won gold and silver medals at the 50 m backstroke and 100 m backstroke at the 19th Asian Games.
Shayna Jack is an Australian swimmer. She won gold medals in Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay and Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Qin Haiyang is a Chinese swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke and individual medley. He holds the world record in the 200m breaststroke, which he set at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. At the same competition, Qin became the first swimmer in history to win all three breaststroke events at a single edition of the championships. Qin was also the former world junior record holder in the 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley. In 2023, Qin became the first Asian swimmer to be named as the Male Swimmer of the Year by World Aquatics.
Kamila Valeryevna Valieva is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2021 Rostelecom Cup champion, the 2021 Skate Canada champion, the 2020 Junior World champion, the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and the 2021 Russian national silver medalist.
The 15th FINA World Swimming Championships were held from 16 to 21 December 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was previously scheduled for 13 to 18 December but moved back three days on 24 February 2021. Originally scheduled to be held in 2020, the championships were pushed back one year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Competition took place in a 25-metre temporary pool installed at Etihad Arena.
This article details the qualifying phase for swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics. 852 swimmers will compete in thirty-five swimming pool events at the Games, with forty-four more racing through the 10-kilometre open water marathon. The qualification window for swimming pool events will occur between 1 March 2023 and 23 June 2024.
However, drug-testing data, seen by this masthead, reveals that the International Testing Agency (ITA) had Chinese swimmers in its sights before news of their positive tests were made public in April. Of the top 20 tested swimmers in 2023, all were Chinese, including multiple Olympic medallists.