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Swimming is a popular activity in Sweden. The Swedish Swimming Federation has about 300 member clubs and about 12,000 licensed swimmers.
The history of modern swimming in Sweden starts in Uppsala, where professors from the Uppsala University start swimming education and grading for men. The first Swedish swimming club, Upsala SS, was started in 1796 by Jöns Svanberg. [1] At that time swimming clubs organised swimming graduation ceremonies (Swedish : simpromotion); Karlfors SS in Värmland County had one in 1819. [1]
Swimming clubs to organise swimming education, swimming graduation ceremonies and shows were founded in 1823 in Lund, in 1824 in Linköping (Linköpings ASS) and in 1827 in Stockholm. [1] The first competitive swimming club were Stockholms ASF (founded 1885), then Stockholms KK and Uppsala KK (both founded 1895). [1] Upsala SS allowed educational swimming for women in 1880 and began competitive swimming in 1910.
In 1899, the first Swedish Swimming Championships was held. The Swedish Swimming Federation was founded in 1904. The Swedish Swimming Federation was one of the federations that founded FINA during the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Sweden organized the third FINA Short Course Swimming Championships in Scandinavium in Gothenburg in 1997. Sweden took three gold medals.
Rosenlundsbadet in Jönköping was venue for the 1977 European Aquatics Championships.
Both Malmö and Stockholm has organized meets in the FINA Swimming World Cup.
The Swedish Swimming Championships (Swedish : Svenska Mästerskapen i simning, SM i simning, Sim-SM, Långbane-SM) are held annually in the Swedish summer in outdoor 50 m pool. The championships sometimes also works as trials for the Summer Olympics, World Championships and European Championships. Swimmers representing Swedish swim teams may participate.
The Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships (Swedish : Svenska Mästerskapen i simning, SM i simning, Sim-SM, Kortbane-SM) are annually in late November in an indoor 25m pool. The championships sometimes also works as trials for the World Championships and European Short Course Swimming Championships. Swimmers representing Swedish swim teams may participate. Non-Swedish swimmers who have participated include Anthony Ervin and Attila Czene.
The Swedish Junior's Swimming Championships (Swedish : Svenska Juniormästerskapen i simning, JSM i simning) are held twice a year, in the summer in 50 m pool together with Swedish Championships and in early February in indoor 25m pool.
In the long course championships the Swedish Junior Champion is decided from the prelims of the Swedish Championships. The swimmers competing in the Junior's Championships may also swim the semi-finals and finals of the Swedish Championships if they qualify. Swimmers in the age of 20 years and younger may compete.
The short course championships has got the same event structure as the Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships and swimmers who are 20 years and younger may compete.
The Swedish Youth Swimming Championships (Swedish : SUM-SIM Riks, Svenska Ungdomsmästerskapen i simning, Ungdoms-SM i simning) takes place two times a year, one in 50 m pool and one in 25m pool. The first time it was held was in Gävle after an initiative by NN from the Swedish tabloid Expressen. Ever since the Swedish Youth Championships has been the goal for all swimmers in the age group. At present time up to 16 years old, for the autumn championships and 17 for the summer championships.
For the short course championships, held in the end of November each year, there are eight trial meets around Sweden where the 14-16 best results (depending on number of lanes in the final) in each event qualifies for the national final. The age groups are 11–12 years, 13–14 years and 15–16 years individually and 13 years and younger respectively 16 years and younger in relays. All events are swam in timed finals.
For the long course championships, held in the summer each year, there are qualifying times for each event. The different age groups (since 2008 14 years and younger, 15 years/15 years and younger and 16–17 years) swim their prelims together in the morning session while the finals takes place in the evening age group per age group.
The Swedish Open Water Swimming Championships (Swedish: Svenska Mästerskapen i Open Water, Långlopps-SM/JSM) takes place in the Vansbrosimningen weekend. The distance is 5 km.
The Swedish Junior's Open Water Swimming Championships is swum in the same heat as the senior championship and open for swimmers 20 years and younger.
The Swedish Swimming Grand Prix series (Swedish : Svenskt Grand Prix) is a national swimming competition held each year in Sweden. The events take place in Long Course with morning finals as in the 2008 Summer Olympics. The meets are open for swimmers competing outside Sweden.
Sweden has seven Olympic gold medalists; Sarah Sjöström (twice), Arne Borg, Bengt Baron, Håkan Malmrot (twice), Pär Arvidsson, Lars Frölander and Gunnar Larsson (twice). Sweden has taken a total of 28 men's and 7 women's medals.
Swedish swimmers have become world champions at the World Aquatics Championships five times; Sarah Sjöström, Gunnar Larsson, Lars Frölander, Therese Alshammar and the 1994 men's 4 × 200 m freestyle time consisting of Christer Wallin, Tommy Werner, Lars Frölander and Anders Holmertz. At the World Aquatics Championships, Sweden has taken 26 medals. At the World Short Course Swimming Championships, Sweden has taken 24 gold medals, 19 silver medals and 15 bronze medals.
Malin Therese Alshammar is a Swedish swimmer who has won three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals, and 43 European Championship medals. She is a specialist in short distances races in freestyle and butterfly. She is coached by former Swedish swimmer Johan Wallberg. She is the first female swimmer and the third overall to participate in six Olympic Games.
Lars Arne Frölander is a Swedish swimmer. He has competed in six consecutive Olympic Games.
The Swedish Swimming Championships are held annually in the Swedish summer in outdoor 50 m pool. The championships sometimes also works as trials for the Summer Olympics, World Championships and European Championships. Swimmers representing Swedish swim teams may participate.
The Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships are annually in late November in an indoor 25m pool. The championships sometimes also works as trials for the World Championships and European Short Course Swimming Championships. Swimmers representing Swedish swim teams may participate. Non-Swedish swimmers who have participated include Anthony Ervin and Attila Czene.
Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialising in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events.
Jose Guilherme Couto is a Portuguese swimmer. He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Scandinavian Race is an annual bicycle road race held in Uppsala, Sweden. Between the years 1909–1937 and 1940–1945 the race was run as a time trial; in 1956 it was held as a team time trial. Since 2008, it is organized as a 1.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, the Scandinavian Race was held as the Swedish National Road Race Championships.
Rikke Møller Pedersen is a Danish competitive swimmer specialising in breaststroke and from 2013 to 2021 world record holder in the 200 m breaststroke (2:19.11).
Michelle Coleman is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialized in the sprint freestyle and backstroke events. She is the current Swedish national record holder in the 100 meter backstroke, and the 200 meter backstroke. She finished 7th in the 200 meter freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and led off the Swedish silver medal winning 4 × 100 m medley relay team at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.
Michael Weiss is an American competition swimmer who has represented the United States in international championships including the FINA World Championships, Pan American Games, and World University Games.
Louise Maria Hansson is a Swedish competitive swimmer, a member of Helsingborgs SS.
The women's 100 metre butterfly event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place on 6–7 August at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Ryan Held is an American freestyle swimmer who specializes in the sprint events, and is currently sponsored by Arena. He holds the U.S. Open record in the long course 100 meter freestyle and three world records in short course relay events. At the 2016 Summer Olympics he won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, swimming in both the prelims and the final of the event. In 2021, he won silver medals in the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 meter freestyle at the 2021 World Short Course Championships. At his first FINA World Aquatics Championships, the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
Benedetta Pilato is an Italian swimmer. She is the world record holder in the long course 50 metre breaststroke. She is the European champion in the 50 metre breaststroke in 2021 and the 100 metre breaststroke in 2022 as well as the silver medalist in the 50 metre breaststroke in 2022. In 2021, she won a silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke at the 2021 World Short Course Championships. She is the world champion in the 100 metre breaststroke and the silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships.
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.
The 2020 Swedish Athletics Championships was the 125th national outdoor track and field championships for Sweden. It was held from 14–16 August in Uppsala and organised by Upsala IF.
The 16th FINA World Swimming Championships took place from 13 to 18 December 2022 in Melbourne, Australia at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Swimming events in the championships were conducted in a 25-metre outdoor pool.
Analia Pigrée is a French Guianese swimmer who competes internationally representing France. She is the French record holder in the long course and short course 50 metre backstroke and the short course 100 metre backstroke. In the 50 metre backstroke, she won the gold medal at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, a silver medal at the 2021 European Short Course Championships, and the bronze medal at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. In the 100 metre backstroke, she won the bronze medal at the 2021 European Short Course Championships.