Water sport
Swimming
Four strokes, one clock, and hundredths of a second between them.
- Origin
- Competitive from 1830s
- Format
- Individual and relay
- Governing body
- World Aquatics
- Strokes
- 4 recognised
- Pool
- 50 m long course
- Olympic
- Yes, since 1896
Three ways in
Option one
Rules & how to play
Everything you need to follow a game of swimming: the objective, the field, the fouls and the officials.
6 sections
Option two
History & origins
Where swimming came from and how it grew, told as a timeline of the moments that changed it.
10 milestones
Option three
Players
Search the greats by name, country or honour — or scroll the list to find someone you've never heard of.
10 profiles