The 1988 Summer Olympics took place in Seoul, South Korea. The swimming competition, held from September 18 to September 25, was notable for the seven medals, including five golds, won by Matt Biondi, the six golds won by Kristin Otto, and the three individual golds won by Janet Evans. 633 participants from 77 countries were competing.
Medal table
Events
The swimming program for 1988 included two new events, the men's and women's 50 m freestyle, bringing the total number of events to 31.
The following events were contested:
- Freestyle: 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m (women), 1500 m (men)
- Backstroke: 100 m, 200 m
- Breaststroke: 100 m, 200 m
- Butterfly: 100 m, 200 m
- Individual Medley: 200 m, 400 m
- Relay: 4 × 100 m free, 4 × 200 m free (men); 4 × 100 m medley
Competition schedule
All dates are in 1988.
{|class=wikitable
|-
!date
!Morning session
!Afternoon session
|-
|Sept.18 || no competition || women's 100 freestyle (prelims) <br> men's 100 breaststroke (prelims) <br> women's 400 I.M. (prelims) <br> men's 200 freestyle (prelims)
|-
|Sept.19 || women's 100 freestyle (finals) <br> men's 100 breaststroke (finals) <br> women's 400 I.M. (finals) <br> men's 200 freestyle (finals) ||
|-
|Sept.20 || men's 100 butterfly (prelims) <br> women's 200 freestyle (prelims) <br> men's 400 I.M. (prelims) <br> women's 200 breaststroke (prelims) <br> men's 4 × 200 Freestyle Relay (prelims) ||
|-
|Sept.21 || || men's 100 butterfly (finals) <br> women's 200 freestyle (finals) <br> men's 400 I.M. (finals) <br> women's 200 breaststroke (finals) <br> men's 4 × 200 Freestyle Relay (finals)
|-
|Sept.22 || women's 400 freestyle (prelims) <br> men's 100 freestyle (prelims) <br> women's 100 backstroke (prelims) <br> men's 200 backstroke (prelims) <br> women's 4 × 100 Free Relay || women's 400 freestyle (finals) <br> men's 100 freestyle (finals) <br> women's 100 backstroke (finals) <br> men's 200 backstroke (finals) <br> women's 4 × 100 Freestyle Relay (finals)
|-
|Sept.23 || men's 400 freestyle (prelims) <br> women's 100 butterfly (prelims) <br> men's 200 breaststroke (prelims) <br> women's 100 breaststroke (prelims) <br> men's 4 × 100 Freestyle Relay (prelims) <br> women's 800 freestyle (prelims) || men's 400 freestyle (final) <br> women's 100 butterfly (finals) <br> men's 200 breaststroke (finals) <br> women's 100 breaststroke (finals) <br> men's 4 × 100 Freestyle Relay (finals)
|-
|Sept.24 || men's 200 butterfly (prelims) <br> women's 200 I.M. (prelims) <br> men's 50 freestyle (prelims) <br> men's 100 backstroke (prelims) <br> women's 4 × 100 Medley Relay (prelims) <br> men's 1500 freestyle (prelims) || women's 200 I.M. (finals) <br> men's 200 butterfly (finals) <br> men's 50 freestyle (finals) <br> women's 800 freestyle (finals) <br> men's 100 backstroke (finals) <br> women's 4 × 100 medley relay (finals)
|-
|Sept.25 || women's 200 butterfly (prelims) <br> men's 200 I.M. (prelims) <br> women's 50 freestyle (prelims) <br> men's 4 × 100 medley relay (prelims) <br> women's 200 backstroke (prelims) || men's 200 I.M. (finals) <br> women's 200 butterfly (finals) <br> women's 50 freestyle (finals) <br> men's 1500 freestyle (finals) <br> women's 200 backstroke (finals) <br> men's 4 × 100 medley relay (finals)
|}
Medal summary
Men’s events
{|
|-
| 50 m freestyle<br >
| || 22.14
| || 22.36
| || 22.71
|-
| 100 m freestyle<br>
| || 48.63
| ||49.08
| || 49.62
|-
| 200 m freestyle <br>
| || 1:47.25
| || 1:47.89
| || 1:47.99
|-
| 400 m freestyle <br>
| || 3:46.95
| || 3:47.15 OC
| || 3:47.34
|-
| 1500 m freestyle <br>
| || 15:00.40
| || 15:02.69
| || 15:06.15
|-
| 100 m backstroke <br>
| || 55.05 AS
| || 55.18
| || 55.20
|-
| 200 m backstroke <br>
| || 1:59.37
| || 1:59.60
| || 2:00.48 NR
|-
| 100 m breaststroke <br>
| || 1:02.04 NR
| || 1:02.05
| || 1:02.20
|-
| 200 m breaststroke <br>
| || 2:13.52 ER
| || 2:14.12
| || 2:15.21 NR
|-
| 100 m butterfly <br>
| || 53.00 <br>
| || 53.01
| || 53.30
|-
| 200 m butterfly <br>
| || 1:56.94
| || 1:58.24 NR
| || 1:58.28
|-
| 200 m individual medley<br>
| || 2:00.17
| || 2:01.61
| || 2:02.40
|-
| 400 m individual medley<br>
| || 4:14.75
| || 4:17.36
| || 4:18.01
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay<br>
| <br> Chris Jacobs<br> Troy Dalbey<br> Tom Jager<br> Matt Biondi<br> Doug Gjertsen*<br> Brent Lang*<br> Shaun Jordan* || 3:16.53
| <br> Gennadiy Prigoda<br> Yuri Bashkatov<br> Nikolai Yevseyev<br> Vladimir Tkachenko <br> Raimundas Mažuolis*<br> Oleksiy Boryslavskiy*|| 3:18.33 ER
| <br> Dirk Richter<br> Thomas Flemming<br> Lars Hinneburg<br> Steffen Zesner || 3:19.82
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 200 m freestyle relay<br>
| <br> Troy Dalbey<br> Matt Cetlinski<br> Doug Gjertsen<br> Matt Biondi<br> Craig Oppel*<br> Dan Jorgensen* || 7:12.51 (WR)
| <br> Uwe Daßler<br> Sven Lodziewski<br> Thomas Flemming<br> Steffen Zesner<br> Lars Hinneburg* || 7:13.68
| <br> Erik Hochstein<br> Thomas Fahrner<br> Rainer Henkel<br> Michael Gross<br> Peter Sitt*<br> Stefan Pfeiffer* || 7:14.35
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m medley relay<br>
| <br> David Berkoff<br> Richard Schroeder<br> Matt Biondi<br> Chris Jacobs<br> Jay Mortenson*<br> Tom Jager* || 3:36.93
| <br> Mark Tewksbury<br> Victor Davis<br> Tom Ponting<br> Sandy Goss || 3:39.28
| <br> Igor Polyansky<br> Dmitry Volkov<br> Vadim Yaroshchuk<br> Gennadiy Prigoda<br> Sergey Zabolotnov*<br> Valeriy Lozik*<br> Konstantin Petrov*<br> Nikolay Yevseyev* || 3:39.96
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
Women’s events
{|
|-valign="top"
|rowspan=2 | 50 m freestyle<br>
|rowspan=2 | ||rowspan=2| 25.49 <br> (OR)
|rowspan=2 | ||rowspan=2| 25.64
| ||rowspan=2| 25.71
|-
|
|-
| 100 m freestyle <br>
| || 54.93
| || 55.47
| || 55.49
|-
| 200 m freestyle <br>
| || 1:57.65 <br> (OR)
| || 1:58.67
| || 1:59.01
|-
| 400 m freestyle <br>
| || 4:03.85 <br> (WR)
| || 4:05.94
| || 4:06.62
|-
| 800 m freestyle <br>
| || 8:20.20 <br> (OR)
| || 8:22.09
| || 8:22.93
|-
| 100 m backstroke <br>
| || 1:00.89
| || 1:01.56
| || 1:01.57
|-
| 200 m backstroke <br>
| || 2:09.29 <br> (OR)
| || 2:10.61
| || 2:11.45
|-
| 100 m breaststroke <br>
| || 1:07.95 <br> (OR)
| || 1:08.74
| || 1:08.83
|-
| 200 m breaststroke <br>
| || 2:26.71 <br> (WR)
| || 2:27.49
| || 2:28.34
|-
| 100 m butterfly <br>
| || 59.00 <br> (OR)
| || 59.45
| || 59.52
|-
| 200 m butterfly <br>
| || 2:09.51
| || 2:09.91
| || 2:10.80
|-
| 200 m individual medley <br>
| || 2:12.59 <br> (OR)
| || 2:13.31
| || 2:14.85
|-
| 400 m individual medley <br>
| || 4:37.76
| || 4:39.46
| || 4:39.76
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay <br>
| <br> Kristin Otto<br> Katrin Meissner<br> Daniela Hunger<br> Manuela Stellmach<br> Sabina Schulze*<br> Heike Friedrich* || 3:40.63
| <br> Marianne Muis<br> Mildred Muis<br> Conny van Bentum<br> Karin Brienesse<br> Diana van der Plaats* || 3:43.39
| <br>Mary Wayte<br> Mitzi Kremer<br> Laura Walker<br> Dara Torres<br> Paige Zemina*<br> Jill Sterkel* || 3:44.25
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m medley relay <br>
| <br> Kristin Otto<br> Silke Hörner<br> Birte Weigang<br> Katrin Meissner<br> Cornelia Sirch*<br> Manuela Stellmach* || 4:03.74
| <br> Beth Barr<br> Tracey McFarlane<br> Janel Jorgensen<br> Mary Wayte<br> Betsy Mitchell*<br> Mary T. Meagher*<br> Dara Torres*|| 4:07.90
| <br> Lori Melien<br> Allison Higson<br> Jane Kerr<br> Andrea Nugent<br> Keltie Duggan*<br> Patricia Noall* || 4:10.49
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
Participating nations
633 swimmers from 77 nations competed.