The swimming competitions at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens took place from 14 to 21 August 2004 at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre in Marousi. It featured 32 events (16 male, 16 female), a total of 937 swimmers from 152 nations, and the program's changes instituted in the previous Games, including notably the three-phase format (heats, semifinals, and final) for all short-distance races (200 metres and under).
Swimmers from the United States continued to dominate the medal tally with a total of 28, earning twelve golds, nine silver, and seven bronze. Australia still maintained the second spot from Sydney in 2000, but produced a total of 15 more medals (seven golds, five silver, and three bronze) to its historical hardware in swimming. Meanwhile, Japan moved from behind to third overall in the medal board with eight medals after a sterling breaststroke double from Kosuke Kitajima. A total of eight world records and twenty-five Olympic records were set during the competition.
Venue
thumb|Grandstand view of the swimming pool at the [[Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre during the 2004 Summer Olympics.]]
Swimming events at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre, officially known as the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OCO) during the games. Originally built for the 1991 Mediterranean Games, it was refurbished to host swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, and water polo events; it was the first time in the history of the Olympics that all aquatics disciplines had been held at a single venue. Swimming events were held at the main outdoor pool of the complex, which held 10,893 spectators, and was interchangeably used for swimming and water polo events throughout the duration of the games. which was criticised by FINA, the governing body of water sports.
|-
! Date → || colspan="2"| Aug 14 || colspan="2"|Aug 15 || colspan="2"|Aug 16 || colspan="2"|Aug 17 || colspan="2"|Aug 18 || colspan="2"|Aug 19 || colspan="2"|Aug 20 || colspan="2"|Aug 21
|-
!Event ↓ || M || E || M || E || M || E || M || E || M || E|| M || E || M || E || M || E
|-
| class="event" |50 m freestyle ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |100 m freestyle ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |200 m freestyle ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |400 m freestyle || class="heats" |H|| class="final" |F||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |1500 m freestyle ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| || || class="final" |F
|-
| class="event" |100 m backstroke ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |200 m backstroke ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |100 m breaststroke || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |200 m breaststroke ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |100 m butterfly ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |200 m butterfly ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |200 m individual medley ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="semifinals" | ½ || || class="final" | F ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |400 m individual medley || class="heats" |H|| class="final" |F||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |4 × 100 m freestyle relay ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="final" |F||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |4 × 200 m freestyle relay ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| class="final" |F||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2|
|-
| class="event" |4 × 100 m medley relay ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| ||colspan=2| || class="heats" |H|| || || class="final" |F
|}
{| class="wikitable olympic-schedule swimming"
|+Women Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Guyana, and Turkmenistan made their official debut in swimming. Meanwhile, Albania, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Norway returned to the sport after long years of absence. Nations with swimmers at the Games are (team size in parentheses):
Medal summary
Results
Men's events
{|
|-
| 50 m freestyle<br>
| || 21.93
| || 21.94<br>NR
| || 22.02
|-
| 100 m freestyle<br>
| || 48.17
| || 48.23
| || 48.56
|-
| 200 m freestyle<br>
| || 1:44.71<br>
| || 1:45.23
| || 1:45.32<br>AM
|-
| 400 m freestyle<br>
| || 3:43.10
| || 3:43.36
| || 3:44.11<br>AM
|-
| 1500 m freestyle<br>
| || 14:43.40<br>
| || 14:45.29<br>AM
| || 14:45.95<br>ER
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m backstroke<br>
| || 54.06
| || 54.35
| || 54.36<br>AS
|-
| 200 m backstroke<br>
| || 1:54.95<br>
| || 1:57.35
| || 1:57.56<br>NR
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m breaststroke<br>
| || 1:00.08
| || 1:00.25
| || 1:00.88
|-
| 200 m breaststroke<br>
| || 2:09.44<br>
| || 2:10.80
| || 2:10.87
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m butterfly<br>
| || 51.25<br>
| || 51.29
| || 51.36<br>ER
|-
| 200 m butterfly<br>
| || 1:54.04<br>
| || 1:54.56<br>AS
| || 1:55.52<br>NR
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 200 m individual medley<br>
| || 1:57.14<br>
| || 1:58.78
| || 1:58.80<br>NR
|-
| 400 m individual medley<br>
| || 4:08.26<br>
| || 4:11.81
| || 4:12.15
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay<br>
|valign=top| <br>Roland Schoeman (48.17) AF <br>Lyndon Ferns (48.13)<br>Darian Townsend (48.96)<br>Ryk Neethling (47.91)|| 3:13.17<br>
|valign=top| <br>Johan Kenkhuis (49.81)<br>Mitja Zastrow (49.25)<br>Klaas-Erik Zwering (48.51)<br>Pieter van den Hoogenband (46.79)<br>Mark Veens* || 3:14.36<br>NR
|valign=top| <br>Ian Crocker (50.05)<br>Michael Phelps (48.74)<br>Neil Walker 47.97)<br>Jason Lezak (47.86)<br>Nate Dusing*<br>Gary Hall, Jr.*<br>Gabe Woodward* || 3:14.62
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 200 m freestyle relay<br>
|valign=top| <br>Michael Phelps (1:46.49)<br>Ryan Lochte (1:47.52)<br>Peter Vanderkaay (1:47.79)<br>Klete Keller (1:45.53)<br>Scott Goldblatt*<br>Dan Ketchum* || 7:07.33<br>AM
|valign=top| <br>Grant Hackett (1:47.50)<br>Michael Klim (1:47.62)<br>Nicholas Sprenger (1:48.16)<br>Ian Thorpe (1:44.18)<br>Antony Matkovich*<br>Todd Pearson*<br>Craig Stevens* || 7:07.46
|valign=top| <br>Emiliano Brembilla (1:48.16)<br>Massimiliano Rosolino (1:46.24)<br>Simone Cercato (1:49.85)<br>Filippo Magnini (1:47.58)<br>Federico Cappellazzo*<br>Matteo Pelliciari* || 7:11.83
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m medley relay <br>
|valign=top| <br>Aaron Peirsol (53.45) <br>Brendan Hansen (59.37)<br>Ian Crocker (50.28)<br>Jason Lezak (47.58)<br>Lenny Krayzelburg*<br>Mark Gangloff*<br>Michael Phelps*<br>Neil Walker* || 3:30.68<br>
|valign=top| <br>Steffen Driesen (54.26) <br>Jens Kruppa (1:00.50)<br>Thomas Rupprath (51.40)<br>Lars Conrad (47.46)<br>Helge Meeuw* || 3:33.62<br>ER
|valign=top| <br>Tomomi Morita (54.25) AS<br>Kosuke Kitajima (59.35)<br>Takashi Yamamoto (51.87)<br>Yoshihiro Okumura (49.75)|| 3:35.22<br>AS
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
Women's events
{|
|-
| 50 m freestyle <br>
| || 24.58
| || 24.89<br>NR
| || 24.91
|-
| 100 m freestyle <br>
| || 53.84
| || 54.16
| || 54.40
|-
| 200 m freestyle <br>
| || 1:58.03
| || 1:58.22
| || 1:58.45
|-
| 400 m freestyle <br>
| || 4:05.34<br>ER
| || 4:05.84
| || 4:06.19
|-
| 800 m freestyle <br>
| || 8:24.54
| || 8:24.96
| || 8:26.61
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m backstroke <br>
| || 1:00.37
| || 1:00.50
| || 1:00.88
|-
| 200 m backstroke <br>
| || 2:09.19<br>AF
| || 2:09.72
|<br> || 2:09.88
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m breaststroke <br>
| || 1:06.64<br>
| || 1:07.15
| || 1:07.16
|-
| 200 m breaststroke <br>
| || 2:23.37<br>
| || 2:23.60
| || 2:25.82
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 100 m butterfly <br>
| || 57.72
| || 57.84
| || 57.99
|-
| 200 m butterfly <br>
| || 2:06.05
| || 2:06.36
| || 2:08.04
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-
| 200 m individual medley<br>
| || 2:11.14
| || 2:11.70<br>AM
| || 2:12.72<br>AF
|-
| 400 m individual medley<br>
| || 4:34.83
| || 4:34.95<br>AM
| || 4:37.51<br>SA
|-
|-bgcolor=#ddd
|colspan=7|
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay<br>
|valign=top| <br>Alice Mills<br>Lisbeth Lenton<br>Petria Thomas<br>Jodie Henry<br>Sarah Ryan* || 3:35.94<br>
|valign=top| <br>Kara Lynn Joyce<br>Natalie Coughlin<br>Amanda Weir<br>Jenny Thompson<br>Lindsay Benko*<br>Maritza Correia*<br>Colleen Lanne* || 3:36.39<br>AM
|valign=top| <br>Chantal Groot<br>Inge Dekker<br>Marleen Veldhuis<br>Inge de Bruijn<br>Annabel Kosten* || 3:37.59<br>NR
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 200 m freestyle relay<br>
|valign=top| <br>Natalie Coughlin<br>Carly Piper<br>Dana Vollmer<br>Kaitlin Sandeno<br>Lindsay Benko*<br>Rhi Jeffrey*<br>Rachel Komisarz* || 7:53.42<br>
|valign=top| <br>Zhu Yingwen<br>Xu Yanwei<br>Yang Yu<br>Pang Jiaying<br>Li Ji* ||7:55.97<br>AS
|valign=top| <br>Franziska van Almsick<br>Petra Dallmann<br>Antje Buschschulte<br>Hannah Stockbauer<br>Janina Götz*<br>Sara Harstick* ||7:57.37
|-valign="top"
| 4 × 100 m medley relay<br>
|valign=top| <br>Giaan Rooney (1:01.18) OC <br>Leisel Jones (1:06.50)<br>Petria Thomas (56.67)<br>Jodie Henry (52.97)<br>Brooke Hanson*<br>Alice Mills*<br>Jessicah Schipper* || 3:57.32<br>
|valign=top| <br>Natalie Coughlin (59.68) OR<br>Amanda Beard (1:06.32)<br>Jenny Thompson (58.81)<br>Kara Lynn Joyce (54.31)<br>Haley Cope*<br>Tara Kirk*<br>Rachel Komisarz*<br>Amanda Weir* || 3:59.12
|valign=top| <br>Antje Buschschulte (1:00.72)<br>Sarah Poewe (1:07.08)<br>Franziska van Almsick (58.54)<br>Daniela Götz (54.38)|| 4:00.72<br>ER
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.
Records
The following world and Olympic records were established during the competition:
World records
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! Round !! Event !! Established for !! Time !! Name !! Nation
|-
| 14 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 400 metre individual medley || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 4:08.26 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 14 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 3:35.94 || Alice Mills (54.75)<br/> Libby Lenton (53.57) <br/>Petria Thomas (54.67) <br/> Jodie Henry (52.95) ||
|-
| 15 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 3:13.17 || Roland Schoeman (48.17)<br/> Lyndon Ferns (48.13) <br/>Darian Townsend (48.96) <br/> Ryk Neethling (47.91) ||
|-
| 18 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 2 || Women's 100 metre freestyle || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 53.52 || Jodie Henry ||
|-
| 18 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 7:53.42 || Natalie Coughlin (1:57.74)<br/> Carly Piper (1:59.39) <br/>Dana Vollmer (1:58.12) <br/> Kaitlin Sandeno (1:58.17) ||
|-
| 21 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 3:57.32 || Giaan Rooney (1:01.18)<br/> Leisel Jones (1:06.70) <br/>Petria Thomas (56.67) <br/> Jodie Henry (52.97) ||
|-
| 21 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay || style="text-align:center;"| Men's 100 metre backstroke ||align="right"| 53.45 || Aaron Peirsol ||
|-
| 21 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 3:30.68 || Aaron Peirsol (53.45)<br/> Brendan Hansen (59.37) <br/>Ian Crocker (50.28) <br/> Jason Lezak (47.58) ||
|}
Olympic records
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! Round !! Event !! Established for !! Time !! Name !! Nation
|-
| 14 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Heat 7 || Men's 100 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:00.03 || Kosuke Kitajima ||
|-
| 14 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 1 || Men's 100 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:00.01 || Brendan Hansen ||
|-
| 15 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 2 || Women's 100 metre backstroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:00.17 || Natalie Coughlin ||
|-
| 15 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 1 || Women's 100 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:06.78 || Leisel Jones ||
|-
| 16 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 200 metre freestyle || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:44.71 || Ian Thorpe ||
|-
| 16 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 100 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:06.64 || Luo Xuejuan ||
|-
| 17 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 200 metre butterfly || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:54.04 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 18 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 200 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 2:09.44 || Kosuke Kitajima ||
|-
| 18 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 2 || Men's 200 metre backstroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:55.14 || Aaron Peirsol ||
|-
| 18 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 1 || Men's 200 metre individual medley || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:58.52 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 19 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 200 metre breaststroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 2:23.57 || Amanda Beard ||
|-
| 19 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 200 metre backstroke || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:54.95 || Aaron Peirsol ||
|-
| 19 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 200 metre individual medley || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 1:57.14 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 19 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 1 || Men's 100 metre butterfly || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 51.74 || Andriy Serdinov ||
|-
| 19 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Semifinal 2 || Men's 100 metre butterfly || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 51.61 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 20 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 100 metre butterfly || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 51.25 || Michael Phelps ||
|-
| 21 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Men's 1500 metre freestyle || style="text-align:center;"| (same) ||align="right"| 14:43.40 || Grant Hackett ||
|-
| 21 August ||style="text-align:center;"| Final || Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay || style="text-align:center;"| Women's 100 metre backstroke ||align="right"| 59.68 || Natalie Coughlin ||
|}
References
External links
- Official result book – Swimming