The first Olympic Games of the Modern era had just one swimming event, a 100m freestyle for sailors, swum in the sea.
Women's events began in 1912, in Stockholm, with the 100m freestyle, 400m team and plain diving. Swimming events have changed dramatically since then - by the 1952 Olympic Games every Olympic record had been beaten at least once. Also coming under Swimming are diving, water polo which was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900 for men, women's water polo will be introduced to the Olympic programme at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Other new Swimming disciplines to appear at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games are Synchronised Swimming, duo event and Synchronised Diving. British Success
Henry Taylor won a total of 8 Olympic medals between 1906 and 1920. He also won a medal in the same event (the freestyle relay) at four successive Games.
Jennie Fletcher winning Bronze for the 100m freestyle in 1912 was Great Britain's first woman Olympic swimming medallist. At the same Games, she was part of the relay team (4 x 100m freestyle) who won Gold.
Great Britain has won a total of 15 Gold medals, 23 Silver medals and 28 Bronze medals, as well as Gold in water polo in 1900, 1908, 1912 and 1920. |  |
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