SwimmingDB
106 entries on legendary swimmers, famous pools, and open water milestones. From Phelps and Ledecky to the English Channel and the Water Cube, the people, places and feats that shaped aquatic sport.
Key Entries
Michael Phelps
Phelps won six golds at Athens 2004 and eight at Beijing 2008, breaking Mark Spitz single Games record. His 2008 program included ...
Katie Ledecky
Ledecky won her first Olympic gold at London 2012 at age 15, then dominated distance freestyle for over a decade. She has held wor...
Dawn Fraser
Fraser won the 100 m freestyle at Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964, the first swimmer of either sex to win the same event ...
David Popovici
Popovici announced himself at Tokyo 2020 with a fourth place at 16, then won the 100 and 200 m freestyle at the 2022 world champio...
First English Channel Crossing
Matthew Webb breaststroked from Dover to Calais in August 1875, unassisted by modern nutrition science, drinking brandy and cod li...
Oceans Seven
The Oceans Seven comprises the North Channel, the Cook Strait, the Molokai Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the...
London Aquatics Centre
The London Aquatics Centre carried a sweeping roofline by Zaha Hadid over two 50 m pools and a diving well, built for 2012 with te...
Beijing National Aquatics Center
The Water Cube wrapped the 2008 Olympic pool in ETFE bubble cushions that glow at night, and its deep, wide gutters contributed to...
Adam Peaty
Peaty broke the 58 second barrier in 2015 and lowered the world record to 56.88 at the 2019 world championships, a margin over riv...