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

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. A plastic-coated tarpaulin roof covering the two outdoor pools of the complex, designed to protect spectators and swimmers from being exposed to the summer heat, was originally planned to be built as part of the renovations. However, due to cost overruns and delays in construction, planners decided to scrap the roof in March 2004, which was criticised by FINA, the governing body of water sports. The venue would ultimately be approved by FINA weeks before the opening of the games in August.

Events The following events were contested (all pool events were long course, and distances are in metres unless stated): Freestyle : 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 (women) and 1500 (men); Backstroke : 100 and 200; Breaststroke : 100 and 200; Butterfly : 100 and 200; Individual medley : 200 and 400; Relays: 4 × 100 free, 4 × 200 free, and 4 × 100 medley.

Schedule

+Men Date → Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 17 Aug 18 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug 21Event ↓ M E M E M E M E M E M E M E M E 50 m freestyle H ½ F 100 m freestyle H ½ F 200 m freestyle H ½ F 400 m freestyle HF 1500 m freestyle H F100 m backstroke H ½ F 200 m backstroke H ½ F 100 m breaststroke H ½ F 200 m breaststroke H ½ F 100 m butterfly H ½ F 200 m butterfly H ½ F 200 m individual medley H ½ F 400 m individual medley HF 4 × 100 m freestyle relay HF 4 × 200 m freestyle relay HF 4 × 100 m medley relay H F +Women Date → Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 17 Aug 18 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug 21Event ↓ M E M E M E M E M E M E M E M E 50 m freestyle H ½ F 100 m freestyle H ½ F 200 m freestyle H ½ F 400 m freestyle HF 800 m freestyle H F100 m backstroke H ½ F 200 m backstroke H ½ F 100 m breaststroke H ½ F 200 m breaststroke H ½ F 100 m butterfly H ½ F 200 m butterfly H ½ F 200 m individual medley H ½ F 400 m individual medley HF 4 × 100 m freestyle relay HF 4 × 200 m freestyle relay HF 4 × 100 m medley relay H F

Participating nations A total of 937 swimmers (544 men and 393 women) from 152 nations would compete in swimming events at these Olympic Games. 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 21.93 21.94NR 22.02 100 m freestyle 48.17 48.23 48.56 200 m freestyle 1:44.71 1:45.23 1:45.32AM 400 m freestyle 3:43.10 3:43.36 3:44.11AM 1500 m freestyle 14:43.40 14:45.29AM 14:45.95ER 100 m backstroke 54.06 54.35 54.36AS 200 m backstroke 1:54.95 1:57.35 1:57.56NR 100 m breaststroke 1:00.08 1:00.25 1:00.88 200 m breaststroke 2:09.44 2:10.80 2:10.87 100 m butterfly 51.25 51.29 51.36ER 200 m butterfly 1:54.04 1:54.56AS 1:55.52NR 200 m individual medley 1:57.14 1:58.78 1:58.80NR 400 m individual medley 4:08.26 4:11.81 4:12.15 4 × 100 m freestyle relay Roland Schoeman (48.17) AF Lyndon Ferns (48.13)Darian Townsend (48.96)Ryk Neethling (47.91) 3:13.17 Johan Kenkhuis (49.81)Mitja Zastrow (49.25)Klaas-Erik Zwering (48.51)Pieter van den Hoogenband (46.79)Mark Veens* 3:14.36NR Ian Crocker (50.05)Michael Phelps (48.74)Neil Walker 47.97)Jason Lezak (47.86)Nate Dusing*Gary Hall, Jr.*Gabe Woodward* 3:14.62 4 × 200 m freestyle relay Michael Phelps (1:46.49)Ryan Lochte (1:47.52)Peter Vanderkaay (1:47.79)Klete Keller (1:45.53)Scott Goldblatt*Dan Ketchum* 7:07.33AM Grant Hackett (1:47.50)Michael Klim (1:47.62)Nicholas Sprenger (1:48.16)Ian Thorpe (1:44.18)Antony Matkovich*Todd Pearson*Craig Stevens* 7:07.46 Emiliano Brembilla (1:48.16)Massimiliano Rosolino (1:46.24)Simone Cercato (1:49.85)Filippo Magnini (1:47.58)Federico Cappellazzo*Matteo Pelliciari* 7:11.83 4 × 100 m medley relay Aaron Peirsol (53.45) Brendan Hansen (59.37)Ian Crocker (50.28)Jason Lezak (47.58)Lenny Krayzelburg*Mark Gangloff*Michael Phelps*Neil Walker* 3:30.68 Steffen Driesen (54.26) Jens Kruppa (1:00.50)Thomas Rupprath (51.40)Lars Conrad (47.46)Helge Meeuw* 3:33.62ER Tomomi Morita (54.25) ASKosuke Kitajima (59.35)Takashi Yamamoto (51.87)Yoshihiro Okumura (49.75) 3:35.22AS * Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.

Women's events 50 m freestyle 24.58 24.89NR 24.91 100 m freestyle 53.84 54.16 54.40 200 m freestyle 1:58.03 1:58.22 1:58.45 400 m freestyle 4:05.34ER 4:05.84 4:06.19 800 m freestyle 8:24.54 8:24.96 8:26.61 100 m backstroke 1:00.37 1:00.50 1:00.88 200 m backstroke 2:09.19AF 2:09.72 2:09.88 100 m breaststroke 1:06.64 1:07.15 1:07.16 200 m breaststroke 2:23.37 2:23.60 2:25.82 100 m butterfly 57.72 57.84 57.99 200 m butterfly 2:06.05 2:06.36 2:08.04 200 m individual medley 2:11.14 2:11.70AM 2:12.72AF 400 m individual medley 4:34.83 4:34.95AM 4:37.51SA 4 × 100 m freestyle relay Alice MillsLisbeth LentonPetria ThomasJodie HenrySarah Ryan* 3:35.94 Kara Lynn JoyceNatalie CoughlinAmanda WeirJenny ThompsonLindsay Benko*Maritza Correia*Colleen Lanne* 3:36.39AM Chantal GrootInge DekkerMarleen VeldhuisInge de BruijnAnnabel Kosten* 3:37.59NR 4 × 200 m freestyle relay Natalie CoughlinCarly PiperDana VollmerKaitlin SandenoLindsay Benko*Rhi Jeffrey*Rachel Komisarz* 7:53.42 Zhu YingwenXu YanweiYang YuPang JiayingLi Ji* 7:55.97AS Franziska van AlmsickPetra DallmannAntje BuschschulteHannah StockbauerJanina Götz*Sara Harstick* 7:57.37 4 × 100 m medley relay Giaan Rooney (1:01.18) OC Leisel Jones (1:06.50)Petria Thomas (56.67)Jodie Henry (52.97)Brooke Hanson*Alice Mills*Jessicah Schipper* 3:57.32 Natalie Coughlin (59.68) ORAmanda Beard (1:06.32)Jenny Thompson (58.81)Kara Lynn Joyce (54.31)Haley Cope*Tara Kirk*Rachel Komisarz*Amanda Weir* 3:59.12 Antje Buschschulte (1:00.72)Sarah Poewe (1:07.08)Franziska van Almsick (58.54)Daniela Götz (54.38) 4:00.72ER * Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.

Records The following world and Olympic records were established during the competition: World records Date Round Event Established for Time Name Nation 14 August Final Men's 400 metre individual medley (same) 4:08.26 Michael Phelps 14 August Final Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay (same) 3:35.94 Alice Mills (54.75) Libby Lenton (53.57) Petria Thomas (54.67) Jodie Henry (52.95) 15 August Final Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay (same) 3:13.17 Roland Schoeman (48.17) Lyndon Ferns (48.13) Darian Townsend (48.96) Ryk Neethling (47.91) 18 August Semifinal 2 Women's 100 metre freestyle (same) 53.52 Jodie Henry 18 August Final Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay (same) 7:53.42 Natalie Coughlin (1:57.74) Carly Piper (1:59.39) Dana Vollmer (1:58.12) Kaitlin Sandeno (1:58.17) 21 August Final Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay (same) 3:57.32 Giaan Rooney (1:01.18) Leisel Jones (1:06.70) Petria Thomas (56.67) Jodie Henry (52.97) 21 August Final Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay Men's 100 metre backstroke 53.45 Aaron Peirsol 21 August Final Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay (same) 3:30.68 Aaron Peirsol (53.45) Brendan Hansen (59.37) Ian Crocker (50.28) Jason Lezak (47.58) Olympic records Date Round Event Established for Time Name Nation 14 August Heat 7 Men's 100 metre breaststroke (same) 1:00.03 Kosuke Kitajima 14 August Semifinal 1 Men's 100 metre breaststroke (same) 1:00.01 Brendan Hansen 15 August Semifinal 2 Women's 100 metre backstroke (same) 1:00.17 Natalie Coughlin 15 August Semifinal 1 Women's 100 metre breaststroke (same) 1:06.78 Leisel Jones 16 August Final Men's 200 metre freestyle (same) 1:44.71 Ian Thorpe 16 August Final Women's 100 metre breaststroke (same) 1:06.64 Luo Xuejuan 17 August Final Men's 200 metre butterfly (same) 1:54.04 Michael Phelps 18 August Final Men's 200 metre breaststroke (same) 2:09.44 Kosuke Kitajima 18 August Semifinal 2 Men's 200 metre backstroke (same) 1:55.14 Aaron Peirsol 18 August Semifinal 1 Men's 200 metre individual medley (same) 1:58.52 Michael Phelps 19 August Final Women's 200 metre breaststroke (same) 2:23.57 Amanda Beard 19 August Final Men's 200 metre backstroke (same) 1:54.95 Aaron Peirsol 19 August Final Men's 200 metre individual medley (same) 1:57.14 Michael Phelps 19 August Semifinal 1 Men's 100 metre butterfly (same) 51.74 Andriy Serdinov 19 August Semifinal 2 Men's 100 metre butterfly (same) 51.61 Michael Phelps 20 August Final Men's 100 metre butterfly (same) 51.25 Michael Phelps 21 August Final Men's 1500 metre freestyle (same) 14:43.40 Grant Hackett 21 August Final Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay Women's 100 metre backstroke 59.68 Natalie Coughlin

References

External links Official result book – Swimming