2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Lists
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6| Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9
With the Paris Olympics complete, it is time to look at the top swims at the meet. After so many good performances, narrowing a list down to only 30 swims is very difficult but here are the top 30 swims from the 9-day meet. Things considered in these rankings were, previous personal best times, previous performance at the meet, “clutch” performances, and historic accomplishments from the times/finishes.
30. Leon Marchand‘s 4:02.95 400 IM
Marchand already is the World Record holder in the men’s 400 IM after swimming a 4:02.50 last summer at the World Championships to break Michael Phelps‘ record of a 4:03.84. Marchand swam a 4:02.95 in Paris to win the event by over five and a half seconds.
29. Qin Haiyang 57.98 Breaststroke Split
Qin threw down this split and had his best swim of the meet when he needed to. Despite being the World Record holder, Qin missed the 200 breast final and also missed the podium in the 100 breast. He did not break the 59-second mark in any of his 3 swims in the individual 100 breast, making it seem as it a 58-mid was likely for the relay. Instead, he threw down a 57.98, a split that was necessary to end the US streak in the men’s 4×100 medley relay to close the meet.
28. Mollie O’Callaghan 52.24 Free Lead Off
O’Callaghan missed the podium in the individual 100 freestyle but swam a 52.24 on the lead off leg for the Australian women’s 4×100 free relay, giving them a lead from the start. Her swim would have won silver in the individual race.
27. Paige Madden 8:13.00 800 Free
Madden has soared up the all-time rankings in the women’s 800 freestyle in the last year. She swam a personal best to make the event at US Olympic Trials, swam another lifetime best in prelims, and then went even faster for bronze in finals. She dropped a total of 14.99 seconds from when she swam the event at the 2023 Pan Am Games last fall.
26. Roman Mityukov 1:54.85 200 Back
Mityukov swam a new national record en route to bronze at the meet, winning the only medal for Switzerland in the pool as well. He also became the first man from Switzerland to ever final in the 200 backstroke, ensuring they had a place on the medal table.
25. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova 15:40.35 1500 Free
Kirpichnikova swam to a new lifetime best and French national record in front of the home crowd as she won silver behind Katie Ledecky of the US in the 1500 free. Kirpichnikova swam for Russia at the Tokyo Olympics but gained French citizenship last year and has seen success since the move.
24. Sarah Sjostrom 52.16 100 Free
Sjostrom did not even plan to swim the 100 freestyle at the beginning of the year and even after swimming on the relay on day 1, but her coach encouraged her to stay in the race. Instead of scratching the event, she earned gold with a 52.16 earning her 2nd ever Olympic gold medal.
23. Tatjana Smith 1:05.28 100 Breast
After winning silver in the 100 breast in Tokyo, Smith earned gold in Paris, touching in a 1:05.28. She announced her retirement from the sport as well but was able to end on a high note with gold in the 100 and silver in the 200 breast. Her medal(s) also earned South Africa a spot on the medal table.
22. Caeleb Dressel 49.41 100 Fly Split
Dressel came through for the US men splitting a 49.41 on the butterfly leg for the 4×100 medley relay. After missing the individual final in the event with a 51.57 in semifinals, throwing down a 49.41 is a big rebound and was clutch to keep the US ahead of France for silver.
21. Kaylee McKeown 57.33 100 Backstroke
McKeown swam to a new Olympic record for a few days and a gold medal with a 57.33 in the 100 back. That also tied her own Oceania record that she swam last fall which stood as the World Record until Regan Smith of the US swam a 57.13 at US Trials.
20. Apostolos Christou 1:54.82 200 Back
Christou became the first medalist for Greece in the pool in over a century, winning silver in the 200 back in a new national record as well. He was not even seeded in the top 16 in the event but moved up the rankings with his historic swim.
19. Josh Liendo 49.99 100 Butterfly
Liendo broke a barrier with this swim, becoming the 5th man to ever break the 50-second mark in the 100 fly as he swam to silver. He also led a 2-3 finish alongside Ilya Kharun who won bronze. The two became the first Canadian men to stand on the podium together.
18. Torri Huske 52.29 100 Free
Huske was seeded 7th coming into the 100 free and it seemed as if the Australians would stand on the podium instead of the US. That was not the case as Huske won silver and no Australians made the podium. She came into the meet with a best time of a 52.90, a time that would have been 7th in finals.
17. Mona McSharry 1:05.59 100 Breast
With some momentum coming into the meet, McSharry looked to be a contender in the breaststroke events and she came through. She became the 2nd swimmer to ever medal in swimming for Ireland with bronze in the 100 breast and her moment on the podium is one to remember.
16. Regan Smith 57.28 100 Back Lead Off
Smith’s lead off for the women’s 4×100 medley relay would have won gold in the individual event earlier in the week and it sits as the #2 performance all-time as Smith is the World Record holder with a 57.13 from US Trials in June. She started the US relay out on the right foot as they went on to win gold in a new World Record.
15. Katie Ledecky 15:30.02 1500 Free
Defending her title in a new Olympic Record time, Katie Ledecky now holds the top 20 performances in the 1500 free all-time as her time of a 15:30.02 sits at #8. She is the only woman to ever win the event at the Olympic level.
14. Kate Douglass 2:19.24 200 Breast
Winning her first individual Olympic gold medal, the legend of Kate Douglass grows as she captured the 200 breaststroke title. She broke her own American Record that she swam in January.
13. Katie Ledecky 8:11.04 800 Free
Making history with her swim, Ledecky became the first woman and 2nd swimmer all-time to win the same event at four Olympics as only Michael Phelps has done so winning the 200 IM four times. Ledecky holds the top 17 performances all-time as this swim is #14.
12. Daniel Wiffen 7:38.19 800 Free
The other 800 freestyle winner, Daniel Wiffen of Ireland also made history in the process. Wiffen became the first man from Ireland to ever make an Olympic final and went beyond that, capturing gold as well. He also is the 3rd Irish swimmer to ever medal.
11. Leon Marchand 2:05.85 200 Breast
On the back half of his “dirty double,” Marchand swam to become the #2 performer all-time in the 200 breaststroke. He broke Zac Stubblety-Cook‘s Olympic Record in the process as well as Stubblety-Cook swam to silver in the race.
10. Leon Marchand 1:51.25 200 Fly
Chasing down Kristof Milak on the final 50 fueled by a strong turn, Marchand swam an Olympic Record on the front half of his dirty double as well. He became the #2 performer all-time to sit only behind Milak and now ahead of Michael Phelps in the process.
9. Sarah Sjostrom 23.66 50 Free (Semifinals)
Sjostrom set an Olympic Record and had the #3 performance all-time in semifinals of the women’s 50 free before going on to win gold in the race as well. She was just off her World Record of a 23.61 that she swam last year.
8. Torri Huske 51.88 Free Relay Split
Swimming the fastest relay split of her career so far, Huske kept the US ahead of China in the mixed medley relay with a 51.88 anchor leg. China’s Yang Junxuan came home in a 51.92 so Huske’s 51.88 was necessary to keep the US ahead of China as Huske earned the touch at the end only 0.12 ahead of Yang.
7. Summer McIntosh 2:03.03 200 Fly
The Canadian teenager swam to a new Olympic Record in the 200 fly and also became the #2 performer all-time as she won gold in the women’s 200 fly. She also broke her own World Junior Record.
6. Leon Marchand 1:54.06 200 IM
In the #2 performance all-time, Marchand came so close to holding another World Record as Ryan Lochte of the US holds the 200 IM World Record with a 1:54.00. Nonetheless, Marchand broke Michael Phelps‘ Olympic Record en route to another gold in front of his home crowd.
5. Gretchen Walsh 55.03 Fly Split
Walsh swam what is tied for the fastest 100 fly split of all-time with Sarah Sjostrom with a 55.03 in the women’s 4×100 medley relay. After winning silver in the individual race, the World Record holder threw down a split that would help the US women to a new World Record.
4. Pan Zhanle 45.92 100 Free Split
Another relay split, Pan swam faster than Jason Lezak‘s split at the 2008 Olympics. Pan became the first sub-46 split of all-time, just one of his many big swims while in Paris. Pan dove in 3rd at the final exchange and his historic split was enough to overtake France and the US, ending the US men’s medley relay streak in the process.
3. Summer McIntosh 2:06.56 200 IM
In a race that was given a lot of hype, McIntosh delivered with a 2:06.56, breaking Katinka Hosszu‘s Olympic Record in the process. McIntosh also became the first Canadian to ever win three gold medals in the same Olympics with her swim.
2. Pan Zhanle 100 Free 46.40
Pan broke his own World Record of a 46.80 that he swam in February at the 2024 World Championships. He dominated the field in Paris, winning by over a full second ahead of Kyle Chalmers‘ 47.48.
1. Bobby Finke 14:30.67 1500 Free
What puts Finke’s swim at #1 is the fact that he did not hold the World Record before. He also won the event almost 9 seconds faster than he did in Tokyo as he was a 14:39.65 then, breaking Sun Yang’s World Record from 2012 as well.
Bobby Finke is the first American to break the WR in the men’s 1500 LCM since Brian Goodell did it in 1976 , 48 years ago!
W100 free you have 3rd place higher than 1st, thats priceless. 🤣🤣🤣
For me, Léon’s 1’54.06 should be higher. In the top 3. Could it be that SwimSwam is getting tired of the Frenchman’s repeated exploits? Similarly, the two “dirty double” swims (the 200 fly and the 200 breaststroke) should be given much more prominence, especially the 200 fly (with its incredible last 50m).
Ok for Bobby Finke’s first place. 2nd Pan 3rd Summer and 4th Léon But the same goes for Summer Mac Intosh and Léon Marchand’s other races. A little tired of seeing non-Americans (who, what’s more, train in the USA) accumulate gold medals?
Or maybe I’ve been a bit carried away by the “Leonmania” that’s sweeping France at the moment. SwimSwam is talking here about the best individual swims, not the overall performances achieved by a single swimmer over the duration of the games. Sorry.
Although Summer’s IM swims were incredible, I would have put her 200 fly in the top three rather than the 200IM. The 200IM was arguably the best race of the meet, with several lead changes, it lived up to the hype. But this list says “swims”, so I’m thinking it’s more about the individual swim, like a new best time or something. The women’s WR for 200 fly is arguably the most unattainable record in swimming. But Summer’s 200 fly in Paris, in that pool, was something else, and that record is on the clock in my opinion. The 17 year old is going to get that record.
Yeah, I think if she had been literally milliseconds faster and clocked a 2:02 it would be getting a lot more attention. alas, she’ll get 2:02 soon.
Destroyed that textile wr too it’s the 2nd best swim of all time. A better finish and everyone would give it the credit it deserves.
Finke’s swim is No.1. He broke a 12-year old record which had been proved many times that it is extremely difficult to break. Sun Yang’s final 50m is unbelievably fast. Finke was an underdog in this event as he just beaten in 800m and he did not win this event in the recent world champ as well. Also, his typical match strategy make it even harder to break the record. Now in this race, Finke dramatically changed his match strategy and finally broke this 12-year old record.
To change the match strategy is very risky. An example is Femke Bol’s women’s 400mh final in Track and Field several days later, which is a super heated rivalry between McLaughlin and… Read more »
Putting Smith’s relay lead off ahead of McKeown’s individual swim is wild. Olympics is about racing, not times. Keep your OR, we’ll take the individual Gold.
But isn’t this list about swims or times? Not about the racing? If it was racing the women’s 200 IM was the best race
If you go down the set of comments below, it is clear the majority enjoy spreading ‘ugly American’ vibes.
I always kinda thought this site was more for appreciation of the sport, wherever the athlete was from, rather than nationalistic sparring by countries. Chinese v Americans v Australians v Europeans. You should all be ashamed.
If I was doing the list I too would have put Pan first and Finke second, but I have a hard time feeling Pan was disrespected when he had 2 of the top 4 placements attributed to him.
I think the rationale for the article’s picks might have been that Finke broke a record that had been on the books for 12 years, whereas… Read more »
If you read the comments carefully you will see most comments ‘spreading the ugly American vibe’ are responding to either people disrespecting Pans swim, simply because he is Chinese and therefore must be on something, or clear comments disrespecting non US swims.
The recent USADA reports re not suspending athletes with positive tests could easily put as much doubt over US swims as there is over Chinese swims in Paris.
Finkes record was older but Pans will stay for longer (unless he breaks it again himself)
46.4 was a paradigm shift. 14:30 was not.
Also in what world is a silver medal performance (Huske) greater than gold? (Sjostrom)
When the Gold winner has been on the top rim of the event for a decade and a half, holds the world record and was half a second off her PB, while the silver winner was over half a second under her previous PB.
The silver medallist was very clearly training for the 100m free. The gold medallist hasn’t for years and just kinda tried it out to see what might happen. But sure go on.