Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Swimming
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
VenueAthens Olympic Aquatic Centre
Dates14 – 21 August 2004
Competitors937 from 152 nations
← 2000
2008 →

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.[1] 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).[2][3]

Swimmers from the United States continued to dominate the medal tally with a total of 28, earning twelve golds, nine silver, and seven bronze.[4] 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.[5][6] 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.

  1. ^ "Olympedia – Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  2. ^ "USA Today 2004 Olympic Coverage: Swimming Format and Schedule". USA Today. 20 May 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Athens 2004: Volume Two – Aquatics (Swimming)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. pp. 9–27. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  4. ^ "U.S. adds another relay gold". ESPN. 22 August 2004. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  5. ^ Gordos, Phil (21 August 2004). "Phelps causes biggest splash". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Australian team expects world swimming titles to close door on culture of drug abuse, bullying and bad behaviour". The Australian. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.