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Competitive swimming

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
Katie Ledecky wins the 400-meter freestyle race at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia.

What Is Competitive Swimming?

Competitive swimming is a sport where people race through water using their whole body. Swimmers can race alone or as part of a team. Races take place in pools or in open water, such as a sea or lake. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports.

Swimming Styles

Swimmers race in five main styles: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and the individual medley. The individual medley uses all four strokes. Four swimmers can also share a relay. Each stroke has its own special moves. Swimmers wear swimsuits that are made to help them go faster.

A Long History

People have enjoyed swimming for a very long time. The earliest sign of swimming for fun is Stone Age paintings from about 10,000 years ago. In England, swimming became a competitive sport in the 1830s. Races were held in swimming pools built around London.

In 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the English Channel. The swim took him 21 hours and 45 minutes. Men's swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens.

Staying Healthy in the Pool

Swimming is good for your health. Competitive swimmers can sometimes get hurt, such as getting a sore problem called tendinopathy in their shoulders or knees. Swimmers can help stay safe by warming up and stretching before they train.

Quiz time!

3 questions about Competitive swimming

Question 1 of 3

Where do swimming races take place?

Pictures

Michael Phelps, an Olympic gold medalist and world record holder, swims the 400-metre individual medley, a race that includes all four swimming strokes.
Australian Paralympic swimmers practice at the training pool during the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games.
Tyler Clary, an American competitive swimmer.
Swimmers competing in open water swimming at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Balatonfüred, Hungary.
Swimmer Ryan Lochte gets ready to compete at a swimming event in 2010, wearing a swim cap and goggles.
Three runners racing in the men's marathon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.
David Coulthard driving his Red Bull Racing car at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
A detail from a painting by Bernard Picart showing Leander swimming across the Hellespont, a story from Greek myth.
A map showing the routes swimmers Burgess and Webb took while crossing the English Channel.
A diagram showing a tear in the supraspinatus, one of the muscles that helps keep the shoulder joint moving smoothly.
A simplified diagram of the World Aquatics long course swimming pool standard, used at the World Championships and Summer Olympics

Keep exploring

Olympic sports
Butterfly stroke
Backstroke
Breaststroke
London
English Channel

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Competitive swimming, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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