Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics — Olympic swimming events in Beijing 2008
The 2008 Olympic swimming program set 25 world records and saw Michael Phelps win eight gold medals, surpassing Mark Spitz's single-Games record.
Key Facts
- Total events
- 34 (17 male, 17 female)
- World records broken
- 25
- Olympic records broken
- 65
- US total medals
- 31 (12 gold, 9 silver, 10 bronze)
- Phelps gold medals
- 8
- Competition dates
- 9–17 August (pool); 20–21 August (open water)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing provided a stage for 34 swimming events, including two newly introduced 10 km open-water marathon events, drawing elite swimmers worldwide to the Beijing National Aquatics Centre and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
Swimming competitions ran from 9 to 17 August 2008, with the United States dominating the medal table at 31 total medals. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in a single Games, breaking Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven. Australia finished second with 20 medals, and Rebecca Adlington led Great Britain to third with six medals.
A total of 25 world records and 65 Olympic records were set, marking one of the most productive Games in swimming history. Phelps's eight-gold performance became a defining benchmark in Olympic sport, while the debut of open-water marathon events expanded the scope of Olympic swimming competition.
Result
at Beijing National Aquatics Centre