The Tokyo 2020 swimming program expanded to a record 37 events, introducing three new disciplines including the first Olympic women's 1500 m freestyle.
Key Facts
- Total events
- 37 (record high)
- Events per gender
- 18 per gender, 1 mixed
- Pool swimming dates
- 24 July – 1 August 2021
- Marathon swimming dates
- 4–5 August 2021
- Venue
- Olympic Aquatics Centre, Tokyo
- New events added
- Men's 800m free, Women's 1500m free, Mixed 4×100m medley relay
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 2020 Summer Olympics were originally scheduled for July–August 2020 at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Tokyo. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the International Olympic Committee to postpone the entire Games by one year, though all events retained their '2020' official designation.
Swimming competitions took place from 24 July to 1 August 2021 for pool events, with marathon swimming on 4–5 August 2021. The program featured a record 37 events across men's, women's, and mixed categories, expanding from prior Olympics with three newly introduced disciplines.
The expanded 37-event swimming program set a new benchmark for Olympic aquatics, granting women parity in the 800 m and 1500 m freestyle distances and introducing mixed-gender relay competition, influencing the structure of future Olympic swimming programs.