When was swimming made a sport

A stroke in which the swimmer is on his or her back performing a flutter-kick and rotating the arms alternately backward. A stroke made in the prone position in which both hands move simultaneously forward, outward and rearward from in front of the chest, and the legs move in a frog-like manner.

FINA has recognised World Records since , but the "modern era" of global standards starts in , when criteria very similar those existing today have been established. Find out all the current World Records. National swimming championships were organised since the middle of the 19th century in England.

Despite the difference of lengths and styles at the time, FINA retained in six official events for future Olympic Games:. In the following years, various nations would host their own championship meets; the United States got their chance in The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in According to the olympicchannel. For example, the m free for sailors was strictly for members of the Greek Navy, and all of the races were held in open water.

Until , only male swimmers were allowed to compete in the Olympics. It was not until the Stockholm Olympics that women were able to compete , and even when they were finally allowed in the water, they were only given two events in which to compete—the free and free relay.

All of the economic growth from the war brought great technological advancement to the United States, which translated to the swimming world in the form of lane lines and indoor competition pools. Advanced training techniques and facilities such as hydrodynamic swimsuits and better drainage systems in the pools allowed athletes to swim much faster than those of the past. By , marked lanes and guidelines for pool depths leveled the playing field and allowed for a more fair competition.

The s and s were full of advancement within the swimming world as new strokes and events made their debut over the following years. The butterfly stroke was first raced in at the Melbourne Olympics, and in , the number of events jumped from eight to 14 for women and 10 to 15 for men. To accept the cookies and close this banner, please click the button on the right.

If you continue to use this site, we will assume you are happy to accept the cookies. A National Swimming Society was formed in the UK, with competitions being held towards the end of that century. In the early days of the sport the most popular stroke was what has become to be known as the modern day breaststroke. The sport made its debut at the Olympic Games in and has featured on the sport roster ever since.