The modern Olympic Games began in the late 19th century, with the first Olympics held in Greece in 1896. Inspired by the ancient Olympic games (which date back as far as 776 BC), swimming has been a core pillar of the Summer Games since their inception. However, while swimming was essential to the modern era, it was notably absent from ancient competitions.
During the 1896 Summer Olympics, only four swimming events were contested, all exclusively for men. It wasn’t until the 1912 Stockholm Olympics that women were permitted to compete for medals in an indoor swimming pool.
In 1896, the swimming events took place in open water, and only one event—the 100-meter freestyle—has survived as a continuous Olympic tradition to this day. The 100-meter freestyle remains one of the most prestigious events at the Paris 2024 Olympics for both men and women.
Women’s swimming officially debuted in 1912 with two events. The first-ever female gold medalist was the legendary Australian swimmer Fanny Durack, who won the 100-meter freestyle.
Modern Olympic swimming events (excluding the 10K Marathon Swim) are held in 50-meter “long course” pools. The 1992 Barcelona Olympics marked the final time swimming events were held in an outdoor 50-meter pool. Today, most venues are climate-controlled indoor facilities.
Some venues, like the London Aquatics Centre, were built specifically for the Games. Others are temporary; for the Paris 2024 Games, a temporary pool was constructed inside a massive arena previously used for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Today, swimmers compete in 37 events. Pool events are swum across four major strokes: Freestyle (Front Crawl), Breaststroke, Backstroke, and Butterfly.
Distances range from the explosive 50m freestyle sprint to the grueling 1500m endurance race. The Individual Medley (IM) is perhaps the most challenging event, requiring the athlete to swim all four strokes in a single race.
The history of the Olympics is defined by its superstars. Johnny Weissmuller won five golds before becoming a Hollywood star. Mark Spitz made history with 7 golds in 1972, a record eventually broken by Michael Phelps, who secured a staggering 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2024, the world watched as new legends emerged. France’s Leon Marchand became a sensation by winning gold in both the 200m butterfly and breaststroke in a single evening. Meanwhile, Sarah Sjöström of Sweden solidified her status as the fastest woman in the world by winning both the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Katie Ledecky also made history, becoming the first woman to win four consecutive Olympic golds in the same event (800m freestyle), while 17-year-old Summer McIntosh of Canada dominated with three gold medals.
It is easy to forget that every Olympic champion once stood at the edge of the pool as a non-swimmer. The journey to the podium begins with learning to swim through expert instruction and dedicated practice.
Whether you’re looking for 1:1 lessons or small groups, we offer expert swimming tuition in Wimbledon for the 2026 term.
A good swim school with professional staff
Easter 2021 Crash Course
Various lockdowns have held back my daughter’s swimming development so we opted for a crash 4 day course over Easter and she has come away from it much more confident and with a recognisable stroke as opposed to doggy paddle!
April 19, 2021, www.yell.com
Although I have only attended two lessons, Marjan’s bubbly personality makes you feel instantly at ease. During the lessons, the pool was not very busy which is a good thing (as opposed to public pools) for those who are anxious.
I would strongly recommend to adults who have experienced trauma with water at a certain time in their lives.
November 24, 2020, www.yell.com
My son has been going to swimming lessons at Blue Wave in Wimbledon for a few years now and thoroughly enjoys it. The teaching is great and the lessons well run. Helps to prepare him for when we finally get to go on holiday again!
September 26, 2020, www.yell.com
Highly Recommended
My son went to improve his swimming technique and found his instructor very helpful, very kind and patient. The school itself is very welcoming and feels safe for all the children who go there. I would highly recommend it.
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
Excellent results
My son is 4 years-old and we were looking for weekend swimming classes in a nice environment that could bring good results. After some research we chose Blue Wave Swim. Our son has been having private lessons since the end of 2018 and he is progressing very well. We believe the professionalism of the team, the clean and tidy infrastructure, and the good care of the management are contributing for his development and confidence in the water. Thank you very much Blue Wave Swim!
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
Awesome!
I am grateful to Marjan and her team at Blue Wave Swim for their hard work and for promoting happiness and enjoyment in swimming. It is amazing to watch the lessons, see the attention, the encouragement and the support the children receive. I have been impressed with my daughters’ progress and the fact that they love attending their classes and learning a vital life skill. Thank you very much. Great job!
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
Superb Swimming School in Wimbledon
My daughter, who is now 7 years old, started with blue wave two years back and we have been very happy with her progress at the school. Initially we started with group lessons but once she got comfortable in water we moved her to semi private lessons, which made a lot of difference in her ability to learn swimming. As part of the smaller group she is better bonded with other children in the group and gets more attention from the swimming instructor, which is helping her advance her swimming skills. During her 2 years with blue wave, swimming instructors for my daughter have changed and while continuity in learning was maintained, I think this could have been managed better. Needless to say, she still goes and enjoys her time here and looks forward to her class every week. Overall we are very pleased with Blue Wave and would recommend them without any hesitation.
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
Highly recommend
Highly recommend this swimming school. My daughter has been attending since she was 1 years old and she loves it. The teachers are very good with children and my daughter, who is now 4 years old is very confident in the water.
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
Great
My daughter loves swimming! Since attending Blue Wave Swim School lessons her water confidence is high and that gives us peace of mind when she is playing near water. The staff are fantastic and the lessons are fun!
August 23, 2019, www.yell.com
