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Your one-stop guide to swimming at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, including top athletes, venue information, schedule and more!
Swimming is the second-largest sport at the Olympics, featuring a record total of 35 events at Tokyo 2020 (excluding marathon swimming). Only athletics has more medals on offer.
New additions to the Games programme for 2021 in Japan are the men's 800m freestyle, women's 1,500m freestyle, and the exciting mixed 4×100m medley relay.
Below, we take a look at the athletes expected to light up the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, and the competition schedule, in our top things to know about Olympic Swimming guide.
Top Olympic swimmers at Tokyo 2020
Michael Phelps left incredibly big shoes to fill when he retired at Rio 2016, but the USA may have found an athlete up the task in Caeleb Dressel.
The Florida native scooped up six titles at the 2019 World Championships and broke several short-course records in a dominant 2020. Phelps actually thinks that Dressel could match his eight Olympic gold medal-haul in Japan.
Dressel’s compatriot Katie Ledecky secured four gold medals at Rio 2016 and, despite only winning one event at the last world champs due to illness, will likely be the favourite for all freestyle races up to 1,500m. Her re-match with Australia’s 400m world champion Ariarne Titmus is sure to produce fireworks.
With the five fastest 100m breaststroke times ever, it would take something very special to stop British GOAT Adam Peaty from retaining his Olympic title. But can he help Britain’s world champion 4x100m medley relay team cause another upset?
Individual medley queen Katinka Hosszu may be going to the Games without a coach, but the Hungarian’s consistent performances over the past Olympic cycle mean she is favoured to retain her medley Olympic titles. On the men’s medley side, there are high hopes for Japan’s double reigning world champion SETO Daiya, after completing a non-sport-related suspension in 2020.
Finally, they don’t call Sarah Sjostrom ‘Gold Bae’ for no reason, and the Swedish eight-time world champ will be a medal threat over the butterfly and freestyle sprints.
Olympic Swimming schedule at Tokyo 2020
The competition (excluding marathon swimming) will take place from 24 July – 1 August 2021.
Check here the complete schedule and all times are in Japan Standard Time (JST).
*All times in Japan Standard Time (JST)
Swimming
Date and Time: Sat 24 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 400m Individual Medley – Heats
Women's 100m Butterfly – Heats
Men's 400m Freestyle – Heats
Women's 400m Individual Medley – Heats
Men's 100m Breaststroke – Heats
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Heats
Date and Time: Sun 25 July 10:30 – 12:20
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 400m Individual Medley Final
Women's 100m Butterfly Semifinals
Men's 400m Freestyle Final
Men's 400m Individual Medley Victory Ceremony
Women's 400m Individual Medley Final
Men's 400m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final
Women's 400m Individual Medley Victory Ceremony
Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Sun 25 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Backstroke – Heats
Men's 200m Freestyle – Heats
Women's 100m Breaststroke – Heats
Men's 100m Backstroke – Heats
Women's 400m Freestyle – Heats
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Heats
Date and Time: Mon 26 July 10:30 – 12:40
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Butterfly Final
Men's 200m Freestyle Semifinals
Women's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals
Women's 100m Butterfly Victory Ceremony
Men's 100m Breaststroke Final
Women's 400m Freestyle Final
Men's 100m Backstroke Semifinals
Men's 100m Breaststroke Victory Ceremony
Women's 100m Backstroke Semifinals
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final
Women's 400m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Mon 26 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 200m Freestyle – Heats
Men's 200m Butterfly – Heats
Women's 200m Individual Medley – Heats
Women's 1500m Freestyle – Heats
Date and Time: Tue 27 July 10:30 – 12:25
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 200m Freestyle Semifinals
Men's 200m Freestyle Final
Women's 100m Backstroke Final
Men's 100m Backstroke Final
Men's 200m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Women's 100m Breaststroke Final
Women's 100m Backstroke Victory Ceremony
Men's 200m Butterfly Semifinals
Men's 100m Backstroke Victory Ceremony
Women's 200m Individual Medley Semifinals
Women's 100m Breaststroke Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Tue 27 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 100m Freestyle – Heats
Women's 200m Butterfly – Heats
Men's 200m Breaststroke – Heats
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Heats
Men's 800m Freestyle – Heats
Date and Time: Wed 28 July 10:30 – 13:05
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 100m Freestyle Semifinals
Women's 200m Freestyle Final
Men's 200m Butterfly Final
Women's 200m Butterfly Semifinals
Women's 200m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals
Men's 200m Butterfly Victory Ceremony
Women's 200m Individual Medley Final
Women's 1500m Freestyle Final
Women's 200m Individual Medley Victory Ceremony
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final
Women's 1500m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Wed 28 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Freestyle – Heats
Men's 200m Backstroke – Heats
Women's 200m Breaststroke – Heats
Men's 200m Individual Medley – Heats
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Heats
Date and Time: Thu 29 July 10:30 – 13:10
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 800m Freestyle Final
Men's 200m Breaststroke Final
Women's 100m Freestyle Semifinals
Men's 200m Backstroke Semifinals
Men's 800m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Women's 200m Butterfly Final
Men's 100m Freestyle Final
Men's 200m Breaststroke Victory Ceremony
Women's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals
Men's 200m Individual Medley Semifinals
Women's 200m Butterfly Victory Ceremony
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final
Men's 100m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Thu 29 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 800m Freestyle – Heats
Men's 100m Butterfly – Heats
Women's 200m Backstroke – Heats
Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Heats
Date and Time: Fri 30 July 10:30 – 12:10
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 100m Butterfly Semifinals
Women's 200m Breaststroke Final
Men's 200m Backstroke Final
Women's 100m Freestyle Final
Women's 200m Breaststroke Victory Ceremony
Men's 200m Individual Medley Final
Men's 200m Backstroke Victory Ceremony
Women's 200m Backstroke Semifinals
Women's 100m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 200m Individual Medley Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Fri 30 July 19:00 – 21:30
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 50m Freestyle – Heats
Women's 50m Freestyle – Heats
Men's 1500m Freestyle – Heats
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Heats
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Heat
Date and Time: Sat 31 July 10:30 – 12:20
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 100m Butterfly Final
Women's 200m Backstroke Final
Women's 800m Freestyle Final
Men's 100m Butterfly Victory Ceremony
Men's 50m Freestyle Semifinals
Women's 200m Backstroke Victory Ceremony
Women's 50m Freestyle Semifinals
Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final
Women's 800m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Sun 1 Aug. 10:30 – 12:25
Venues: Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Men's 50m Freestyle Final
Women's 50m Freestyle Final
Men's 1500m Freestyle Final
Men's 50m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final
Women's 50m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final
Men's 1500m Freestyle Victory Ceremony
Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Victory Ceremony
Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Victory Ceremony
Olympic Swimming competition format at Tokyo 2020
Swimming will feature a total of 35 events (17 each for men and women and 1 mixed event) in the pool. This is an increase from the 32 events contested in the previous Olympic Games at Rio.
Another change will see the introduction of morning and afternoon segments, meaning that heats, semi-finals (where applicable), and finals of an event can all happen on different days.
Olympic swimming venue at Tokyo 2020
All swimming events (excluding marathon swimming) will take place at the band new Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The state-of-the-art facility, which was opened by Rikako Ikee, is located in the Tatsumi-no-Mori Seaside Park with a 15,000-fan capacity.
Following the 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, the venue will host domestic and international swimming competitions.
By the Olympic Channel.