The best swimmers of all time

German swimmer, world champion and winner of four silver medals at the Olympic Games. Despite being the highest figure of female swimming during the 1990s, the German Franziska van Almsick could not get the Olympic gold either in Barcelona (1992) or in Atlanta (1996). However, the medals won in these events, as well as its spectacular medal winners in different editions of the European and World Championships, guarantee one of the brightest trajectories of this sport in recent decades.

Japanese swimmer of breaststroke made history being the first swimmer to beat a world record in the Asian Games when he beat the 200 meter breasts record in Busan in 2002. Two years later, at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games he won the gold medal in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. In the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he broke the world record in the final of the 100 meter breaststroke and managed to lose 59 seconds for the first time in history. He also won the gold medal in the 200 meter breasts despite not achieving a new world record

(Sydney, 1956) Australian swimmer. Famous in the annals of Olympism for being the first swimmer who won three golds in individual specialties, setting world records at the same time. The feat took place in the 1972 Munich Olympics, in which he participated with only fifteen years. His unprecedented skills for this sport allowed him to be the owner during that same year of the world record of all distances between 100 and 800 meters free. He retired at the young age of seventeen, having established a total of eleven world brands.

Vladimir Valeryevich Salnikov - (May 21, 1960 in Leningrad, present-day St. Petersburg). Russian swimmer specializing in long-distance tests who competed representing the Soviet Union. He won four Olympic gold medals, four golds in world championships and broke twelve world records in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meter free events. In the 1980 Moscow Games he won three gold medals and became the first man in history to lose 15 minutes in the 1,500 free meters. He was known as the "Leningrad Express" and is considered one of the best swimmers in history.

Mexican swimmer, first of his country to get an Olympic gold medal. In 1997 he received the Olympic Order that recognized his feat.

Argentine swimmer, the first Olympic swimming champion born in South America and the only one in Argentina, winning the 400 meters free at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics with a time of 5: 01.6. Architect of an Olympic record and a world record.

Krisztina Egerszegi - (August 16, 1974 in Budapest). Hungarian swimmer specializing in back tests and styles, and winner of seven Olympic medals (five of them gold) between the Seoul Games 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. She has the current world record of 200 meters back with 2:06 , 62 achieved in 1991. In her country she is known by the diminutive of "Eger".

Kristin Otto - (February 7, 1966 in Leipzig, German Democratic Republic). German swimmer considered one of the best of all time and won six gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

In Los Angeles 1984, he won the gold medals of 200 meters free and 100 meters butterfly (in which he broke the record) and silver medals in 200 meters butterfly and in relief of 4x200 meters free. In Seoul 1988 he obtained a gold medal in 200 meters butterfly, in addition to achieving a bronze medal in the 4x200 free relay.

Grant George Hackett (May 9, 1980) is a world-class Australian swimmer. It measures 196 cm and weighs 89.8 kg. He has won the 1500m free test twice in a row at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He has stood out for having a high level of long-breath events (such as the 800 and 1500 meters free ), being one of the greatest Australian swimmers of all time in this kind of distances, and in the same way it has been second in the 400 meters free and fourth in the 200 meters free in Athens 2004 (which are tests of less resistance and more speed). He has also been part of the Australian 4x200 meter free relay he won in Sydney 2000 and was left with the silver in Athens 2004. He is currently the captain of the Australian National Team

Matthew Nicholas Biondi - (October 8, 1965 in Moraga, California). American swimmer, who participated in three Olympic Games and won eleven medals, eight of them gold.

Laure Manaudou (Villeurbanne, Rhône-Alpes region, October 9, 1986) is a French swimmer who won three medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She belongs to the Mellun-Dammarie CN Club. It measures 1.78 m and weighs 63 kg. It is trained by Philippe Lucas. His mother, Olga Schippers, is Dutch and was a badminton player in her country.

Brazilian swimmer specializing in speed tests who was proclaimed Olympic champion of the 50 free meters at the 2008 Beijing Games. He also won the bronze medal in the 100 free meters. In the 2009 World Cups in Rome, he won 2 gold medals, in 50 meters free and 100 meters free Imposing a new world record with a time of 46.91.

Spanish swimmer considered the best in the history of his country. European, world and Olympic champion, and universal record holder in the 200 m back test. López-Zubero celebrates his triumph in the 100 m back test during the European Championship held in Athens in 1991. In this same competition, he won another gold medal (in 200 m back) and a silver medal (in 100 m butterfly) .

Kirsty Coventry (September 16, 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean swimmer who won seven Olympic medals, including two gold medals, between the 2004 Athens and Beijing 2008 Games.

Johnny Weissmüller, born as Peter Johann Weissmüller (Timişoara, present-day Romania, June 2, 1904 - Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, January 20, 1984) was an American athlete and American actor of German origin. He was one of the best swimmers worldwide during the 20s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze. He won 52 American national championships and set a total of 67 world records. After his career as a swimmer, he became the sixth actor to play Tarzan, a role he played in 12 films, the Tarzan being the most popular.

Born in Maastricht on March 14, 1978, he grew up in Geldrop, where he swam for the PSV Eindhoven team. In the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, he won two gold medals, in the 100 m. and 200 m. free style. In both categories he also beat world record brands. In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games he managed to win the gold medal in the 100m free, as well as two silver, one in the 200m free and another in the combined 4x100m free with the Dutch national team.

Inge de Bruijn - (August 24, 1973 in Barendrecht, The Netherlands). Dutch swimmer already retired, specialist in speed tests and who won eight Olympic medals, between 2000 and 2004, four of them gold. He also broke ten world records, of which he still has the best time for the 50m. in freestyle (24,13) and 100m. in butterfly style (56.61).

Jennifer "Jenny" Thompson (b. On February 25, 1973 in Danvers, Massachusetts, United States) is an American swimmer specializing in speed tests. She is the United States athlete who has won the most Olympic medals throughout history, with 12 medals between 1992 and 2004, eight of them gold. It is popularly known as Jenny Thompson.

Aleksandr Vladimirirovich Popóv (in Russian: Алекса́ндр Влади́мирович Попо́в and also known as Alexander Popov, was born on November 16, 1971 in Sverdlovsk, the current Yekaterinburg) is a former Russian swimmer who is considered one of the best swimmers of the best swimmers. Nicknamed as the Tsar, Sasha or Big Dog is 2 meters tall and weighs 90 kilograms. On December 23, 2004, he retired from swimming after winning 9 medals in the Olympic Games (4 gold and 5 silver), 13 medals in the World Swimming Championship (6 gold, 4 silver and 3 of bronze) and 26 medals in the European Swimming Championship (21 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals). [1]

Mark Andrew Spitz (* February 10, 1950 in Modesto, California) is an American swimmer of Jewish origin who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, breaking the world mark in each of his triumphs.

Lochte is a multiple beater of records and Olympic gold medalists to be champion of the 2004 Olympic Games in the 4x200 m freestyle, silver medalist in the 200 m styles and champion of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in the 200 m back and 4x200 m freestyle, and bronze medalist in the 400 m and 200 m styles. Lochte specializes in back and crol styles, but is also a first-rate swimmer in four-style tests. Lochte is a close rival of Michael Phelps in freestyle and four style events and with Aaron Peirsol in the back tests.

Ian James Thorpe, OAM (Milperra, Sydney, October 13, 1982), is a retired Australian swimmer, nicknamed Thorpedo and Thorpey. He won five gold medals in the Olympic Games, being the biggest mark achieved by any Australian athlete, and in 2001 he became the only person to win six gold medals in a single World Swimming Championship. [1] In total, Thorpe won 11 gold medals in this competition, the second mark won by any swimmer. [2] Thorpe is the only person with Michael Phelps to be named Swimmer of the Year on four occasions by the World of Swimming magazine, [3] [3] [4] and was the Australian swimmer of the Year from 1999 to 2003. His athletic achievements have made him one of the most popular athletes in Australia, and with his philanthropy and neat image he was recognized as Young Australian of the Year in 2000

Michael Fred Phelps (Baltimore, Maryland, June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer. He has won a total of 14 Olympic gold medals in his career, more than any Olympic athlete has achieved to date. He is frequently mentioned as the best swimmer in history, [citation needed] and as one of the best Olympic athletes of all time. Until August 2, 2009, Phelps broke 37 world records in swimming.