20 Greatest Swimmers Of All Time Ranked

Michael Phelps is a retired American swimmer who is largely considered one of the best Olympians of all time. His swimming career has been distinguished by exceptional success and multiple records since his birth on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Michael Phelps can swim the 200-meter freestyle in about 1.42 minutes, equating to 4.7 mph (miles per hour) or 7.6 km/h (kilometers per hour). Phelps is the best swimmer in the world.

Phelps International Awards:

• 8 x World Swimmer of the Year Award
• 11 x American Swimmer of the Year Award
• FINA Swimmer of the Year Award (2012 and 2016)
• 28 Olympic medals

Katinka Hossz is a Hungarian swimmer who was born in Pécs, Hungary, on May 3, 1989. She is well-known for her versatility and skill in a variety of swimming disciplines and is one of the best U.S. female swimmers.

She has competed in several Olympic Games and won numerous medals.

Her breakthrough came in the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she won three gold medals in the 100m backstroke, 200m and 400m individual medley.

Hosszú's International Awards :

• 4x FINA Swimmer of the Year in the years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018
• Female World Cup Overall Winner from 2012 – 2016
• SwimSwam’s Swammy Award for Female Swimmer of the Year in 2013

Mark Spitz is a former competitive swimmer from the United States and one of the best swimmers all time who has acquired legendary status in the sport. Spitz, who was born on February 10, 1950, in Modesto, California.

He is most known for his outstanding performance at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a feat that stood as a record until Michael Phelps broke it in 2008.

Spitz's International Awards:

• World Swimmer of the Year: 1969, 1971, 1972
• International Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee: 1977
• United States Olympic Hall of Fame Inductee: 1983

Katie Ledecky is a competitive swimmer from the United States who was born on March 17, 1997, in Washington, D.C. She is greatly considered to be one of the best female swimmers of all time.

Ledecky's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award from and in the years 2013 – 2016 / 2018
• FINA Swimmer of the Year in 2013
• USOC Sports Woman of the Year in the years 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017
• USA Swimming Athlete of the Year from 2013 – 2016 / 2018
• USA Swimming Performance of the Year Award from 2012 – 2016
• Golden Goggle Female Athlete of the Year from 2013 – 2018

Ian Thorpe, born in Sydney, Australia on October 13, 1982, is a retired Australian swimmer who gained tremendous success and fame in the sport.

He competed in the Olympic Games, making his debut in 2000 in Sydney. He took gold in three events (400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, and 4x200m freestyle relay) and silver in two (200m freestyle, 4x100m medley relay).

Thorpe's International Awards:

• 4x Swimming World Swimmer of the Year
• Australian Swimmer of the Year from 1999 to 2003
• Young Australian of the Year in 2000

Krisztina Egerszegi is a former Hungarian swimmer who was born on August 16, 1974, in Budapest, Hungary. She had a remarkable career, achieving considerable success at a young age, and managed to become the best female swimmer in the world.

Egerszegi's International Awards:

• Best Female Athlete of Europe in the year 1992
• The Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year from 1988 – 1993 and in 1996
• World Swimmer of the Year in 1991, 1992 and 1995
• European Swimmer of the Year from 1990 – 1992 and in 1995
• The Hungarian Female Athlete of the Century in the year 2001

Aleksandr Popov is a retired Russian swimmer widely recognized as one of the sport's finest sprint freestyle swimmers. On November 16, 1971, in Lesnoy, Russian SFSR (Soviet Union at the time), he was born.

Popov's International Awards:

• Gold medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle events in 1992 and 1996
• World Record in the 50m freestyle in 2000 with a time of 21.64 seconds
• World Record in the 100m freestyle in 1994 with a time of 48.21 seconds

Dara Torres is an American former competitive swimmer who is a 12-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in 3 events.

She has won 12 Olympic medals including 4 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals. She is the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games.

Torres' World Record:

• Women’s 50m freestyle (long course) in 1983 and 1984

Pieter van den Hoogenband is a former competitive swimmer from the Netherlands who is a three-time Olympic champion and former world record holder in the 100-meter freestyle.

Van is one of the best swimmers of all time and swimming's finest sprinters, and his rivalry with American swimmer Michael Phelps was one of the most exciting in Olympic history.

Hoogenband's International Awards:

• 2x Dutch Sportsman of the Year
• World Swimmer of the Year in the year 2000
• 3x European Swimmer of the Year

Jenny Thompson, an anesthesiologist and former competition swimmer from the United States, is a swimming icon with an incredible career packed with accolades and exceptional achievements.

Thompson's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in 1998
• Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year in the years 1993, 1998, 1999

Grant Hackett is a former Australian distance swimmer who was a dominant force in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hackett, who was born on May 9, 1980, in Southport, Queensland, Australia, earned significant success in his swimming career.

Hackett's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in 2005
• Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year in 2005

Janet Evans is a retired American swimmer who rose to international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s for her outstanding performances in distance swimming.

She was born on August 28, 1971, in Fullerton, California, and is regarded as one of the finest female distance swimmers in history.

Evans' International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in the years 1987, 1989, and 1990
• Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year from 1987 – 1991

Ryan Lochte is a successful American competitive swimmer who has won multiple medals and broken records over his career.

He has competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016, and 2021 Summer Olympics.

Lochte's International Award:

• SwimSwam‘s Swammy Award for U.S. Male Swimmer of the Year in 2013

Kristin Otto is a former East German swimmer best known for setting a world record by winning six gold medals in six events at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

She was the first woman to win six gold medals in a single Olympic Games, and her accomplishments helped to consolidate East Germany's swimming dominance in the late 1980s.

Otto's International Awards:

• World Swimmer of the Year in 1984, 1986, and 1988
• European Swimmer of the Year in 1984, 1986, and 1988
• East German Sportswoman of the Year in 1988, and 1989

Matt Biondi is a former competitive swimmer and water polo player from the United States. He is an eleven-time Olympic medalist and former world record holder in five events as a swimmer.

She won 11 medals (eight gold, two silver, and one bronze) at the Summer Olympics in 1984, 1988, and 1992. He established three individual world records in the 50-meter freestyle and four in the 100-meter freestyle during his career.

Biondi's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in 1986, and 1988
• United Press International Athlete of the Year in 1988

Dawn Fraser is the Aussie Mermaid, an absolute legend in the swimming world, especially when it comes to the 100m freestyle. Her career and legacy are both fascinating and full of achievements.

Fraser's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in 1978
• Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year from 1980 - 1982, and in 1984
• United Press International Athlete of the Year in 1978

Vladimir Valeryevich Salnikov, the "Tsar of the Pool," is a true giant of swimming history. From breaking records to dominating the 1500m for a decade, his career is filled with achievements and fascinating aspects to explore.

He set an astonishing 12 world records in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events, showing his mastery of distance swimming.

Salnikov's International Awards:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year in 1982
• European Swimmer of the Year in 1980

Natalie Coughlin is a retired American swimmer who had a lot of success in the sport, especially in the 2000s. On August 23, 1982, in Vallejo, California, he was born.

She represented her country in the Olympic Games in 2004, 2008, and 2012. She won a total of 12 Olympic medals during her Olympic career, including three gold, four silver, and five bronze.

Her gold medals were won in a variety of events, including the 100m backstroke, the 4x200m freestyle relay, and the 4x100m medley relay.

Coughlin's International Awards:

• World Swimmer of the Year Award
• American Swimmer of the Year Award

Johnny Weissmuller, the famed swimmer and "Tarzan" actor, was a complicated and interesting figure whose life was filled with Hollywood splendor, physical prowess, and scandals.

He dominated the pool in the 1920s, winning gold in both the 100m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay in the Olympics in 1924 and 1928. For a period, he also held multiple world records.

He was best known for his freestyle, but he also excelled in water polo, winning a bronze medal at the 1924 Olympics.

Weissmuller's World Records:

• Men’s 100m freestyle (long course) from 1922 – 1934
• Men’s 200m freestyle (long course) from 1922 – 1935
• Men’s 400m freestyle (short course) from 1922 – 1924
• Men’s 800m freestyle (long course) from 1927 – 1930

Tracy Caulkins is a retired American swimmer who rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Caulkins, who was born on January 11, 1963, in Winona, Minnesota, is regarded as one of the greatest female swimmers of her day.

Caulkins' International Awards:

• Australian of the Year in 1964
• Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1967
• Australian Female Athlete of the Century in 1985
• World’s Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion in 1999