Women swimmers have been making waves in the sport of swimming for over a century, with female swimming events added to the Olympics in 1912. Since then, women have trained just as hard as men, breaking records and paving the way for more inclusive competition.
From Fanny Durack, the first female Olympic champion in history, to Katie Ledecky, the current world-record holder in multiple freestyle events, women have made history in the sport.
In this article, we will explore the careers of the top ten female swimmers of all time, including their achievements, influence, and impact on the sport. These women have shattered barriers, broken records, and inspired future generations of female swimmers.
Fanny Durack, Australia
Fanny Durack was an renowned Australian swimmer who made history by becoming the first female Olympic swimming champion in 1912. She set 12 world records from 1912 to 1918, holding them in all the freestyle distances.
Her fastest time of 1:16.2 from the 100-meter freestyle was a world record that stood for six years. Durack’s successes did much to promote women’s swimming, and she was considered the world’s greatest female swimmer from 1910 until 1918. She achieved numerous Australian and State records and in 2022, she became one of the first individuals to be honored with induction into the Swimming Australia Hall of Fame.
Gertrude Ederle, USA
Gertrude Ederle, nicknamed “Queen of the Waves,” was an American swimmer who made history by becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926. She swam the 21-mile distance in 14 hours and 31 minutes, beating the men’s world record by almost two hours.
Ederle was a leading exponent of the eight-beat crawl and held 29 national and world amateur swimming records between 1921 and 1925. At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, she won a gold medal in the 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay and bronze medals in the 100-metre and 400-metre freestyle events.
Dawn Fraser, Australia
Dawn Fraser, the Australian swimmer, was the first woman to win gold medals in the same Olympic individual event three times, achieving this feat in the women’s 100-meter freestyle in 1956, 1960, and 1964. Fraser was the first female swimmer to swim 100 meter freestyle within a minute.
Fraser also won gold medals in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle, 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and 4×100-meter medley relay. From 1956 to 1964, she broke the women’s world record for the 100-meter freestyle race nine successive times, with her fastest time of 58.9 seconds standing for eight years. Undoubtedly, Fraser is a sporting hero.
Debbie Meyer, USA
Debbie Meyer is an American former competition swimmer who is widely considered one of the greatest female swimmers of all time. She made history at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City by becoming the first female swimmer to win three individual gold medals in one Olympics, winning the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle swimming races. Meyer set 15 world records from 1967 to 1969, including five in the 800-meter freestyle and four in the 1,500-meter freestyle.
Her fastest time of 8:24.7 in the 800-meter freestyle was a world record that stood for six years. Meyer’s remarkable achievements and contributions to women’s sports earned her a place in the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Unseen Photos From 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin
Kornelia Ender, Germany
Kornelia Ender is a former East German swimmer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest female swimmers of all time. She itched her named history books at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal by becoming the first woman swimmer to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games. When she won her first gold medal, she was only 13.
Ender broke 32 world records in individual events over the course of her career, including 23 in the freestyle and butterfly strokes. Ender’s remarkable achievements and contributions to women’s sports earned her a place in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Tracy Caulkins, America
Tracy Caulkins is an American former competition swimmer who was known for her versatile ability to compete in all four strokes. She is the only swimmer to set U.S. records in every stroke, and she won a record 48 U.S. national swimming titles. Caulkins began swimming when she was eight years old and won her first titles at the 1977 Amateur Athletic Union national indoor championships, where she set U.S. records in the short-course breaststroke and long-course individual medley events.
At the close of the year, Caulkins had either shattered or equaled 27 world or U.S. records. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Caulkins won three gold medals, with victories in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys and the 4 × 100-meter medley. She ended her competition swimming career having set five world records and sixty-three American records, more than any other American swimmer, male or female.
Janet Evans, USA
Janet Evans is an American former competition swimmer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest distance freestylers of all time. She began swimming at an early age nd broke the world records in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events at the age of 15. Evans won a total of five Olympic medals, including four golds, and set seven world records.
Her world records in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter freestyle races stood for 19, 20, and 21 years, respectively. Evans was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year three times and was the 1989 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States.
Kristin Otto, Germany
Kristin Otto is a former East German swimmer who made history at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul by becoming the first woman to win six gold medals at a single Olympic Games, all in world record times. Her individual victories included the 100-meter butterfly, 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 100-meter backstroke.
Otto broke 12 world records during her career, including the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events. She was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year three times and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. However, Otto’s achievements were later tarnished by revelations of systematic doping in East German sports.
Dara Torres, USA
Dara Torres is an American former competitive swimmer who is a 12-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events. She is the first swimmer to represent the United States in five Olympic Games, and is among only a handful of athletes to have earned at least one medal in each of those Games. Torres won five medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics, when at age 33, she was the oldest member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic swim team.
She holds the distinction of being the oldest American Olympic swimmer ever and holds the unique title of being the first swimmer to represent USA in five Olympic Games. Torres has consistently improved her own American record in the 50-meter freestyle, achieving this feat 10 times.
Katie Ledecky, USA
Katie Ledecky is an American swimmer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest female swimmers of all time. She has broken 16 world records during her career and is the most decorated female swimmer in history, with six individual Olympic gold medals and 14 individual long course world titles to date. Ledecky’s success has earned her Swimming World’s Female World Swimmer of the Year a record-breaking five times, and she was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2022.
She has also been named international female Champion of Champions by L’Équipe and United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year multiple times. Ledecky is known for her dominance in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle events, and her remarkable achievements and contributions to women’s sports have earned her a place in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
