Types of Olympic Swimming: Every Stroke and Event Explained

How Many Types of Olympic Swimming Events Are There?

Every four years, adults who have never thought about swimming races find themselves watching the Olympic pool. The races go by fast, and it is not always obvious what makes one event different from the next. This guide sets out the types of Olympic swimming simply, the way our coaches explain it to adults learning the strokes.

Olympic swimming is built on four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Swimmers race each stroke on its own, all four together in the individual medley, and as teams in relays. There were 35 pool events at Paris 2024 plus 10-kilometre open water races, and Los Angeles 2028 will have 41 pool events.

The Four Strokes Behind Every Race

Every Olympic pool race uses one or more of four strokes.

Freestyle allows any stroke, but every top swimmer chooses front crawl because it is the fastest. Our guide to learning freestyle breaks the stroke into steps for adults.

Backstroke is swum on the back with alternating arms and a flutter kick, and it is the only race that starts in the water. Our page on learning backstroke explains the body position.

Breaststroke uses a frog-like kick and both arms together, and it is the slowest of the four at top level. Our guide to learning breaststroke covers the timing.

Butterfly moves both arms together with a dolphin kick and is the most demanding to swim well. Our article on how to do butterfly stroke for beginners shows how it is built up in parts.

Types of Olympic Swimming by Distance

The races are grouped by stroke and distance, and at Paris 2024 men and women each swam the same 17 pool events. Freestyle has the most, with the 50-metre, 100-metre, 200-metre, 400-metre, 800-metre and 1500-metre races. Backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly each have a 100-metre and a 200-metre race. The individual medley has a 200-metre and a 400-metre race, and there are three relays: the 4 x 100-metre freestyle, the 4 x 200-metre freestyle and the 4 x 100-metre medley.

The 35th pool event was the mixed 4 x 100-metre medley relay, where each team has two men and two women. If you are watching at home, the shorter races are over in under a minute, while the 1500-metre race gives you time to follow the tactics.

Medleys and Relays: All Four Strokes in One Race

The individual medley asks one swimmer to switch between all four strokes in a single race, in a fixed order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle. It rewards the all-rounder rather than the specialist, and it is the event to watch if you want to see all four types of olympic swimming in one race.

The medley relay uses a different order, starting with backstroke because that is the only stroke started in the water. Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle then each go to a different swimmer. The freestyle relays are simpler: four swimmers, one after the other, all swimming freestyle.

Open Water: The 10-Kilometre Marathon Swim

Beyond the pool, Olympic open water swimming takes place in a river, lake or the sea. At Paris 2024 there was one 10-kilometre race for men and one for women. If you have only swum in a pool, it is hard to picture: it is less about the stroke and more about pacing, finding a line and coping with the water itself.

The other aquatic sports at the Games, diving, artistic swimming and water polo, are separate sports with their own events.

How the Types of Olympic Swimming Are Changing for 2028

The programme keeps growing. World Aquatics reported that the IOC approved six new 50-metre events for Los Angeles 2028: the men’s and women’s 50-metre backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. That takes swimming from 35 medal events at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 to 41 at the next Games, and for the first time you will see a 50-metre race in every stroke.

How a swimmer gets from the first race to the final is a story of its own, told in our guide on how many rounds there are in Olympic swimming. For the nations that win most often, see which country has the most Olympic swimmers.

From Watching the Olympics to Learning the Strokes

Every Olympic swimmer started by learning the same four strokes most adults learn in lessons. You will never need a racing start or a tumble turn to enjoy the pool, but understanding the strokes makes the races far more fun to watch, and many adults sign up after the Games for exactly that reason.

Our adult swimming lessons cover all four strokes at ActiveSG public pools or at your own condo pool, and a private swimming lesson lets your coach focus on one stroke at a time. Tell your coach which stroke you want to learn first.