Countries Present and Average Age of Finalists

Data and graphs by Bradley Bush

After 19 Olympic records, Greece’s first swimming medal since 1896 and a legendary relay performance that saw a swimmer match the speed of Jason Lezakanother Olympics has come to an end. The Paris Games have kept all their promises, offering spectacle and excitement. Now, let’s look at the numbers to better understand the performances of the fastest swimmers in the world.

Geography of Swimming

In 28 individual events, with eight swimmers each in the finals, 224 lanes were up for grabs. The map below highlights the federations that had at least one swimmer in the finals, with representatives from all six inhabited continents.

South America qualified 3 swimmers (all from Brazil), Africa sent 4, while Oceania sent a whopping 24 swimmers. Asia had 25 swimmers, North America qualified 35, and Europe dominated with a total of 71 swimmers, contributing to the total of 164 European swimmers in the final. (Note: Alina Zmushka e Anastasia Shkurdai competed as neutrals).

These numbers demonstrate the global reach of competitive swimming, with every continent making its mark on one of the most followed and appreciated sports of the Olympics.

THE 10 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE OCCUPIED THE MOST LANES IN THE FINAL:

1. United States: 37 (16.52%)
2. Australia: 30 (13.39%)
3. China: 17 (7.59%)
4. France: 16 (7.14%)
5. Canada: 15 (6.70%)
6. Germany/Great Britain: 14 (TIE, 6.25%)
8. Italy: 12 (5.36%)
9. Japan: 10 (4.46%)
10. Netherlands: 6 (2.68%)

TOP 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST SWIMMERS IN THE FINALS:

1. United States: 25 (15.43%)
2. Australia: 22 (13.58%)
3. China: 14 (8.64%)
4. Great Britain: 12 (7.41%)
5. Germany/France: 10 (TIE, 6.17%)
7. Japan/Canada: 9 (TIE, 5.56%)
9. Italy: 8 (4.94%)
10. Netherlands: 5 (3.09%)

AND’

One thing that is seen year after year: swimmers, both young and experienced, are finding success in the pool. Teenagers like Katie Grimes, Ilya Kharun e Summer McIntosh took home a medal for their country, while sports veterans like Florent Manaudou e Sarah Sjostrom continued to demonstrate their long-standing dominance. 21 teenagers (under the age of 20) reached at least one final this year.

The youngest finalists:

• Kuzey Tuncelli, Türkiye (16 years, 11 months, 12 days)
• Mizuki Hirai, Japan (17 years, 5 months, 4 days)
• Claire WeinsteinUnited States (17 years, 5 months, 10 days)
• Eneli Jefimova, Estonia (17 years, 7 months, 15 days)
• My Narita, Japan (17 years, 7 months, 24 days)

Oldest finalists:

• Florent ManaudouFrance (33 years, 8 months, 30 days)
• Satomi SuzukiJapan (33 years, 6 months, 13 days)
• Damien Joly: France (32 years, 2 months, 7 days)
• Katarzyna Wasick, Poland (32 years, 4 months, 20 days)
• Nic FinkUnited States (31 years, 1 month, 8 days)

Oldest individual medalists:

• Florent ManaudouFrance (33 years, 8 months, 30 days)
• Nic FinkUnited States (31 years, 1 month, 8 days)
• Cam McEvoy, Australia (30 years, 2 months, 29 days)
• Wang ShunChina (30 years, 6 months)
• Sarah SjostromSweden (30 years, 11 months, 25 days)

Youngest individual medalists:

• Summer McIntoshCanada (17 years, 11 months, 24 days)
• Katie GrimesUnited States (18 years, 7 months, 3 days)
• Tomoyuki Matsushita, Japan (19 years, 10 days)
• Ilya KharunCanada (19 years, 6 months, 4 days)
• Pan ZhanleChina (20 years, 7 days)

Below are the average ages for each final, broken down by gender. As in Fukuoka, the women’s 400 IM was by far the youngest event, thanks to the young ages of Grimes, McIntosh, and Mio Narita, all under 19. The men’s 50 freestyle was the oldest event, with two swimmers over the age of 30 (McEvoy and Manaudou) not only making the final, but finishing on the podium.