Important Facts about Swimming – the Sport

Its time now to know some of the most important facts about swimming- the sport. As we know that swimming is one of the oldest sport in our history and thus it bound to have some of the most interesting and sometimes even funny facts as well. So let us have a joyride.

Important Facts about Swimming – the Sport

• Swimming was introduced in the Olympics in 1908 but women were allowed to take part in it only in 1912 and the first women’s gold medal winner was Fanny Durack of Australia.
• The first ever female swimmer who crossed the English Channel was Gertrude Ederle, who swam the channel in 1926 from France to England in 14 hours and 39 minutes.
• Florence Chadwick was the first women to swim the English Channel both ways.
• Swimmer Michael Phelps of USA had won 8 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics of 2008. It is the highest number of gold medal winning ever by a single athlete in a single Olympic game.
• The Japanese have won all the men’s gold medals except in a 400 meter freestyle in the Olympics of 1932 in Los Angeles. The 400 meter freestyle was won by USA’s Buster Crabbe.
• The first ever tie was recorded in swimming was in the Olympics when Nancy Hogshed and Carrie Steinseifer, they both were from America and clocked 55.92.
• Captain Matthew Webb of England was the first person to cross the English Channels by using breaststroke only.
• The only time the underwater swimming was played in an Olympics was in the 1900 Paris Olympics and since then it is not part of the game.
• There was a controversy in the 1960 Rome Olympics when John Devitt was awarded the gold medal after three days discussions between the judges in the 100 meter freestyle, the dispute was who has touched the line first, Devitt or Lance Larson.
• Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser was banned for 10 years because she climbed on the flagpole of the Japanese Emperor’s and took the flag as a souvenir.
• J Scott Leary became the first man to swim the 100 yard free style in just one minute. The record was taken place on 18^th July 1905 at the San Francisco Olympic Club.