The United States has won every individual (pool) event included in the current swimming Olympic program, including the men’s 800 freestyle and women’s 1500 freestyle, which made their debut in the last Olympics in Tokyo.
There are some events in which the United States has had a long winning streak. American swimmers built the longest streaks in Olympic swimming history in individual events: In the men’s 100 and 200 backstroke, U.S. swimmers won six straight gold medals from 1996 to 2016.
But there are some other events that the American swimmers have not been able to win for multiple decades. Instagram’s Swimming Stats page has published the longest current U.S. gold medal drought in Olympic individual events.
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Considering the 28 individual events in the current Olympic swimming schedule, the United States has won 17 of them at least once in the last two Olympic Games. Which means there are 11 events the American swimmers haven’t won since, at least, 2012.
The last time American swimmers won the men’s 400 free and the women’s 200 IM was in 1984 – 40 years ago.
These are not the longest dry spells of the United States in swimming individual events in Olympic history. No American swimmer won the women’s 200 breast from 1924 – the event’s Olympic debut – until 1968. In other words, the event didn’t have an American swimmer on the top of the podium for 44 years.
What are the odds for the USA to repeat those 1984 victories?
In the women’s 200 IM, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass both medaled in Tokyo (silver and bronze), and they are the latest world champions – Walsh won in 2022, Douglass won in 2023 and 2024. The Americans have a very good shot in this one.
A gold medal in the men’s 400 freestyle, however, is more unlikely. Considering the last three editions of the World Aquatics Championships (2022, 2023 and 2024), no swimmer from the United States has reached the podium. In fact, no U.S. swimmer has broken 3:45 since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
It has been a while since we saw American swimmers at the top of the world rankings in the men’s 400 freestyle. And, given today’s scenario, it seems that won’t be changing anytime soon. So, it is not going to be a surprise if the United States does not win a gold medal in the event in Paris in 2024. If this happens, the longest U.S. dry spell in swimming history at the Olympics will be equaled.
🤓☝🏼Actually, it’s biathlon that has the longest draught of US medals! It’s the only ancient sport in which the USA has never won a medal ever, men or women. In it’s current format, it has existed since 1960 for men and 1981 for women. So this is the longest draught of US medals (not just gold) ever!
I’m ancient enough to remember the Brian Goodsll, Bobby Hackett and Tim Shaw era of 400 free excellence
(In a very low voice), same here.
Have some low key recollections of Munich; but Montreal was the first that I have clear memories of.
I’m ancient enough to remember swimming against Bobby Hackett.
For relay event, only women’s 4×100 freestyle that has drought for long time (24 years – 2004, 2012-2021 Australia, 2008 Netherlands). The other is okay.
Oh the mixed relay, USA has to win it too btw. It only started on 2021, and GBR win.
Swimming Relay Event
Last American Team Winner
Women’s 4x100m Free: van Dyken, Torres, Shealy, Thompson (2000)
Women’s 4x200m Free: Schmitt, Smith, diRado, Ledecky (2016)
Women’s 4x100m Medley: Baker, King, Vollmer, Manuel (2016)
Men’s 4x200m Free: Dwyer, Haas, Lochte, Phelps (2016)
Men’s 4x100m Free: Dressel, Pieroni, Becker, Apple (2021)
Men’s 4x100m Medley: Murphy, Andrew, Dressel, Apple (2021)
Mixed 4x100m Medley: Never (first featured on 2021)
Last USA relay gold sweep = 1996. Other than the boycott impacted 1984 Games, they have to go back to 1972 for their last relay sweep at a full strength Olympics with East Germany and Soviets “took their cut” during the 70s-80s.
Prior to the 90’s, AUS never really took relays seriously (other than 1956 at home and the rare competitive relay). From from Atlanta onwards AUS women have certainly developed a very real contest (total medals US 21/AUS 18 – Gold USA 11/AUS 8). No such issues on the men’s side where for the same period, USA bagged 16 relay golds with the next best AUS & GBR with 2 apiece.
I know it’s Wikipedia (and some may already have seen it) but there is a good overview of Olympic and World Championship (LC) relay gold medal winners in a table at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gold_medalist_relay_teams_in_swimming_at_the_Olympics_and_World_Aquatics_Championships
The table shows up patterns of dominance and decline well.
I’d be interested to see the same list for other countries considered to be swimming powerhouses over the years – say, Australia, GB, China, Hungary, etc.
GB lol. Tom Dean was the first British man to win individual gold in anything other than breastroke since WWII. Rebecca Adlington is the only female individual gold medalist since 1960. There have been a few good breastroke swimmers though.
True – you could probably limit the list of “powerhouses” to the US and Australia, although I’d be tempted to include Hungary especially given its relatively small population (e.g., compared to the US, China and Russia) but not East Germany for obvious reasons. The next tier down would include Great Britain, though, along with Japan and probably a handful of others.
This is a (very fallible) listing for AUS
Events never medalled (excluding the newbies M800/W1500): M50FR & M200IM
Events never won: M200BK, M100BRS, M100FLY
No Golds since “Ancient History”: 1960 (M100BK), 1984 (M200FLY), 1980 (W800), 1972 (W200BRS)
Long time since last medal: 2000 (M200FLY); 2004 (M200FR), 2008 (M1500/M100BK/M100FLY/W100BRS/200BRS/W400IM)
Interesting article. Thanks.
I personally don’t think an American woman will win Olympic Gold in the 200 IM until at least 2036. So that 44-year record will be broken (in addition to the new Men’s 400 FR for a few more years).
I guess this is due to confidence in Summer’s abilities, but projecting this through 2032 is absurd. There are current 9- or 10-year olds who could be a factor in 2032 when they’re 17 or 18, and you have no way to know what the landscape will look like then.
The US and the men’s 400m free is a strange case, it’s been since the days of Larsen Jensen we’ve had a real contender in that event. Luka is the best chance end that in 2028
lol there will be at least 5 new wunderkinds like that by then, you have no idea how he’ll progress and who else will pop up
Dirt didn’t say it’s a lock. He said Luka is the “best chance to end” the streak, and that’s correct. Luka is 6.5 seconds ahead of any other 13-14 in the history of USA swimming. I disagree that 5 kids like him come along every quad.
Yes, they do. A year ago SwimSwam wouldn’t shut up about Diehl/Williamson, a year before that it was Heilman and before that it was Urlando/foster/etc. We just forget and move on to the next kid, but they keep coming
Even more so because there hasn’t been a really fantastic 400 swimmer from any country since Thorpe and biedermann.
we need some men to break through the way Ledecky, Titmus, and McIntosh have
You didn’t just put these two in the same bracket.
I’m sorry but the current WR holder in the event is going to be in the highest bracket wether you like him or not. Curious how he seems to be the only one getting hate for capitalizing on supersuits, when everyone was using them in 2009.
The specific reference to the 400 is the problem. Biedermann’s highest Olympic finish in the 400 Free is 13th. The WR while not a fluke was far above anything else he ever did. Whereas Thorpe chipped away at the world record hiting 3:40 many times and was essentially unbeatable for 7 years until he retired.
Biedermann was a very good swimmer with and without the suits. Probably slightly better at 200. His peak was 2009-11 which is unfortunate timing.
Good battle brewing between the US breaking the longest drought in the women’s 200 IM vs Summer looking to extend the streak since 1996 of the same person winning the women’s 200 and 400 IMs.
She’s the only person with even a emote chance of taking both so it’s all up to her haha
it’s such a bizarre streak but I’m like fully expecting Summer to extend that to 2028 and maybe 2032