This is an overview of the women's swimming champions in individual events at the Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships. These tournaments are the only global long course (50 meter pool) swimming championships organized by world swimming federation FINA. This list gives an overview of the dominant swimmers throughout the history of swimming.
Currently, the Olympic program includes 14 individual events, and the World Championships program 17. These numbers were lower in the past, as shown in the table.
Asterisks (*) link to the event article. Use the sort function in the left-hand column to separate Olympics and World Championships.
Note: Only events that are presently contested have their own column in the above table. At the 1920 Olympics, a 300-meter freestyle event was held. The champion in this event has been placed in the 400-meter freestyle column.
Asterisks (*) and bold denote active swimmers
Rank | Name | Year of birth |
Total titles |
Olympic Games |
World Championships |
Time span |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Katie Ledecky* | 1997 | 22 | 6 | 16 | 2012–2023 (12) |
2. | Sarah Sjöström* | 1993 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 2009–2024 (16) |
3. | Katinka Hosszú* | 1989 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 2009–2019 (11) |
4. | Inge de Bruijn | 1973 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2000–2004 (5) |
5. | Yana Klochkova | 1982 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2000–2004 (5) |
6. | Krisztina Egerszegi | 1974 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1988–1996 (9) |
Janet Evans | 1971 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1988–1994 (7) | |
Kristin Otto | 1966 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1982–1988 (7) | |
Kornelia Ender | 1958 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1973–1976 (4) | |
Federica Pellegrini | 1988 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2008–2019 (12) | |
11. | Missy Franklin | 1995 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2011–2013 (3) |
Kaylee McKeown* | 2001 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2021–2023 (3) | |
Lilly King* | 1997 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2016–2022 (7) | |
Rūta Meilutytė* | 1997 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2012–2024 (13) | |
Yuliya Yefimova* | 1992 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2009–2019 (11) | |
16. | Tracy Caulkins | 1963 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1978–1984 (7) |
Kirsty Coventry | 1983 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2004–2009 (6) | |
Rebecca Soni | 1987 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2008–2012 (5) | |
Luo Xuejuan | 1984 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2001–2004 (4) | |
Leisel Jones | 1985 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2005–2008 (4) | |
Libby Trickett (Lenton) | 1985 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2005–2008 (4) | |
Hannah Stockbauer | 1982 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2001–2003 (3) | |
23. | Brooke Bennett | 1980 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1996–2000 (5) |
Ulrike Richter | 1959 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1973–1976 (4) | |
Mary T. Meagher | 1964 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1982–1986 (5) | |
Natalie Coughlin | 1982 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2001–2008 (8) | |
Britta Steffen | 1983 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2008–2009 (2) | |
Ariarne Titmus* | 2000 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2019–2023 (5) | |
Simone Manuel* | 1996 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2016–2019 (4) | |
Laure Manaudou | 1986 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2004–2007 (4) | |
Katie Hoff | 1989 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2005–2007 (3) | |
Kate Ziegler | 1988 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2005–2007 (3) | |
Summer McIntosh* | 2006 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2022–2023 (2) | |
34. | Dawn Fraser | 1937 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1956–1964 (9) |
Debbie Meyer | 1952 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1968 (1) | |
Shane Gould | 1956 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1972 (1) | |
Michelle Smith | 1969 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1996 (1) | |
Melissa Belote | 1956 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1972–1973 (2) | |
Barbara Krause | 1959 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1978–1980 (3) | |
Amy Van Dyken | 1973 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1996–1998 (3) | |
Susie O'Neill | 1973 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1996–2000 (5) | |
Diana Mocanu | 1984 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2000–2001 (2) | |
Rebecca Adlington | 1989 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2008–2011 (4) | |
Ranomi Kromowidjojo | 1990 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2012–2013 (2) | |
Ye Shiwen* | 1996 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2011–2012 (2) | |
Hannelore Anke | 1957 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1975–1976 (2) | |
Petra Schneider | 1963 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1980–1982 (3) | |
Heike Friedrich | 1970 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1986–1988 (3) | |
Lin Li | 1970 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1991–1992 (2) | |
Ágnes Kovács | 1981 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1998–2001 (4) | |
Petria Thomas | 1975 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2001–2004 (4) | |
Otylia Jędrzejczak | 1983 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2003–2005 (3) | |
Jenny Thompson | 1973 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1998–2003 (6) | |
Jessicah Schipper | 1986 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2005–2009 (5) | |
Zhao Jing | 1990 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2009–2013 (5) | |
Emily Seebohm* | 1992 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2015–2017 (3) | |
Kylie Masse* | 1996 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2017–2022 (6) | |
Simona Quadarella* | 1998 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2019–2024 (6) | |
Mollie O'Callaghan* | 2004 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2022–2023 (2) | |
Claire Curzan* | 2004 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2024 (1) |
This is an overview of the women's swimming champions in individual events at the Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships. These tournaments are the only global long course (50 meter pool) swimming championships organized by world swimming federation FINA. This list gives an overview of the dominant swimmers throughout the history of swimming.
Currently, the Olympic program includes 14 individual events, and the World Championships program 17. These numbers were lower in the past, as shown in the table.
Asterisks (*) link to the event article. Use the sort function in the left-hand column to separate Olympics and World Championships.
Note: Only events that are presently contested have their own column in the above table. At the 1920 Olympics, a 300-meter freestyle event was held. The champion in this event has been placed in the 400-meter freestyle column.
Asterisks (*) and bold denote active swimmers
Rank | Name | Year of birth |
Total titles |
Olympic Games |
World Championships |
Time span |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Katie Ledecky* | 1997 | 22 | 6 | 16 | 2012–2023 (12) |
2. | Sarah Sjöström* | 1993 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 2009–2024 (16) |
3. | Katinka Hosszú* | 1989 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 2009–2019 (11) |
4. | Inge de Bruijn | 1973 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2000–2004 (5) |
5. | Yana Klochkova | 1982 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2000–2004 (5) |
6. | Krisztina Egerszegi | 1974 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1988–1996 (9) |
Janet Evans | 1971 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1988–1994 (7) | |
Kristin Otto | 1966 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1982–1988 (7) | |
Kornelia Ender | 1958 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1973–1976 (4) | |
Federica Pellegrini | 1988 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2008–2019 (12) | |
11. | Missy Franklin | 1995 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2011–2013 (3) |
Kaylee McKeown* | 2001 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2021–2023 (3) | |
Lilly King* | 1997 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2016–2022 (7) | |
Rūta Meilutytė* | 1997 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2012–2024 (13) | |
Yuliya Yefimova* | 1992 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2009–2019 (11) | |
16. | Tracy Caulkins | 1963 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1978–1984 (7) |
Kirsty Coventry | 1983 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2004–2009 (6) | |
Rebecca Soni | 1987 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2008–2012 (5) | |
Luo Xuejuan | 1984 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2001–2004 (4) | |
Leisel Jones | 1985 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2005–2008 (4) | |
Libby Trickett (Lenton) | 1985 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2005–2008 (4) | |
Hannah Stockbauer | 1982 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2001–2003 (3) | |
23. | Brooke Bennett | 1980 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1996–2000 (5) |
Ulrike Richter | 1959 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1973–1976 (4) | |
Mary T. Meagher | 1964 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1982–1986 (5) | |
Natalie Coughlin | 1982 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2001–2008 (8) | |
Britta Steffen | 1983 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2008–2009 (2) | |
Ariarne Titmus* | 2000 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2019–2023 (5) | |
Simone Manuel* | 1996 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2016–2019 (4) | |
Laure Manaudou | 1986 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2004–2007 (4) | |
Katie Hoff | 1989 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2005–2007 (3) | |
Kate Ziegler | 1988 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2005–2007 (3) | |
Summer McIntosh* | 2006 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2022–2023 (2) | |
34. | Dawn Fraser | 1937 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1956–1964 (9) |
Debbie Meyer | 1952 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1968 (1) | |
Shane Gould | 1956 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1972 (1) | |
Michelle Smith | 1969 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1996 (1) | |
Melissa Belote | 1956 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1972–1973 (2) | |
Barbara Krause | 1959 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1978–1980 (3) | |
Amy Van Dyken | 1973 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1996–1998 (3) | |
Susie O'Neill | 1973 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1996–2000 (5) | |
Diana Mocanu | 1984 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2000–2001 (2) | |
Rebecca Adlington | 1989 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2008–2011 (4) | |
Ranomi Kromowidjojo | 1990 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2012–2013 (2) | |
Ye Shiwen* | 1996 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2011–2012 (2) | |
Hannelore Anke | 1957 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1975–1976 (2) | |
Petra Schneider | 1963 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1980–1982 (3) | |
Heike Friedrich | 1970 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1986–1988 (3) | |
Lin Li | 1970 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1991–1992 (2) | |
Ágnes Kovács | 1981 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1998–2001 (4) | |
Petria Thomas | 1975 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2001–2004 (4) | |
Otylia Jędrzejczak | 1983 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2003–2005 (3) | |
Jenny Thompson | 1973 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1998–2003 (6) | |
Jessicah Schipper | 1986 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2005–2009 (5) | |
Zhao Jing | 1990 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2009–2013 (5) | |
Emily Seebohm* | 1992 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2015–2017 (3) | |
Kylie Masse* | 1996 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2017–2022 (6) | |
Simona Quadarella* | 1998 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2019–2024 (6) | |
Mollie O'Callaghan* | 2004 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2022–2023 (2) | |
Claire Curzan* | 2004 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2024 (1) |