Excitement of Summer Olympics May Inspire a Lifelong Love for Swimming

Apr 1st 2024

female swimmer with goggles and cap doing laps in swimming pool

Once every four years, summer becomes just a bit more exciting for millions of Americans who enjoy the sport of swimming. The summer Olympic Games set the stage for dramatic aquatic competitions.

From the Michael Phelps era to this year’s as-yet-undecided U.S. Olympic Swim Team, swimming competitions are among the most-watched Olympic events.

This year’s summer Olympic Games in Paris promise just as much speed and spectacle as ever, with more than 850 swimmers competing in 34 separate events and one combined event for male and female athletes, according to the official Paris Olympic Games website. And that doesn’t even account for other pool-based Olympic sporting events, such as water polo and synchronized swimming.

black and white photograph taken during the Men's 100 meter freestyle competition at the 1908 Summer Olympic games in London, England

Men’s 100 meter freestyle at the 1908 Olympic games in London, England.

History of Olympic Swimming

Swimming is one of the original Olympic events. During the first modern Olympics in 1896, in Athens, Greece, four men’s swim races were held in the chilly waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

The London Games of 1908 introduced the first Olympic swimming pool, a 100-meter long pool built in the center of the athletic running track. And the first female Olympic swimmers jumped into the water in 1912.

Today, not only is swimming one of the most popular events of the Summer Olympics, it’s a sport well-represented by Americans. Throughout the history of the Olympics, U.S. swimmers have earned one-third of all swimming medals awarded.

chart showing percent of American adults, children who can't swim

Swimming Statistics

The sport of swimming holds widespread appeal and the accomplishments of today’s Olympic stars are likely to inspire future athletes. Even the Olympics, however, don’t encourage everyone to get in the water.

Nationally, about one in five adults can’t swim, and 54% of adults can’t swim well enough to save themselves or someone else who is drowning. Further, according to one survey, nearly half the parents of children under age 18 say their child does not know how to swim and 61% say their child has not taken swim lessons.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents consider enrolling children as young as a year old in swim classes.

That’s due in part to dramatic childhood drowning statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list drowning as the leading cause of death among children age 1 to 4. However, knowing how to swim can reduce childhood drowning risk by up to 88%.

ladder leading into clear water of a inground swimming pool

Where Do People Swim?

Widely quoted statistics by the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals state there are about 10.4 million backyard swimming pools in the U.S. While that sounds like a lot, it represents only 8% of U.S. households.

This is probably one of the reasons most Americans learn to swim through formal lessons offered by organizations like the Red Cross and YMCA, or through community and private swim classes.

Owning a pool won’t necessarily make your kids better swimmers. However, having access to a backyard swimming pool enables them to enjoy the water while practicing important swimming skills.

smiling little boy floating in swimming pool on a pool noodle

Encourage Future Olympians

If you and your kids are swim fans, the upcoming Summer Olympics might be the extra incentive you need to finally install the backyard pool you’ve been dreaming about for so long.

Or it might encourage you to participate in water aerobics, join a swim club or enroll your kids in swim classes.

Your child may not be the next Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky. Few swimmers reach that level of expertise. But the personal triumphs of Olympic swimmers can inspire a lifelong love of a sport that has many benefits.

For one thing, swimming is good exercise: Swimming increases cardiovascular fitness, strength and muscle tone. It’s also a low-impact activity that many people can enjoy right into old age.

What’s more, swimming is a life skill that can help keep kids safer around water. Being able to swim makes other water activities like boating, snorkeling, kayaking and waterboarding more accessible.