The world has seen some incredible swimmers, but who is the best among them all? Whose triumphs can one look at and conclude that he or she is the best swimmer in the world?
These questions and more are what we will be discussing in this article.
We will also take a look at some of the most promising swimmers on the horizon and why they might make it to the top by 2023.
Introduction
Swimming is a fantastic sport. It’s an all-around activity that helps build strength, endurance, and flexibility, and we will be discussing the best swimmers in the world.
From recreational to competitive swimmers, everyone can find something to appreciate about swimming.
It has gained prominence in recent years, with more and more people taking up the challenge of competing in swimming competitions across the world.
So here are the 20 Best Swimmers In The World in 2023:
20 Best Swimmer In The World In 2023
1. Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is the best swimmer in the world. He has won 22 Olympic medals, including 18 golds, and holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics.
He is also the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and began swimming at an early age. He started training with coach Bob Bowman at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club when he was 11 years old.
Phelps quickly began to show promise as a swimmer and by the age of 16, he had already broken several world records. Phelps made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Games in Athens, where he won six medals, including five golds.
Four years later, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps won eight gold medals, setting a new record for most gold medals won at a single Olympics. In 2012, Phelps won four more gold medals and two silver medals at the London Olympics, bringing his career total to 22 Olympic medals with 18 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronze.
Finally, he is currently the most decorated swimmer in history, with a total of 79 medals (61 gold, 13 silver, and 5 bronze).
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2. Caeleb Dressel
Caeleb Dressel is an American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic gold medalist. He specializes in butterfly and freestyle events.
Dressel has won seven Olympic gold medals, all in individual events. He is the only male swimmer to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, and he did so at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In winning the 100-meter butterfly, Dressel broke Michael Phelps’ world record. He also won gold in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first swimmer ever to win all three titles in a single Olympics.
3. Kristin Otto
Kristin Otto is a former German swimmer who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics, where she won six gold medals. She is also a two-time world champion, winning the 200-meter freestyle in 1985 and 1987.
Otto began swimming at the age of four and was immediately successful, winning her first competition. She went on to win multiple national and international championships, setting world records in the process.
Otto’s success culminated in her 1984 Olympic campaign, where she won a record-breaking six gold medals. She remains one of only three women to have won that many gold medals in a single Olympics.
4. Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz is widely regarded as the best swimmer in the world. He holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals (nine) and the most world records (seven).
Spitz was born in Modesto, California, and began swimming competitively at age nine. He went on to compete in 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics, winning a total of nine gold medals. After retiring from competition, Spitz became a successful businessman and television commentator.
5. Ryan Murphy
Ryan Murphy is an American swimmer and the current world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke.
Murphy is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and he currently holds the world record in both the 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter backstroke.
In addition to his Olympic medals, Murphy has won eight gold medals at the World Championships, making him one of the most decorated swimmers in the world.
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6. Kristóf Milák
Kristóf Milák is a Hungarian swimmer who specializes in butterfly stroke. He is the current world record holder in the 200-meter butterfly, and he also holds the world record in the 100-meter butterfly.
Milák began swimming at a young age, and he quickly showed promise as a talented swimmer. He made his international debut at the 2014 European Junior Championships, where he won gold in the 200-meter butterfly.
Since then, Milák has gone on to achieve great things in the sport of swimming. He won gold at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, and he followed that up with a win at the 2018 European Championships.
Milák is currently one of the best swimmers in the world, and he is only getting better with each passing year.
7. Evgeny Rylov
Evgeny Rylov is a Russian competitive swimmer and world record holder. He currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:46.03.
Rylov is also the current world record holder in the 4100-meter medley relay. He made his international debut at the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Doha, where he won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke.
He also competed at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, winning a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Rylov won a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, setting an Olympic record with a time of 1:53.48.
He also won a silver medal as a member of Russia’s 4×100-metre medley relay team.
8. Daiya Seto
Daiya Seto is one of the best swimmers in the world. He is a two-time Olympic medalist and has won numerous World Championships and other international competitions.
Seto was born in Osaka, Japan, on June 9, 1994. He began swimming early and quickly developed into a top swimmer. He represented Japan at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, winning a bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly.
Seto also competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, winning a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley.
In addition to his Olympic medals, Seto has won four gold medals at the World Championships between 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as numerous other international titles.
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9. Kyle Chalmers
At just 18 years old, Kyle Chalmers is already being hailed as the best swimmer in the world. The Australian teenager burst onto the scene at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning gold in the 100m freestyle.
Since then, Chalmers has gone from strength to strength. He defended his Olympic title in 2020 and also won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 World Championships. He currently holds the world record in the 200m freestyle, an event he only took up in 2019.
Chalmers is a fierce competitor who always gives his all in races. His powerful swimming style and natural ability make him a force to be reckoned with in any pool.
10. Wang Shun
Wang Shun is a Chinese swimmer who specializes in backstroke. He is the current world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, and he also holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke.
Wang Shun has won multiple gold medals at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
11. Arno Kamminga
Arno Kamminga is a Dutch swimmer who specializes in backstroke. He is the current world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, and he also holds the European record in the 200-meter backstroke.
Kamminga has won two gold medals at the World Championships, and he is a four-time European champion.
12. Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin is an American former competitive swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist.
She held the world record in the 100-meter backstroke from 2002 to 2009 and still has the American record.
She is also a former world record-holder in the 4×100-meter medley relay. Coughlin was born in Vallejo, California, and raised in Concord, California. She attended Carondelet High School in Concord, where she swam for the team.
She then attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she swam for the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team. After graduating, she continued to train with Teri McKeever and Dave Salo.
Coughlin made her Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United States team in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay. She also won bronze medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 4×100-metre medley relay.
Also, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, she won two gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 4×100-metre medley relay, two silver medals.
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13. Matt Biondi
American swimmer Matt Biondi is widely considered one of the best swimmers in the world. He won eight medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics, including five gold medals.
He also held the world record in the 100-meter freestyle for nearly two decades.
14. Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was the best swimmer in the world in 1924. He set a world record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 58.6 seconds.
He also won a gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
15. Krisztina Egerszegi
Krisztina Egerszegi is a Hungarian former competitive swimmer. She is a three-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion.
She is widely considered one of the most excellent female swimmers of all time. Egerszegi debuted at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, at 14. She won a bronze medal in the 400-meter individual medley.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, she won gold medals in the 200-meter backstroke and 400-meter individual medley, setting world records in both events. She also won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, Egerszegi won gold medals in the 200-meter backstroke and 400-meter individual medley, becoming the first woman to win two gold awards in the same event at consecutive Olympic Games. She also won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke.
Egerszegi retired from swimming after the 1996 Olympics. She made a comeback at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but did not reach the podium.
16. Janet Evans
Janet Evans is one of the most decorated Olympians of all time. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion. She set world records in the 800-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley, which stood for nearly two decades.
Evans was born in Fullerton, California and began swimming at the age of five. She quickly rose through the ranks of the sport, winning her first national title at the age of nine.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, she became one of the youngest Olympians ever to win gold, taking home titles in the 400-meter individual medley and 800-meter freestyle.
She also went on to win another gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
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17. Dara Torres
Dara Torres is the best swimmer in the world. She is an American Olympian and former world record holder in swimming.
Torres has won twelve Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and is the oldest swimmer to compete in an Olympic Games.
18. Zac Stubblety-Cook
Zac Stubblety-Cook was the best swimmer in the world in 2019. He is a British swimmer who specializes in freestyle swimming.
He has won many medals in his career, including 2 gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships.
He is also the current European Champion in the 50m freestyle.
19. Tom Dean
Tom Dean is the best swimmer in the world. He has won many championships and gold medals.
His strength, endurance, and speed are unmatched. He trains hard and always looks for new ways to improve his performance.
20. Robert Finke
Robert Finke is the best swimmer in the world. He won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the Olympics and is the current world record holder.
He is also a decorated champion in other swimming events, including the 200-metre freestyle and the 400-metre freestyle.
In addition to his accomplishments in the pool, Robert Finke is also an active philanthropist, working with various charities to raise money for causes such as cancer research and children’s hospitals.
Conclusion
Here is everything you need to know about the 20 best swimmers, as it’s clear that the 2023 swimming scene will be full of talent, excitement, and incredible athletes.
These 20 swimmers are sure to dominate their respective events and push each other to reach new heights, ensuring a fascinating year for fans worldwide.
With all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that there is much more to be seen from these swimmers as they strive toward greatness in 2023.
References:
- Swimming word magazine — Pre-World Championships Rankings
- usaswimming.org — USA Swimming Home
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