Famous 20th Century Swimmers

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 1 
Katinka Hosszu
6
Birthdate: May 3, 1989
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pécs, Hungary
 2 
Dara Torres
(Swimmer, Model)
Dara Torres
6
Birthdate: April 15, 1967
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Beverly Hills

Dara Torres is an American retired competitive swimmer. A 12-time Olympic medalist, Torres won four gold medals in three different Olympic Games. In 2008, she became the first swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games, representing the United States. At the age of 41, Dara Torres was also the oldest swimmer to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team. 

 3 
Amy Van Dyken
(Swimmer)
Amy Van Dyken
4
Birthdate: February 15, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States

Amy Van Dyken is an American radio presenter and retired competitive swimmer. Van Dyken was the most successful sportsperson at the 1996 Olympics where she won four gold medals. In 1995 and 1996, she was named American Swimmer of the Year. Amy Van Dyken went on to win two more gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

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 4 
Rowdy Gaines
(American Former Competitive Swimmer and Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Rowdy Gaines
4
Birthdate: February 17, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Winter Haven, Florida, United States

Rowdy Gaines is an American swimming analyst for NBC and retired competitive swimmer. Gaines won three gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also won five gold medals at the FINA World Championships before becoming an analyst; he has covered swimming events at the Olympics since 1992. Rowdy Gaines is a member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

 5 
Dawn Fraser
(Australian Freestyle Champion Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Dawn Fraser
10
Birthdate: September 4, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Balmain, Australia

Dawn Fraser is an Australian freestyle champion swimmer. She won the Olympic individual event the women's 100-meter freestyle three times in her career. She also won six Commonwealth Games gold medals. Much respected for her athletic abilities, she was also known for her controversial behavior. She became a swimming coach after her retirement. She is also a former politician.

 6 
Janet Evans
(American Former Competitive Swimmer and Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Janet Evans
3
Birthdate: August 28, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fullerton, California, United States

Janet Evans is an American retired competitive swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. A former world record-holder, Evans went on to win another gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The winner of the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award, Evans was adjudged Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1987, 1989, and 1990.

 7 
Mark Spitz
(American Former Competitive Swimmer and Nine-Time Olympic Champion)
Mark Spitz
2
Birthdate: February 10, 1950
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Modesto, California, United States

Best known for winning 7 gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics, Mark Spitz has been one of the most successful swimmers of all time. After retiring at then tender age of 22, he tried his luck I the entertainment world, appearing on shows such as Emergency!

 8 
Grant Hackett
(Australian Swimmer Who Has Won 3 Olympic Gold Medals)
Grant Hackett
3
Birthdate: May 9, 1980
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Southport

Three-time Olympic gold medal-winning Australian swimmer Grant Hackett is a master of freestyle swimming. He also captained the Australian swimming team for a while. Apart from holding several freestyle world records, he also came to be known as the King of the 1500m. He has also worked as a sports presenter.

 9 
Stephanie Rice
(Australian Swimmer Who Won Three Gold Medals at the 2008 Olympics)
Stephanie Rice
4
Birthdate: June 17, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brisbane

Stephanie Rice is an Australian retired swimmer best known for winning three gold medals at the 2008 Olympics. In the same year, she was named Telstra Australian Swimmer of the Year. Rice also won two silver medals and five bronze medals at the World Championships during her career. In 2019, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

 10 
Shane Gould
(Australian Former Competition Swimmer and Three-Time Olympic Gold Medal Winner)
Shane Gould
5
Birthdate: November 23, 1956
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shane Gould was 15 when she participated in the Munich Olympics. She stunned everyone with her early retirement at 16 and stayed away from the limelight for 25 years, eventually re-emerging after raising her four kids on an Australian farm and then breaking records at the 2000 Sydney Games.

 11 
Jenny Thompson
(American Former Competition Swimmer and Anesthesiologist)
Jenny Thompson
9
Birthdate: February 26, 1973
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Danvers, Massachusetts, United States

Known for winning more Olympic medals than any other female in the swimming category, Jenny Thompson had started swimming at age 7. She grew up to win swimming medals for Stanford University. She is also a qualified doctor and has practiced as an anaesthesiologist and surgeon.

 12 
Matt Biondi
(American Former Competition Swimmer and 11-Time Olympic Medalist)
Matt Biondi
3
Birthdate: October 8, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Moraga, California, United States

Initially interested in both swimming and water polo, Matt Biondi participated in his first swimming race at age 5. One of the greatest swimmers of all time, he has won 11 Olympic medals, of which 8 are gold medals. Post-retirement, he teaches math and works as a swimming coach in Hawaii.  

 13 
Ian Thorpe
(Swimmer, Autobiographer)
Ian Thorpe
4
Birthdate: October 13, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sydney

Ian Thorpe is an Australian retired swimmer who won five Olympic gold medals. He predominantly competed in freestyle but was also skilled at backstroke and the individual medley. He emerged as the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics, with three gold and two silver medals. He is openly gay and often talks about the challenges of being homosexual. 

 14 
Sun Yang
(Swimmer)
Sun Yang
8
Birthdate: December 1, 1991
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hangzhou

Sun Yang is a Chinese competitive swimmer best known for winning three Olympic gold medals. Sun has also won 11 FINA World Championships and nine gold medals at Asian Games. Sun is the first man in the history of competitive swimming to win the World Championship and Olympic gold medals at every single freestyle distance between 200 and 1500 meters.

 15 
Alexander Popov
3
Birthdate: November 16, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lesnoy, Russia
 16 
Jason Lezak
(American Former Competitive Swimmer and Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Jason Lezak
3
Birthdate: November 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Irvine, California, United States

Apart from winning 8 Olympic medals, of which 4 were gold medals, Jason Lezak also showed a keen interest in other sports such as basketball, water polo, and soccer, in his initial days. Post-retirement, he and his wife, fellow Olympian Danielle DeAlva began coaching children. He is also a motivational speaker.

 17 
Duke Kahanamoku
(Hawaiian Competition Swimmer Who Popularized the Sport of Surfing)
Duke Kahanamoku
9
Birthdate: August 24, 1890
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Haleʻākala, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Died: January 22, 1968

Duke Kahanamoku was an American competitive swimmer and surfer. He is credited with popularizing the ancient Hawaiian surfing. As a swimmer, Kahanamoku won three gold medals in two different Olympics. Kahanamoku was inducted into both the Surfing Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame. He has been also inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

 18 
Laszlo Cseh
(Swimmer)
Laszlo Cseh
3
Birthdate: December 3, 1985
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
 19 
Leisel Jones
(Iconic Australian Swimmer Who Has Won 3 Olympic Gold Medals)
Leisel Jones
5
Birthdate: August 30, 1985
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Katherine

Three-time Olympic gold medal-winning Australian swimmer Leisel Jones is also known by her nicknames Diesel and Lethal Leisel. Known for her signature breaststroke technique, she has also won 7 World Championship titles. Post-retirement, she has penned a memoir, been a sports commentator, and qualified as a nutrition coach.

 20 
Inge de Bruijn
3
Birthdate: August 24, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Barendrecht, Netherlands
 21 
Shavarsh Karapetyan
(Armenian Former Finswimmer and 10-Time World Record Breaker)
Shavarsh Karapetyan
4
Birthdate: May 19, 1953
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vanadzor, Armenia

Shavarsh Karapetyan is an Armenian former finswimmer. A ten-time world record-breaker, Karapetyan became famous after the 1976 trolleybus incident in Yerevan, where he saved the lives of 20 people. The incident was published in an article titled The Underwater Battle of the Champion in 1982, making Shavarsh Karapetyan a household name in the USSR.

 22 
Buster Crabbe
(American Two-Time Olympic Swimmer and Film and Television Actor)
Buster Crabbe
8
Birthdate: February 7, 1908
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: April 23, 1983

Apart from being an Olympic gold-winning swimmer, Buster Crabbe later also became a well-known actor. He was seen in over 170 movies, with lead roles in series such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. The International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee had also penned fitness books and owned a swimming pool company.

 23 
Johnny Weissmuller
(Olympic Swimmer and Actor Who Played Tarzan)
Johnny Weissmuller
4
Birthdate: June 2, 1904
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Freidorf, Romania
Died: January 20, 1984

Johnny Weissmuller was an American swimmer and actor. Although Weissmuller won five Olympic gold medals and set several world records during his illustrious swimming career, he is best remembered for his portrayal of the title role in the 1932 action-adventure film Tarzan the Ape Man. In 1965, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

 24 
Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir
(An Olympian Swimmer Who Later Became an Actor and Starred in Vikings)
Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir
4
Birthdate: October 24, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Reykjavík, Iceland

Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, or Ragga Ragnars, was 19 when she became Iceland’s youngest swimmer at the Olympics. After making multiple national records in freestyle, she retired and started studying acting. She later gained fame as Gunnhild, an Icelandic Saga figure, in the popular historical drama TV series Vikings.

 25 
João Havelange
(7th President of FIFA)
João Havelange
4
Birthdate: May 8, 1916
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro
Died: August 16, 2016
 26 
Summer Sanders
(American Sports Commentator, Reporter, Former Competition Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Summer Sanders
4
Birthdate: October 13, 1972
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Roseville, California, United States

Summer Sanders is an American television personality, reporter, sports commentator, actress, and former competitive swimmer. Sanders won two gold medals at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. She then established herself as a sports commentator, covering swimming events for NBC in several Olympic Games.

 27 
Kieren Perkins
(Legendary Australian Swimmer, Olympic Gold Medalist, and Sports Administrator)
Kieren Perkins
3
Birthdate: August 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia

One of Australia’s best-known distance swimmers, Kieren Perkins is also known to fans as the Superfish. Apart from breaking 11 world records, he also became the first person to simultaneously hold the World, Olympic, Commonwealth, and Pan Pacific titles. The 2-time Olympic gold medalist later became the CEO of the Australian Sports Commission.

 28 
Diana Nyad
(American Motivational Speaker and Long-Distance Swimmer)
Diana Nyad
4
Birthdate: August 22, 1949
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Diana Nyad is an American journalist, author, long-distance swimmer, and motivational speaker. She achieved national recognition when she swam around Manhattan in 1975. Nyad made headlines again in 1979 when she swam from Bimini to Juno Beach. In 1986, Diana Nyad was inducted into of the US National Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

 29 
Krisztina Egerszegi
5
Birthdate: August 16, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
 30 
Princess Charlene of Monaco
(Former Olympic Swimmer and Princess Consort of Monaco (Since 2011))
Princess Charlene of Monaco
2
Birthdate: January 25, 1978
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Charlene, Princess of Monaco, was once an Olympic swimmer and represented South Africa at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She met her husband, Prince Albert, at a swimming competition. She now owns the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and works for causes related to AIDS, sports, and underprivileged children.
 31 
Gertrude Ederle
(American Competition Swimmer, Olympic Champion, and World Record-Holder in Five Events)
Gertrude Ederle
3
Birthdate: October 23, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 30, 2003

Gertrude Ederle made history when she became the first female to cross the English Channel. Unfortunately, she lost her sense of hearing while achieving the feat and later devoted herself to coaching deaf swimmers. She also won 2 bronze medals and a relay gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

 32 
Kristin Otto
(Olympic athlete)
Kristin Otto
3
Birthdate: February 7, 1966
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany
 33 
Kornelia Ender
3
Birthdate: October 25, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Plauen, Bezirk Karl-Marx-Stadt, Germany
Pieter van den Hoogenband
3
Birthdate: March 14, 1978
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Maastricht
 35 
Tracy Caulkins
(American Former Competition Swimmer and Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Tracy Caulkins
3
Birthdate: January 11, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Winona, Minnesota, United States

Tracy Caulkins is an American retired competitive swimmer. A former world record-holder, Caulkins won three gold medals at the 1984 Olympics. A celebrated swimmer, Caulkins was honored with the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award in 1978; at age 15, she became the youngest-ever recipient of the award. Caulkins also won several FINA World Aquatics Championships during her illustrious career.

 36 
Dick Pound
(Canadian Swimming Champion, First President of the World Anti-Doping Agency & Vice President of the International Olympic Committee)
Dick Pound
4
Birthdate: March 22, 1942
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: St. Catharines, Canada
 37 
Murray Rose
(Australian Swimmer Who Won Three Gold Medals at the 1956 Olympic Games)
Murray Rose
3
Birthdate: January 6, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: April 15, 2012

Murray Rose was an Australian swimmer, sports commentator, actor, and marketing executive. A former world record holder, Rose is best remembered for winning three gold medals at the 1956 Olympic Games. He also won a gold medal, a silver medal, and a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympic Games. In 2001, Murray Rose was honored with the prestigious Centenary Medal.

 38 
Lynne Cox
(First Person to Swim Between the United States and the Soviet Union)
Lynne Cox
3
Birthdate: January 2, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Lynne Cox is an American swimmer, speaker, and writer. She is best known for swimming in the Bering Strait in an attempt to ease the Cold War tensions between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan. By doing so, Cox became the first person to swim between the Soviet Union and the United States and earned praises from both Reagan and Gorbachev.

 39 
Amanda Beard
(American Swimmer and Seven-Time Olympic Medalist)
Amanda Beard
3
Birthdate: October 29, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California, United States

At 14, Amanda Beard was still in high school when she walked away with 2 Olympic silver medals and a relay gold, becoming the second-youngest swimmer to win an Olympic medal. The 7-time Olympic medalist later also modeled for Playboy and co-authored a New York Times bestseller.

 40 
Don Schollander
(American Former Competition Swimmer)
Don Schollander
3
Birthdate: April 30, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Don Schollander was introduced to swimming by his swimmer uncle. Though initially interested in football, he later chose swimming as a career option. Post-retirement, he has penned books and has launched a real-estate company. He was also part of the Yale secret society Skull and Bones.

 41 
Debbie Meyer
(American Former Competition Swimmer and Three-time Olympic Champion)
Debbie Meyer
3
Birthdate: August 14, 1952
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Annapolis, Maryland, United States

Debbie Meyer made history when she became the first female swimmer to earn gold medals in three individual events at the same Olympics. Though the freestyle expert suffered for asthma since childhood, her condition never hampered her swimming career. She later launched her own swimming school.

 42 
Herbert Nitsch
(Austrian Freediver Who Holds the World Record of Deepest Dive at 253.2 meters)
Herbert Nitsch
4
Birthdate: April 20, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Austria

Widely known as the deepest man on Earth, Austrian freediver Herbert Nitsch currently holds the world freediving world record for his exceptional dive of 214 m. He has previously also worked as a pilot. He is also the only diver to hold records in all of AIDA's 8 freediving disciplines.

 43 
Benoît Lecomte
3
Birthdate: June 3, 1967
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Benoit Lecomte
 44 
John Naber
(American Former Competitive Swimmer and Five-Time Olympic Medalist)
John Naber
3
Birthdate: January 20, 1956
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, United States

John Naber is an American retired competitive swimmer, sports broadcaster, writer, and motivational speaker. Naber won four gold medals and a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. A former world record-holder, Naber was honored with the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award in 1977. In 1982, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

 45 
Estella Warren
(Actress, Model and Swimmer Known for Her Roles in Films: ‘Planet of the Apes’ and ‘Tangled’)
Estella Warren
0
Birthdate: December 23, 1978
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Peterborough, Canada

Pin-up girl Estella Warren had been a Canadian swimming champion before she was scouted by an agent and sent to New York. An international model who has topped Maxim’s Hot 100 Women of 2000 list, Warren has also appeared in films such as Planet of the Apes.

 46 
Michael Gross
(Swimmer)
Michael Gross
3
Birthdate: June 17, 1964
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
 47 
Mary T. Meagher
(American Former Competition Swimmer, Olympic Champion, and World Record-Holder)
Mary T. Meagher
2
Birthdate: October 27, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Mary T. Meagher is an American retired competitive swimmer. Meagher clocked the 100-meter butterfly in 57.93 and the 200-meter butterfly in 2:05.96 in 1981; this performance is counted among the greatest achievements in sports. After winning three gold medals at the 1984 Olympics, Meagher went on to compete in the 1988 Olympics where she won a bronze medal.

 48 
Roland Matthes
(German Swimmer)
Roland Matthes
2
Birthdate: November 17, 1950
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pößneck, Germany
Died: December 20, 2019

Roland Matthes was a German swimmer famous as the most successful backstroke swimmer of all time. He swam 19 world and 21 European records in various backstroke,  freestyle, butterfly, and medley events between April 1967 and August 1974. After retiring from swimming, he studied medicine at the University of Jena and became an orthopedic surgeon.

 49 
Esther Williams
(American Competitive Swimmer and Actress)
Esther Williams
2
Birthdate: August 8, 1921
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Inglewood, California, United States
Died: June 6, 2013

Esther Williams was an American actress, competitive swimmer, and businesswoman. When she couldn't realize her dream of participating in the 1940 Summer Olympics due to the outbreak of the Second World War, Williams went on to establish herself as an actress. She gained national recognition after playing Annette Kellerman in Million Dollar Mermaid and helped popularize swimming in the USA. 

 50 
Yuliya Yefimova
4
Birthdate: April 3, 1992
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Grozny, Russia