When to watch swimming during the 2024 Paris Olympics
During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, athletes take their first plunge into the pool in Paris on Saturday, July 27, with competition concluding on Saturday, Aug. 4. Prelims get underway at 5 a.m. ET each day, however, if the live medal races are what you want to see, be sure to start watching at 2:30 p.m. ET. The one exception will be on Saturday, Aug. 4, when the final day in the pool begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The two remaining open water events will be held on Thursday, Aug. 8, and Friday, Aug. 9. These will be must-see events as swimmers will race in the Seine River in the first point-to-point open water races at an Olympics since the first time the Games were held in Paris in 1900.
| Men's Events 50m Freestyle 100m Freestyle 200m Freestyle 400m Freestyle 800m Freestyle 1500m Freestyle 100m Backstroke 200m Backstroke 100m Breaststroke 200m Breaststroke 100m Butterfly 200m Butterfly 200m Individual Medley 400m Individual Medley 4x100m Freestyle Relay 4x200m Freestyle Relay 4x100m Medley Relay 10km Open Water |
Women's Events 50m Freestyle 100m Freestyle 200m Freestyle 400m Freestyle 800m Freestyle 1500m Freestyle 100m Backstroke 200m Backstroke 100m Breaststroke 200m Breaststroke 100m Butterfly 200m Butterfly 200m Individual Medley 400m Individual Medley 4x100m Freestyle Relay 4x200m Freestyle Relay 4x100m Medley Relay 10km Open Water Mixed Event 4x100m medley relay |
Venues
La Défense Arena will be transformed for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The home of the French rugby union club, Racing 92, will make room for roughly 660,000 gallons of water in the form of an Olympic-size swimming pool thanks to its modular, multipurpose design.
Thousands of fans are expected to line the banks of the Seine River to see the fastest distance swimmers in the world cut through the water for 10km starting at the famed Beaux-Arts-style bridge crossing, Pont Alexandre III.
Competition Schedule
| Date | Event | Time (ET) |
| July 27 | Women's 100m Butterfly - Heats Women's 400m Freestyle - Heats Men's 100m Breaststroke - Heats Men's 400m Freestyle - Heats Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay - Heats Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay - Heats |
5a-7:15a |
| Women's 100m Butterfly - Semifinals Men's 400m Freestyle - Final Women's 400m Freestyle - Final Men's 100m Breaststroke - Semifinals Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay - Final Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay - Final |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| July 28 | Men's 200m Freestyle - Heats Men's 400m Medley - Heats Women's 100m Breaststroke - Heats Men's 100m Backstroke - Heats Women's 200m Freestyle - Heats |
5a-7a |
| Men's 400m Medley - Final Women's 100m Butterfly - Final Men's 200m Freestyle - Semifinals Women's 100m Breaststroke - Semifinals Men's 100m Backstroke - Semifinals Men's 100m Breaststroke - Final Women's 200m Freestyle - Semifinals |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| July 29 | Women's 400m Medley - Heats Women's 100m Backstroke - Heats Men's 800m Freestyle - Heats |
5a-7a |
| Women's 400m Medley - Final Men's 200m Freestyle - Final Women's 100m Backstroke - Semifinals Men's 100m Backstroke - Final Women's 100m Breaststroke - Final Women's 200m Freestyle - Final |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| July 30 | Men's 200m Butterfly - Heats Men's 100m Freestyle - Heats Women's 1500m Freestyle - Heats Women's 100m Freestyle - Heats Men's 200m Breaststroke - Heats Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay - Heats |
5a-7:45a |
| Men's 100m Freestyle - Semifinals Men's 200m Butterfly - Semifinals Women's 100m Backstroke - Final Men's 800m Freestyle - Final Women's 100m Freestyle - Semifinals Men's 200m Breaststroke - Semifinals Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay - Final |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| July 31 | Women's 200m Breaststroke - Heats Men's 200m Backstroke - Heats Women's 200m Butterfly - Heats |
5a-6:30a |
| Women's 100m Freestyle - Final Men's 200m Butterfly - Final Men's 200m Breaststroke - Final Women's 1500m Freestyle - Final Men's 200m Backstroke - Semifinals Women's 200m Breaststroke - Semifinals Women's 200m Butterfly - Semifinals Men's 100m Freestyle - Final |
2:30p-4:45p | |
| August 1 | Women's 200m Backstroke - Heats Men's 50m Freestyle - Heats Men's 200m Medley - Heats Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay - Heats |
5a-7a |
| Women's 200m Butterfly - Final Men's 200m Backstroke - Final Women's 200m Backstroke - Semifinals Women's 200m Breaststroke - Final Men's 200m Medley - Semifinals Men's 50m Freestyle - Semifinals Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay - Final |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| August 2 | Men's 100m Butterfly - Heats Women's 200m Medley - Heats Women's 800m Freestyle - Heats 4x100m Mixed Medley - Heats |
5a-7a |
| Men's 50m Freestyle - Final Women's 200m Backstroke - Final Men's 200m Medley - Final Men's 100m Butterfly - Semifinals Women's 200m Medley - Semifinals |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| August 3 | Women's 50m Freestyle - Heats Men's 1500m Freestyle - Heats Men's 4x100m Medley Relay - Heats Women's 4x100m Medley Relay - Heats |
5a-7:15a |
| Men's 100m Butterfly - Final Women's 50m Freestyle - Semifinals Women's 200m Medley - Final Women's 800m Freestyle - Final 4x100m Mixed Medley - Final |
2:30p-4:30p | |
| August 4 | Women's 50m Freestyle - Final Men's 1500m Freestyle - Final Men's 4x100m Medley Relay - Final Women's 4x100m Medley Relay - Final |
12:30p-2:30p |
| August 8 | Women's 10km Open Water | 1:30a-4:30a |
| August 9 | Men's 10km Open Water | 1:30a-4:30a |
Team USA: Olympic swimmers to watch
As is usually the case, the United States heads to Paris sporting the strongest swimming roster of any nation on paper, led by Katie Ledecky. The seven-time gold medalist can cement her legacy as the greatest female Olympic swimmer of all time with another standout performance at these Games.
Joining Ledecky are familiar faces like Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel and Ryan Murphy along with some young guns that might not be household names yet, but certainly could be by the end of the nine-day meet. Chris Giuliano and Gretchen Walsh headline the first-timers with a chance to become breakout stars.
Between the seasoned veterans and the rookies are some rising stars officially entering their prime, and they have their sights set on multi-medal performances in Paris. Kate Douglass, Regan Smith and Bobby Finke fall into that category.