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.

Swimming Events
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.

Rendering of the Paris La Defense Arena swimming venue for the 2024 Paris Olympics
The Paris La Defense Arena will host swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Paris 2024

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.

Aerial view of a rendering of Eiffel Tower and Seine River for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Paris 2024

Competition Schedule

Swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics
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.