Swimming (sport)

Swimming

Start of the 4 × 100 meters men's relay during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
Highest governing body	World Aquatics
First competitions	1930s
Characteristics
Contact	No
Team members	Team or individuals
Venue	Natatorium open-water
Presence
Country or region	Worldwide
Olympic	1896
World Championships	1973
Paralympic	1960

Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports,^[1] with varied distance events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley. In addition to these individual events, four swimmers can take part in either a freestyle or medley relay. A medley relay consists of four swimmers who will each swim a different stroke, ordered as backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.^[2]

Swimming each stroke requires a set of specific techniques; in competition, there are distinct regulations concerning the acceptable form for each individual stroke.^[3] There are also regulations on what types of swimsuits, caps, jewelry and injury tape that are allowed at competitions.^[4] Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport, such as tendinitis in the shoulders or knees, there are also multiple health benefits associated with the sport.