Before 1908, when the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) began to regulate aquatic events, the Olympic Games played host to a variety of unusual competitions, including underwater swimming, obstacle swimming, and plunge for distance. Before the waveless, temperature-controlled pools of today, competitions were held in the Mediterranean Sea, the Seine River, and a little lake in St. Louis. Now with unified regulations, Olympic Aquatics consist of four disciplines- diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo.

Swimming events include four different strokes: freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke. Freestyle races cover 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, and 10000 meters. The 800m is for women only and the 1500m is for men only. The butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke races each cover 100 and 200 meters. All four strokes are used in the 200m and 400m individual medley events. The 4 x 100m freestyle, 4 x 200m freestyle and 4 x 100m medley relays complete the program. In the 2008 Olympic Games, men and women swimmers also competed in the 10km marathon swim.

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