MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

SPORTS

SWIMMING

[photo, swimming pool, Reisterstown, Maryland] Swimming in Maryland gained worldwide attention in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, when Marylander Michael Phelps won his first six gold medals as well as two bronze, in butterfly, freestyle relay, and individual medley. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, he won eight gold medals. In London, England, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Phelps won his 18th Olympic gold medal, which also was his 22nd career Olympic medal, and became the most decorated athlete in the history of the modern Olympic Games. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Phelps won his 23rd Olympic gold medal, bringing his total Olympic medal count to 28.

Overall, Michael Phelps has won a total of 94 medals, including 69 golds, 16 silvers, and 9 bronzes, in the Olympics, the World Aquatics Championships, and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Swimming pool, Reisterstown, Maryland, September 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

During her six-time Paralympic career (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), Jessica Long of Baltimore won 18 gold medals and 31 Olympic medals overall. In addition to the Paralympics, Long won 37 world championships, with 54 medals in total, and set over 50 world records. Long is the second-most decorated U. S. Paralympian ever and is considered one of the best paralympian swimmers in history.

Katie Ledecky of Bethesda won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ledecky won four gold medals and a silver, and set two new world records in 400-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle. During the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Ledecky won two golds and two silvers. At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Ledecky won a further four medals, including 2 golds, a silver, and a bronze, for a total Olympic medal count of 14. With that record, Ledecky is now the most decorated U.S. female Olympian and the most decorated female swimmer in history. Ledecky won a total of 54 medals, including 40 golds, 11 silvers, and 3 bronzes, while competing in the Olympics, the World Aquatics Championships, and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

[photo, Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center, Prince Frederick, Maryland] Olympic swimming athletes from Maryland also include Bowie native Brad Schumacher, as well as Beth Botsford, Allison Schmitt of Baltimore. Schumacher and Botsford each won two gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Schmitt won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, as well as three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center, 130 Auto Drive, Prince Frederick (Calvert County), Maryland, July 2014. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

[photo, Daniel C. Olson Pool, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland] During the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Katie Zaferes of Hampstead (Carroll County), Maryland, won the Bronze Medal in the Women's Triathlon, which consists of cycling, running, and swimming. Zaferes won the International Triathlon Union's World Triathlon Championship in 2019.

Daniel C. Olson Pool, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland, October 2015. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Throughout Maryland, swim clubs provide opportunities for competitive swimming to Marylanders of all ages. Competitive swimming is organized through Maryland Swimming.

Besides swimming pools, Maryland offers many opportunities for recreational swimming. Sixteen State Parks have swimming areas.

Swimming is affected by water quality, as well as the condition of the beach. The Department of the Environment administers Maryland's Healthy Beaches Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors beach health through its BEACON (beach advisory & closing online notification) database.

Held annually since 1982, the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is a 4.4 mile race from Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County to Kent Island on the Eastern Shore. Limited to 600 swimmers, the Swim is held on the second Sunday in June, and next will take place on June 14, 2026.

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