*Data courtesy of: Ty Gibbs

Seeing record-breaking swims at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, many of whom are current or former USA Swimming National Team athletes, got us thinking about how dominant the USA Swimming women have been over the past 20 years.

To find out, we worked with USA Swimming Data Scientist Ty Gibbs to compile data across 20 years of international competitions. We dove into the Olympic Games, long course meters (LCM) World Championships, and short course meters (SCM) World Championships each calendar year to find when USA Swimming women athletes claimed a podium spot, two podium spots, or broke a world record.

The results were compelling, showcasing how American women swimmers have been a leading international force for two decades.

Key findings:

• World records were shattered 26 times by American women in 2024, with the next closest year being 2009 (13).
• In 2024, Gretchen Walsh claimed 14 of the 26 world records set by American women . These included 12 SCM events and two LCM events.  Adding to the count were Regan Smith (nine total) and Kate Douglass (six total).
• Examining each quad, there is a steady jump in podium placement for the women in Olympic years compared to the three years prior. The biggest jump typically happens between the Olympic year and the prior year, which correlates to an athlete's training cycle as they prepare for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming and the Olympic Games.
• Also, in 2024, there were 30 podium finishers at international competitions, with 11 having two Americans in the top three.
• 2022 showed the second-highest number of women athletes on the podium with 24, followed closely by 2004 and 2012 with 23 each.

Looking to dive deeper? Use the interactive graphs below to learn more about how USA Swimming women have continued to lead the charge at international meets since 2004.