Olympic Swimming 2016: Complete Guide to Women's Events in Rio
You want modern-day superstars? You want all-time Olympic heroes?
The women's swimming pool in Rio de Janeiro will have both...and then some.
The 10 days of competition at the 2016 Summer Games will feature an American teenager with a chance at a personalized brand of domination, a handful of U.S. veterans angling to return to past competitive glory and a laundry list of Europeans, Asians and Australians anxious to make a water-logged impact of their own.
It's sure to be one of the stalwarts of NBC's coverage of the goings-on in Brazil, continuing a tradition that's included past U.S. greats Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, Amy Van Dyken, Natalie Coughlin and Janet Evans.
Here's a look at all you'll need to know before heading into the pool.
Overview and History
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It's been 104 years since Fanny Durack won the first women's Olympic gold medal in swimming.
And oh, what a century-plus it's been.
The women's swim calendar expanded from two events in 1912 to beyond double digits in 1968, initially equaling the number of events on the men's side in 1976 and then again 20 years later.
The women in Rio will swim 17 events, and their performances have evolved into some of the most eagerly anticipated sequences of the quadrennial get-together.
The 4x100-meter freestyle relay will highlight NBC's first day of coverage at this year's Games, along with the 400-meter freestyle on Day 2 and two more events—the 800-meter freestyle and 200-meter backstroke—on Day 7.
The Schedule
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Medal action in the pool gets started as the Games open on Saturday and continues with only one off day through Aug. 16.
American Katie Ledecky's quest for 400-meter freestyle gold comes on Sunday, and both Ledecky and U.S. teammate Missy Franklin will be front and center in the 800 freestyle and 200 backstroke, respectively, on Aug. 12.
A look at the entire day-by-day schedule is available here.
Top Storylines
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Ledecky's not satisfied
Winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle as a 15-year-old apparently wasn't enough for Katie Ledecky.
She hasn't lost a major competitive race since, and was a four-event champion at the 2015 world championships in Kazan, Russia, sweeping the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter races.
The sweep gave birth to the phrase "Ledecky Slam" and has focused her gaze on a similar gold-medal haul in the 200, 400, 800 and at least one relay event in Rio de Janeiro.
Apparently, neither are the Australians
Long considered a world swimming powerhouse, the entire men's and women's gang from Down Under gathered only 10 medals as a unit at the 2012 Games in London, and precisely zero individual golds.
It's a safe bet that such a washout won't occur again.
Sprint sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell head to Brazil ranked first and fifth in the world, respectively, in the 50-meter freestyle and first and second in the 100-meter version. They're likely to find a prime position on the medal stand, as is teammate Emily Seebohm, who won both the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the 2015 world championships.
But don't forget the Hungarians
If you're a fan of women's international swimming, you already know the name Katinka Hosszu.
But if you're not, sit tight, you'll know it soon enough.
The 27-year-old will be making her fourth Olympics appearance at the 2016 Summer Games, and though she's won precisely zero medals so far, she'll arrive as the world's top-ranked performer in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys—and third-best in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.
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Can’t-Miss Events
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Crowded field in the 200 freestyle
The 200-meter freestyle was anxiously awaited at the 2015 world championships and figures to have the same anticipation come Day 4 of the Olympics on Aug. 9.
World champion Katie Ledecky tops the roster of expected finalists, alongside 2008 Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini of Italy, Australian speedsters Emma McKeon and Bronte Barratt, and American Missy Franklin, who earned bronze at the 2015 world championships as well.
Ledecky begins her golden mission in the 400 freestyle
The 400-meter freestyle probably won't be Ledecky's only gold medal in Brazil.
But if things go according to plan, it'll be her first.
The 19-year-old star takes to the water on Day 2 of the Games and is expected to not only win, but to take a serious run at her own world record of 3 minutes, 58.37 seconds as well.
Introducing Lilly King in the 100-meter breaststroke
Indiana University product Lilly King has laid waste to the NCAA record book in the 100-meter breaststroke, and she has the world's best time in the event this year by a full half-second over Russia's Yulia Efimova, whose status for Rio de Janeiro is up in the air due to illegal substance concerns.
King is likely to get a push from Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte, who's the only other swimmer to dip beneath the 1:06 mark in the event this season.
Locks for Gold
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Katie Ledecky, USA
As mentioned earlier, when it comes to Ledecky, it's not whether she'll win gold, it's how many she'll win.
The Washington, D.C.-born teen hopped to the top podium step for the first time in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 Games in London, and she's 15-0 in international competition since.
If she's not the top woman in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles by the time the closing ceremony arrives, it'll be an upset.
Cate Campbell, Australia
She's 24, she's at the top of the world rankings in the 50- and 100-meter freestyles, and she's among the heaviest favorites when it comes to prospecting for gold medals at the upcoming Olympics in Brazil.
Campbell not only has the fastest time in the world this season in the 50-meter race (23.84 seconds), but she'll also hit the water for the 100 as the owner of a world record (52.06) established early last month in Brisbane, Australia.
Ironically, if an upset in the 50 occurs, it could come thanks to the reigning world champion in the event—her 22-year-old sister, Bronte.
Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Sarah Sjostrom is as good a definition of a gold-medal favorite as there is in Rio de Janeiro.
She's won three of the last four world championships in the 100-meter butterfly and has racked up seven of the top eight times in the history of the event—including the top five.
Her time of 55.68 seconds from March is the fastest in the world for 2016 by eight-tenths of a second.
Dark Horses to Watch
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Bronte Campbell, Australia
Considering she's a world champion in the 50-meter freestyle and has the world's second-fastest time in the 100-meter freestyle this year, it's difficult to frame Australian Bronte Campbell as a traditional dark horse.
Nevertheless, it'll be considered a surprise if she's able to upend her older sister, Cate, in either of the two races.
One way or the other, though, it's safe to expect a family affair when the medal ceremonies arrive.
Missy Franklin, USA
A reigning Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder in the 200-meter backstroke is also an atypical bio for a dark horse.
But considering American Missy Franklin barely qualified for the Games at the U.S. trials and is ranked just ninth in the world this season, a win for her would be surprising.
Two Aussies, a Hungarian and even another American (Maya DiRado) are considered medal favorites above Franklin, but don't be surprised if her past successes help her dial back in.
Rikke Pedersen, Denmark
Rikke Pedersen is another athlete who holds a world record but hasn't performed up to the same scintillating standard in recent days.
She swam a blistering 2:19.11 in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2013, and Pedersen must be considered a contender because of it, even though her top time of 2016 (2:21.69) is more than 2.5 seconds slower and places her fourth-best in the world heading to Brazil.
At 27, it'll be interesting to see if she's got at least one more big race left in her.
Potential Breakout Stars
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Lilly King is a would-be Olympic queen
Yes, she's a 19-year-old American that is likely to swim fast in Rio.
But no, her name's not Katie Ledecky.
Instead, it's Lilly King who's itching to take a step into the spotlight, and she's likely to get a chance in the 100-meter breaststroke, where she holds the world's fastest time this season (1:05.2).
For Leah Smith, winning is a family tradition
If nothing else, Leah Smith has genetics on her side.
She's a great-granddaughter of a former World Series baseball player and the great-niece of a former world-champion boxer, so it's no surprise that she's found her calling in athletics as well.
She'll need to experience her spotlight breakthrough in the shadow of reigning Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, with whom she'll swim in the 400-meter freestyle. Smith's final 200-meter split was faster than Ledecky's at the U.S. trials, and she's three seconds faster than anyone else in the world this season, so her name ought to be more household in variety before too long.
Mie Nielsen does it for Denmark
Denmark's Mie Nielsen was a 15-year-old when she made her Olympic debut in London in 2012, and finished 17th.
She was shelved with an injured knee a year later, but has since climbed back up the fast-time ladder and swam her way to a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2015 world championships.
With reigning Olympic champ Missy Franklin having failed to qualify in the event this time around, the field is wide-open for Nielsen to take her place as Denmark's third gold-medal swimmer.
Team USA Outlook
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As Katie Ledecky goes, so goes the U.S. women's team.
Given her status as a 15-year-old Olympic champion in 2012 and unbeaten record in international competition since, it's no stretch to suggest she'll complete her "Ledecky Slam" in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles, along with a relay team medal.
Beyond her, though, forecasting gold for the Americans becomes a more challenging prospect.
Only one other U.S. swimmer, 100-meter breaststroke representative Lilly King, is ranked first in the world in her event heading into the Olympics. Several others—including 2012 gold medalist Missy Franklin—are in the mix in their events, but taking the top step on the podium would be a surprise.
In the end, expecting three golds, a silver and six bronzes across the individual events wouldn't be a stretch, along with another gold and two silvers in the three relay races. Only Australia is likely to exceed the Americans when it comes to golds, and that could change if a few would-be bronzes change color.
Predictions for the Biggest Women's Swimming Stars
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Katie Ledecky, USA
Grand Slam. Tiger Slam. Ledecky Slam.
By the time the Olympic athletes vacate Brazilian airspace later this month, Katie Ledecky will have put her own personal spin on what it means to be great in several different disciplines.
She'll be the 2016 gold medalist in three freestyle races—the 200, 400 and 800—and she'll help the U.S. to at least one relay gold to push her haul to four this summer.
Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
Katinka Hosszu has 56 international swimming medals, but she's never won an Olympic gold.
That'll change this month.
She's turned in the world's best times in both the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys this season and will win both in Rio to change her career's perception from second banana to spotlight superstar.
Cate Campbell, Australia
"Sorry sis, this one's for me." That may be a snippet of the conversation between Aussie siblings Cate and Bronte Campbell after the 50- and 100-meter freestyle races.
Twenty-four-year-old Cate is the world's top-ranked swimmer in the 50- and 100-meter freestyles heading into the Games, by virtue of her 23.84-second finish in the shorter race and 52.06 world record in its longer cousin.
Expect more of the same in Rio, and perhaps an awkward hug on the medal stand.
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