The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim is the fastest, most competitive, most watched, and most anticipated open water swim in the world. It has been held five times since 2008 and is scheduled to be held at least twice more in the following venues:
- 2008 in the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park where the field raced 4 loops of 2.5 km each in 27°C water in a rectangular course along the perimeter of the rowing basin held outside of Beijing, China.
- 2012 in the Serpentine where the field raced 6 loops of 1.66 km each in 19°C water in a geometrically shaped course along the perimeter of the man-made lake in Hyde Park in the center of London, England.
- 2016 in Copacabana Beach where the field raced 4 loops of 2.5 km each in 21-22°C water along a pentagon-shaped course offshore from the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- 2020 in Odaiba Marine Park where the field raced 7 loops of 1.43 km each in 29°C water in a rectangular course in Tokyo Bay, Japan.
- 2024 in the the Seine River from the Pont Alexandre III Bridge where the field raced 6 loops of 1.66 km each in 29°C water in a rectangular course along the river banks in Paris, France.
- 2028 in Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, California where the water is expected to be flat, tranquil, and warm in a rectangular course.
- 2032 in the Southport Broadwater Parklands in Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia where the water is expected to be flat, tranquil, and warm in a rectangular course.
Over the last five Olympic Games, a total of 30 medals have been awarded. Of these 30 medals, 20 have been won by 5 countries (Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Great Britain), but 13 swimmers from different countries have won Olympic 10K Marathon Swim medals.*
- Netherlands: 5 medals, 4 gold + 1 silver
- Hungary: 4 medals: 2 gold + 1 silver + 1 bronze
- Germany: 4 medals, 1 gold + 2 silver + 1 bronze
- Italy: 4 medals, 2 silver + 2 bronze
- Great Britain: 3 medals, 2 silver + 1 bronze
- Brazil: 2 medals, 1 gold + 1 bronze
- Australia: 2 medals, 1 silver + 1 bronze
- Russia: 1 gold
- Tunisia: 1 gold
- Greece: 1 silver
- USA: 1 silver
- France: 1 bronze
- Canada: 1 bronze
A more detailed analysis follows, by country and their athletes’ finish at each of the Olympics where the 10 km marathon swim has been held:
Netherlands: 4 gold medals + 1 silver medal
- #1 by Maarten van der Weijden at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #14 by Edith van Dijk, PhD at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #1 by Ferry Weertman at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #1 by Sharon van Rouwendaal at the 2016 Rio Olympics [shown above with Ferry Weertman]
- #7 by Ferry Weertman at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #2 by Sharon van Rouwendaal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics [shown above with Ana Marcela Cunha and Kareena Lee]
- #1 by Sharon van Rouwendaal at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Hungary: 2 gold medals + 1 silver medal + 1 bronze medal
- DNF by Csaba Gercsak at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #18 by Csaba Gercsak at the 2012 London Olympics
- #1 by Éva Risztov at the 2012 London Olympics
- #13 by Mark Papp at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #13 by Éva Risztov at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #14 by Anna Olasz at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #2 by Kristóf Rasovszky at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #4 by Anna Olasz at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #1 by Kristóf Rasovszky at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #3 by David Betlehem at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Germany: 1 gold medal + 2 silver medals + 1 bronze medal
- #3 by Thomas Lurz at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #4 by Angela Maurer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #2 by Thomas Lurz at the 2012 London Olympics
- #8 by Andreas Waschburger at the 2012 London Olympics
- #5 by Angela Maurer at the 2012 London Olympics
- #9 by Christian Reichert at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #6 by Isabelle Härle at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #1 by Florian Wellbrock at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #11 by Rob Muffels at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #5 by Leonie Beck at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #10 by Finnia Wunram at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #2 by Oliver Klemet at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #8 by Florian Wellbrock at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #9 by Leonie Beck at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #22 by Leonie Maertens at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Italy: 2 silver medals + 2 bronze medals
- #4 Valerio Cleri at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #10 Martina Grimaldi at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #17 Valerio Cleri at the 2012 London Olympics
- #2 Martina Grimaldi at the 2012 London Olympics
- #6 Simone Ruffini at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #7 Federico Vanelli at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #2 Rachelle Bruni at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #3 Gregorio Paltrinieri at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #14 Mario Sanzullo at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #14 Rachelle Bruni at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #4 Domenico Acerenza at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #9 Gregorio Paltrinieri at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #3 Ginevra Taddeucci at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #6 Giulia Gabbrielleschi at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Great Britain: 2 silver medals + 1 bronze medal
- #2 by David Davies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #2 by Keri-Anne Payne at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #3 by Cassandra Patten at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #5 by Daniel Fogg at the 2012 London Olympics
- #4 by Keri-Anne Payne at the 2012 London Olympics
- DSQ by Jack Burnell at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #7 by Keri-Anne Payne at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- DNF by Hector Pardoe at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #19 by Alice Dearing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #6 by Hector Pardoe at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #14 by Tobias Patrick Robinson at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #20 by Leah Phoebe Crisp at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Brazil: 1 gold medal + 1 bronze medal
- #14 Allan do Carmo at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #5 Ana Marcela Cunha at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #7 Poliana Okimoto at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- DNF Poliana Okimoto at the 2012 London Olympics
- #17 Allan do Carmo at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #3 Poliana Okimoto at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #10 Ana Marcela Cunha at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #1 Ana Marcela Cunha at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #4 Ana Marcela Cunha at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #11 Viviane Jungblut at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Australia: 1 silver medal + 1 bronze medal
- #11 Ky Hurst at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #15 Melissa Gorman at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #11 Melissa Gorman at the 2012 London Olympics
- #15 Chelsea Gubecka at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #12 Kai Graeme Edwards at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #3 Kareena Lee at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #11 Nick Sloman at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #13 Kyle Lee at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #2 Moesha Johnson at the 2024 Paris Olympics [shown below in Paris]
Russia: 1 gold medal
- #5 Evgeny Drattsev at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- DSQ Vladimir Dyatchin at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #1 Laris Ilchenko at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #6 Sergey Bolshakov at the 2012 London Olympics
- #7 Vladimir Dyatchin at the 2012 London Olympics
- #10 Anna Guseva at the 2012 London Olympics
- #11 Evgeny Drattsev at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #8 Anastasia Krapivina at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #19 Kirill Abrosimov at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #15 Anastasiia Kirpichnikova at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Tunisia: 1 gold medal
- #1 Oussama Mellouli at the 2012 London Olympics
- #12 Oussama Mellouli at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #20 Oussama Mellouli at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- DNS Ahmed Jaouadi at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Greece: 1 silver medal
- #16 Spyridon Gianniotis at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #11 Marianna Lymperta at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #4 Spyridon Gianniotis at the 2012 London Olympics
- #22 Marianna Lymperta at the 2012 London Olympics
- #2 Spyridon Gianniotis at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #11 Kalliopi Araouzou at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #5 Athanasios Kynigakis at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #10 Athanasios Kynigakis at the 2024 Paris Olympics
USA: 1 silver medal
- #8 Mark Warkentin at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #22 Chloe Sutton at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #10 Alex Meyer at the 2012 London Olympics
- #2 Haley Anderson at the 2012 London Olympics
- #5 Jordan Wilimovsky at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- DSQ Sean Ryan at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #5 Haley Anderson at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #10 Jordan Wilimovsky at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #6 Haley Anderson at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #7 Ashley Twichell at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #19 Ivan Puskovitch at the 2024 Paris Olympics [shown below]
- DNS David Johnston at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #15 Katie Grimes at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #16 Mariah Denigan at the 2024 Paris Olympics
France: 1 bronze medal
- #11 Gilles Rondy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #21 Aurélie Muller at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- #11 Julien Sauvage at the 2012 London Olympics
- #6 Ophelie Aspord at the 2012 London Olympics
- #3 Marc-Antoine Olivier at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- DSQ Aurélie Muller at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #6 Marc-Antoine Olivier at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #9 Lara Grangeon de Villele at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #5 Logan Fontaine at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #7 Marc-Antoine Olivier at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #7 Oceane Cassignol at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- #8 Caroline Jouisse at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Canada: 1 bronze medal
- #3 Richard Weinberger at the 2012 London Olympics
- #18 Zsofia Balazs at the 2012 London Olympics
- #16 Richard Weinberger at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #23 Stephanie Horner at the 2016 Rio Olympics
- #9 Hau-Li Fan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #18 Kate Farley Sanderson at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- #23 Emma Finlin at the 2024 Paris Olympics
For more information on Openwaterpedia, visit here.
* Since 2008, 53 different countries have qualified swimmers to the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. These swimmers represent open water swimming communities from around the world. 13 of those countries (24.5%) have representatives who have podiumed in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, or 2024 – a remarkable statistic.
In contrast, when we review the data on podium finishers for pool swimming events, the global representation of Olympic medalists is smaller. In other words, a lower percentage of countries win Olympic medals in the pool, compared to the 24.5% of the countries that have won medals in the open water. We believe the sport is doing very well on a global basis.
- Hungary
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Greece
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Chile
- Netherlands
- Great Britain
- Germany
- Italy
- Russia
- Bulgaria
- Belgium
- USA
- South Africa
- Venezuela
- Australia
- Ukraine
- Spain
- Brazil
- France
- Greece
- Czech Republic
- Mexico
- Syria
- Egypt
- Argentina
- Portugal
- China
- Tunisia
- Canada
- Japan
- Ecuador
- Kazakhstan
- Egypt
- Guam
- Croatia
- Poland
- Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Slovakia
- Singapore
- Algeria
- Namibia
- Ireland
- Turkey
- Austria
- Norway
- Monaco
- Peru
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