Olympic Swimming Events that are no longer held
Swimming is a major event of the current Olympic Program, and has been an Olympic sport for all of the modern games. However, all the swimming events have not been the same throughout Olympic History. You may be surprised to know some of the swimming events that were once part of the Olympic Games.
- Underwater Swimming — held only once, competitors were awarded points for each meter swum underwater and for how long they stayed under water.
- Swimming Plunge for distance — competitors began by diving into the pool, then had to remain motionless underwater for one minute or until their heads broke the surface.
- Swimming Obstacle Race — competitors had to climb over a pole, then scramble over a row of boats, and then swim under another row of boats.
- Men's sailors 100 meter freestyle — the event was only open to sailors of the Greek Royal Navy.
- Plain High Diving — platform diving in which no acrobatic moves were allowed.
- Solo Synchronized Swimming — it took the IOC three Olympics to realize that a person swimming alone cannot be synchronized with anyone else.
Related Pages
- Other Discontinued Olympic Sporting Events
- All about Swimming at the Olympic Games
- Breath Holding — How long can you hold your breath? An old test for assessing aerobic fitness.
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