<P> The International Olympic Committee recognises the fastest performances in pool - based swimming events at the Olympic Games . Men's swimming has been part of the Summer Olympics since the Games' modern inception in 1896; it was not until 1912 that women competed against each other . The swimming events at the 1896 Olympic Games were held in a bay in the Aegean Sea with swimmers being required to swim to the shore--Hungarian swimmer Alfréd Hajós won two gold medals that year, saying "My will to live completely overcame my desire to win ." The 1900 Games in Paris saw the swimming events take place in the River Seine while the events at the 1908 Summer Olympics were hosted in a 100 - metre pool located within an athletics track in the White City Stadium in London . </P> <P> Races are held in four swimming categories: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, over varying distances and in either individual or relay race events . Medley swimming races are also held, both individually and in relays, in which all four swimming categories are used . In the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, both men and women competed in sixteen events in the pool, each sex in the same events with the exceptions of the 800 m freestyle (women - only) and the 1500 m freestyle (men - only). Of the 32 pool - based events, swimmers from the United States hold eighteen records, including one tied with a swimmer from Canada, Australia and China three each, Hungary two, and one each to the Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Great Britain, Singapore and Sweden . Thirteen of the current Olympic records were set at the 2016 Games . </P> <P> denotes a performance that is also a current world record . Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2016 Olympics and include only those events which are currently recognised by the IOC as Olympic events . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Event </Th> <Th> Record </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Nation </Th> <Th> Games </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Ref </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 01! 50 m freestyle </Td> <Td> 21.30 </Td> <Th> Cielo, César César Cielo </Th> <Td> Brazil (BRA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 16 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 02! 100 m freestyle </Td> <Td> 47.05 </Td> <Th> Sullivan, Eamon Eamon Sullivan </Th> <Td> Australia (AUS) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 13 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 03! 200 m freestyle </Td> <Td> 1: 42.96 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 12 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 04! 400 m freestyle </Td> <Td> 3: 40.14 </Td> <Th> Yang, Sun Sun Yang </Th> <Td> China (CHN) </Td> <Td> 2012 London </Td> <Td> 28 July 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 05! 1500 m freestyle </Td> <Td> 14: 31.02 </Td> <Th> Yang, Sun Sun Yang </Th> <Td> China (CHN) </Td> <Td> 2012 London </Td> <Td> 4 August 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 06! 100 m backstroke </Td> <Td> 51.85 </Td> <Th> Murphy, Ryan Ryan Murphy </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2016 Rio de Janeiro </Td> <Td> 13 August 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 07! 200 m backstroke </Td> <Td> 1: 53.41 </Td> <Th> Clary, Tyler Tyler Clary </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2012 London </Td> <Td> 2 August 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 08! 100 m breaststroke </Td> <Td> 57.13 </Td> <Th> Peaty, Adam Adam Peaty </Th> <Td> Great Britain (GBR) </Td> <Td> 2016 Rio de Janeiro </Td> <Td> 7 August 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 09! 200 m breaststroke </Td> <Td> 2: 07.22 </Td> <Th> Watanabe, Ippei Ippei Watanabe </Th> <Td> Japan (JPN) </Td> <Td> 2016 Rio de Janeiro </Td> <Td> 9 August 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10! 100 m butterfly </Td> <Td> 50.39 </Td> <Th> Schooling, Joseph Joseph Schooling </Th> <Td> Singapore (SGP) </Td> <Td> 2016 Rio de Janeiro </Td> <Td> 12 August 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11! 200 m butterfly </Td> <Td> 1: 52.03 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 13 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12! 200 m individual medley </Td> <Td> 1: 54.23 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 15 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13! 400 m individual medley </Td> <Td> 4: 03.84 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 10 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14! 4 × 100 m freestyle relay </Td> <Td> 3: 08.24 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps (47.51) Garrett Weber - Gale (47.02) Cullen Jones (47.65) Jason Lezak (46.06) </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 11 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15! 4 × 200 m freestyle relay </Td> <Td> 6: 58.56 </Td> <Th> Phelps, Michael Michael Phelps (1: 43.31) Ryan Lochte (1: 44.28) Ricky Berens (1: 46.29) Peter Vanderkaay (1: 44.68) </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2008 Beijing </Td> <Td> 13 August 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16! 4 × 100 m medley relay </Td> <Td> 3: 27.95 </Td> <Th> Murphy, Ryan Ryan Murphy (51.85) Cody Miller (59.03) Michael Phelps (50.33) Nathan Adrian (46.74) </Th> <Td> United States (USA) </Td> <Td> 2016 Rio de Jainero </Td> <Td> 13 August 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who hold the olympic record for the 100m freestyle