Like all other aquatic sports, marathon swimming is overseen by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) since it is a subset of aquatics and not a separate sport. The discipline also has another name, open-water swimming, because it is held in an open body of water and not in usual pools.
A single 10-kilometer open water race for men and women marked the discipline's Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games. The Netherlands has led the all-time medal table with four medals, including three golds, with Sharon van Rouwendaal being their star swimmer, having won both a gold and a silver.
During the initial iterations of the Olympics, swimming was held in open bodies of water, but it could not be marathon swimming, given the difference in nature between the two disciplines. Regardless, marathon swimming across distances of 5 km, 10 km, and 25 km took place for the first time at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships with both men and women participants.
The List of Olympic Medalists of Team USA in Marathon Swimming
The United States has participated in every Olympic game of marathon swimming since its debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but has only won one silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, by athlete Haley Anderson. At the all-time medal table, the United States ranks 10th, out of 13 NOCs.
The list of Olympic medalists for Team USA in marathon swimming is as follows:
| Year | Event | Name | Medal |
| 2012 | 10 kilometers Open Water, Women | Haley Anderson | Silver |
Anderson made Olympic history as the first American woman to win an open-water swimming medal in 2012 when she won the silver medal in London. She ranked fifth in the Summer Olympics of 2016 and sixth in the Summer Olympics of 2020. However, she retired in 2022 and accepted a position to work with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USCPC).
Anderson's career spanned 13 years, beginning in 2009 at the age of 18. In Guam, Anderson won the 800 and 1500 freestyle competitions, earning a spot on the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Championship Team for the United States. Further, she successfully defended her place on the US National Team roster for 12 years in a row, culminating in a career with USA Swimming.
FAQ's On Olympic Medalists in Marathon Swimming
A. A class of open water swimming known as marathon swimming is characterized by distances of at least 10 kilometers (6.21 mi).
A. Marathon swimming occurs in open water, such as the sea, rivers, and lakes. The 10 km circuit takes over two hours for competitors to finish.
A. To cover 10 km in a 50-meter pool, you must swim 200 lengths.
A. Athletes can use any style of swimming they choose in freestyle events by definition.
A. One lap is all that is needed to complete the 50-meter freestyle, the shortest Olympic swimming event, from one end of the pool to the other.
