Power ranking the greatest American swimmers of all-time

The pool often takes centerstage during the Summer Olympic Games, and there have been some historic swimmers representing the United States over the years. We’ll rank the top 10 American swimmers of all-time, all of whom brought gold back home for the red, white and blue.

In terms of longevity, it’s going to be difficult for anyone to top Torres’ remarkable resume. She competed in an American women’s record five Olympics from 1984 through 2008. Torres won 12 medals, four of which were gold. It didn’t seem like that was her goal all along, as The Cut’s website notes that she came out of retirement twice during that period.

In June 2024, Torres was named the head swimming and diving coach at Boston College. She told the school’s website, “This is a full-circle moment for me… this opportunity to share what I’ve learned, in and out of the pool, and pass along technique, confidence and support as part of the Boston College Athletics Department is a dream.”

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According to Swim Swam’s website, Weissmuller’s exact childhood details are a bit vague, but most appear to agree that he was born in Austria-Hungary. Britannica’s website notes that his parents immigrated to the United States when he was three years old, and that he was part of the Illinois Athletic Club in Chicago from an early age.

Weissmuller was the first person to swim the 100-meter freestyle in less than a minute. He won five gold medals, but actually might be more famous for his life outside of the water. He was a popular actor, starring as Tarzan in 12 movies from 1934 to 1948. Weissmuller’s accomplishments certainly swung him on to a solid position on the list.

According to an ESPN piece written in 2020, only eight Olympic athletes in any sport have won more medals than Lochte has (12). Lochte’s name will always been associated with the 200-meter individual medley, which he set a world record for in 2011. His Olympic six gold medals are something to celebrate.

However, Lochte’s name might always be shrouded in unflattering narratives. For example, NPR’s website and others detailed the incident in Brazil in 2016 where he allegedly lied about being robbed at gunpoint. The United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming suspended him for 10 months after the bizarre situation. CNBC notes he was also suspended for taking vitamin B-12 intravenously.

Van Dyken had a historic performance on home soil at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She became the first American female athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games. “You’ve already got three golds and this is your best event. So go out there and have fun,” Van Dyken said she told herself before the last race, via the Olympics’ official website.

Van Dyken would go on to win two more gold medals at the 2000 Games in Sydney, but her life would take a turn for the worst in 2014. She damaged her spinal cord in a serious ATV accident, which paralyzed her from the waist-down, according to Forbes. Van Dyken maintains a positive spirit despite her physical limitations.

Van Dyken and Dressel might try to make the “Michael Jordan” argument when it comes to their place in swimming history. Dressel has seven Olympic medals to his name, and they’re all gold. There’s something to be said for winning each and every event he jumps into the pool for.

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Yahoo Sports wrote a piece about Dressel in June 2024, detailing his battle with perfectionism, and his comeback that will see him compete in the 2024 Olympics. “It eventually broke me to where I couldn’t keep up with what my own demands were,” he said. Dressel finds himself in a much better place mentally to add to his already impressive list of Olympic achievements.

Some might think this ranking is a bit too high for Thompson, as the Olympics’ official website notes that all of her medals came during relays. While there’s an argument to be made that she didn’t do all the work in each of these events, there is also something to be said for running with the hand you’re dealt, whether it’s advantageous or challenging.

While she was still winning medals at the 2004 Athens Game, Thompson was in the process of setting up the next stage of her life. She went to medical school at Columbia University in New York, and eventually became an anesthesiologist. According to the Daniel Island News’ website, she still swam during that time to relieve mental stress, as she was also caring for her ailing mother.

Biondi was the star of the show during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He won five gold medals, and AP News noted that he was one-hundredth of a second off winning a sixth. His coach Nort Thornton told Swimming World, “he was born with all the right tools. It’s hard to describe. It’s the same feel a pianist has for the keys and an artist’s brush has for the canvas.”

These days, Biondi is focused on making life easier for current swimmers around the world. He launched the International Swimmers’ Alliance in 2021, which is a coalition for international athletes to have their voice heard in the sport. Biondi’s organization also focuses on the business aspects of a swimmer’s career, making sure they are properly compensated.

She’s already won seven gold medals, and there’s a chance Ledecky continues to move up the ladder as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Remarkably, she was only 15 years old when she won her first gold medal back in the 2012 London Olympics, and has expertly navigated stardom and fame since then. NBC Washington notes she had endorsement deals with Adidas, Panasonic, Visa, and many other brands.

Fox News notes that if Ledecky wins three or more medals at the 2024 Olympics, she will have the record for the most medals by a female swimmer. “She just has this versatility that a lot of swimmers don’t have,” Dara Torres told Fox News. “It’s so amazing the distances she can swim in and excels at.”

Spitz made Munich his personal stage during the 1972 Olympics, having won seven gold medals in eight days. The Olympics’ official website notes that Spitz had to make up for a disappointing 1968 games, where he predicted he’d win six golds, but only came home with two relay gold medals that year.

His immaculate performance in 1972 withstood the test of time for several decades, as Spitz was the posterchild for swimming dominance in America. The Indianapolis Star believes that had he had not fallen so far in Mexico City in 1968, Spitz would not have had the motivation to swim laps around the competition four years later.

Spitz was the preeminent swimming name for generations, but Phelps took the mantle and ran away with it. His 23 gold medals has blown everyone else out of the water, pun intended. The Olympics’ website notes that he’s not just the greatest swimmer ever; he might be the greatest Olympian of all-time.

CNBC sat down with Phelps in 2017 to unlock what gave him such an edge during his swimming career. Phelps said “One of the craziest things my coach tried to get me, when we first started to train together, was not to say the word ‘can’t’. So that I could broaden my mind and believe that I could do whatever I wanted to. And I think that was a key of us being so successful.”

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