Swimming has been a crucial part of the Olympic Games since its inception in 1896. Although initially the swimming competitions were held in open waters, the 1908 Olympic Games marked a major transition when the swimming competitions at the Olympic Games were moved to a pool. As of July 2024, the sport of swimming has the second-highest number of medal-contested events, speaking volumes about the popularity and prominence of the sport at the Olympic Games. A few of the most popular swimming events at the Olympic Games include 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter breaststroke, 100-meter butterfly, 400 hundred meters individual medley, and many others. 

In this article, we will take a look at the rules of swimming at the Paris Olympics 2024. 

Ahead of the much-awaited Paris Olympics 2024 edition, the world is gearing up to witness some record-breaking performances by the Olympic athletes across various prominent sports, which also include swimming. Quite similar to the Olympics 2020 edition, in the Paris Olympics 2024 swimming will also feature a total of thirty-seven events. 

An anecdote about the venue and dates of swimming events at the Paris Olympics 2024 is provided below:

Rules of Swimming at the Paris Olympics 2024

Swimming rules at the Paris Olympics 2024 are categorized based on strokes and distance covered. A total of five strokes including breaststroke, sidestroke, butterfly, freestyle and backstroke will be featured at the Paris Olympics 2024. 

Sidestroke Swimming Rules 

• Swimmers must put one hand forward out of the water while keeping the other hand completely submerged. 
• Swimmers must turn their body towards the side of the raised arm.
• Swimmers must use a scissor kick to move ahead in the race.
• Swimmers must breathe on the side of the raised arm. 

Also Read: Who Is The Player With The Most Top Scorer Awards In Football History? 

Breaststroke Swimming Rules 

• Swimmers must keep their arms submerged in water.
• Swimmers must use the symmetrical frog kick to move ahead in the race.
• Swimmers must perform the wide pull while remaining submerged in water. 
• A swimmer might raise their heads to breathe while pulling themselves ahead. 

 Butterfly Stroke Swimming Rules 

• Swimmers must bring their arms forward simultaneously above the water.
• Swimmers must pull their arms back in symmetrical order. 
• Swimmers must use the dolphin kick to move ahead in the race.
• The swimmer’s body must remain faced down and submerged in the water. 
• Swimmers must breathe by lifting their head forward during the arm recovery phase 

Backstroke Swimming Rules 

• Swimmers must float on their backs and use only one arm at a time.
• Swimmers must raise their arms from their thighs towards their heads.
• Swimmers must keep their arms in a straight line with their shoulders while touching the water. 
• Swimmers must use the up-and-down leg movements to move forward in the race.
• Swimmers must face their palms outward and their little fingers should enter the water first.

Freestyle Swimming Rules 

• Swimmers must put one hand forward out of the water while keeping the other hand.
• Swimmers must continuously flutter their legs up and down to move forward in the race.
• Each stroke in freestyle swimming must involve two leg kicks.