Swimming is a classic, powerful sport that combines endurance, speed and technique at the highest level. Every second counts in the water, and athletes train hard to combine their strength and efficiency with perfect technique. Swimming has been a fixed discipline at the Olympic Games since 1896 (for men) and since 1912 (for women) – and always a crowd-puller! There are different swimming styles (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly) as well as individual and relay races, from 50 meters sprint to 1500 meters endurance. No other sport combines power, precision and speed so spectacularly in the water!