A Statistical Look at the World Championships: The Leading Countries and Athletes

A Statistical Look at the World Championships: The Leading Countries and Athletes

Swimming World takes a look at some of the leading countries and individual athletes in the 50-year history of the World Championships. The competition originated in 1973 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and has been held on a biennial basis since 2001. This summer’s edition in Fukuoka, Japan, will be the 20th global competition.

Note: Statistics are updated through the 2022 World Championships.

Years and Sites of the

World Championships

1973 Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1975 Cali, Colombia

1978 West Berlin, West Germany

1982 Guayaquil, Ecuador

1986 Madrid, Spain

1991 Perth, Australia

1994 Rome, Italy

1998 Perth, Australia

2001 Fukuoka, Japan

2003 Barcelona, Spain

2005 Montreal, Canada

2007 Melbourne, Australia

2009 Rome, Italy

2011 Shanghai, China

2013 Barcelona, Spain

2015 Kazan, Russia

2017 Budapest, Hungary

2019 Gwangju, South Korea

2022 Budapest, Hungary

2023 Fukuoka, Japan

Team Records

MOST MEDALS (Top 15)

551 United States

236 Australia

121 China

115 East Germany

93 Germany

84 Russia

82 Great Britain

80 Hungary

74 Japan

71 Italy

70 Canada

64 France

63 Netherlands

52 Soviet Union

51 Sweden

MOST GOLD MEDALS (Top 15)

239 United States

85 Australia

50 China

50 East Germany

34 Hungary

23 Great Britain

23 Italy

21 Germany

20 Russia

18 France

16 Sweden

11 Canada

11 Netherlands

11 South Africa

11 Soviet Union

Individual Records

Men

MOST MEDALS (Top 5)

33 Michael Phelps (United States)

27 Ryan Lochte (United States)

19 Grant Hackett (Australia)

17 Caeleb Dressel (United States)

17 Sun Yang (China)

MOST GOLD MEDALS (Top 5)

26 Michael Phelps (United States)

18 Ryan Lochte (United States)

15 Caeleb Dressel (United States)

11 Ian Thorpe (Australia)

11 Sun Yang (China)

MOST MEDALS/INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (Top 5)

20 Michael Phelps (United States)

16 Ryan Lochte (United States)

14 Grant Hackett (Australia)

14 Sun Yang (China)

8 Caeleb Dressel (United States)

8 Aaron Peirsol (United States)

8 Ian Thorpe (Australia)

Individual Records

Women

MOST MEDALS (Top 5)

22 Katie Ledecky (United States)

20 Natalie Coughlin (United States)

20 Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)

17 Yuliya Efimova (Russia)

17 Emma McKeon (Australia)

17 Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands)

16 Missy Franklin (United States)

16 Simone Manuel (United States)

MOST GOLD MEDALS (Top 5)

19 Katie Ledecky (United States)

11 Missy Franklin (United States)

11 Simone Manuel (United States)

10 Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)

10 Lilly King (United States)

MOST MEDALS/INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (Top 5)

19 Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)

16 Katie Ledecky (United States)

15 Yuliya Efimova (Russia)

15 Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)

10 Federica Pellegrini (Italy)

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Southerly Buster

10 months ago

In your Female Most Medals list you have left out Emma McKeon and Ranomi Kromowidjojo who both have 17 medals. I’m looking forward to Emma adding to that tally very shortly!

RCP

10 months ago

It seems the U.S. is over-due to host the World Championships