List of Best Female Swimmers

Women have always run the race of life shoulder to shoulder with men. They have been major achievers in the field of engineering, medicine, politics, media and sports. Some sportswomen have created world records at some of the greatest sports events. They have created history by taking their sport of specialization to a whole new level. They have broken old records and created new benchmarks that are yet to be surpassed by others. Here is a brief view on achievements of the best female swimmers.

Highlights of Achievements

Some of the best female swimmers and their startling achievements are listed below for your reference. They are known for creating some the best world records in the field of swimming.

Dawn Fraser: Born on September 4th 1937, this Australian champion is rated as the all time best swimmer with a record number of 6 commonwealth golds and 8 medals inclusive of 4 golds at various Olympic events. She has created her own 39 records. She was one of the only two record holders to have won 100 m freestyle three times consecutively at Olympic swimming events (Years 1956, 1960, 1964). This record of hers remained unbroken for a record span of 15 years.

Jennifer 'Jenny' Thompson: A famous Olympic swimmer, born on February 26th 1973, this champion is the most celebrated American holding a record of 12 Olympic medals inclusive of 8 golds in relay events in 4 consecutive Olympic games (Years 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004).

Mary Meagher: Born on October 27th 1964, the American swimming champ is known for her excellent butterfly strokes. She has even a nickname that goes as 'Madame Butterfly'. Her impressive records remained unbroken for a record two decades. She has won several golds and bronze medals at 100m and 200m butterfly events at various sports events including the Olympics. At the end of her professional career, she held almost 24 records to her credit.

Kornelia Ender: Born on October 25th 1958, the East German holds the record of being the first female swimmer to win 4 golds at the same Olympic event (Year 1976). She won her first Olympic medal at the tender age of 13 at the Munich Olympics held in 1972.

Kristin Otto: Born on February 7th 1966, this East German swimmer holds the record of winning 6 straight golds at the Seoul Olympics in year 1988. She has also won 4 golds and 2 silvers at the 1986 Madrid world championships. The following year, she won 5 golds at the 1987 European championships.

Amy Van Dyken: Born on February 15th 1973, Amy Van Dyken started learning to swim as a medical treatment for her asthma problem. The American Champion has a record of 6 Olympic golds to her credit, out of which 4 golds were won at the 1996 Olympics.

All Time Best Female Swimmers (data taken since 1975)

Year	Name of Swimmer	Country
1975	Kornelia Ender	East Germany
1976	Kornelia Ender	East Germany
1977	Ulrike Tauber	East Germany
1978	Tracy Caulkins	USA
1979	Cynthia Woodhead	USA
1980	Petra Schneider	East Germany
1981	Mary Meagher	USA
1982	Petra Schneider	East Germany
1983	Ute Geweniger	East Germany
1984	Kristin Otto	East Germany
1985	Mary Meagher	USA
1986	Kristin Otto	East Germany
1987	Janet Evans	USA
1988	Kristin Otto	East Germany
1989	Janet Evans	USA
1990	Janet Evans	USA
1991	Krisztina Egerszegi	Hungary
1992	Krisztina Egerszegi	Hungary
1993	Franziska van Almsick	Germany
1994	Samantha Riley	Australia
1995	Krisztina Egerszegi	Hungary
1996	Penny Heyns	South Africa
1997	Claudia Poll	Costa Rica
1998	Jenny Thompson	USA
1999	Penny Heyns	Soth Africa
2000	Inge de Bruijn	Netherlands
2001	Inge de Bruijn	Netherlands
2002	Natalie Coughlin	USA
2003	Hannah Stockbauer	Germany
2004	Yana Klochkova	Ukraine
2005	Leisel Jones	Australia
2006	Leisel Jones	Australia
2007	Laure Manaudou	France
2008	Stephanie Rice	Australia
2009	Federica Pellegrini	Italy
2010	Rebecca Soni	USA

The list of achievements and achievers is endless. This is just a small extract from an infinite list of achievers. There might still be many more unsung heroines of this sport. We salute to all of them!