For the swimming competitions at the 2008 Olympics

Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...

 the following qualification systems were in place.

Pool: Individual Events

A National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

 (NOC) may enter up to 2 qualified athletes in each individual event if both meet the A standard, or 1 athlete per event if they meet the B standard. An NOC may also enter a maximum of 1 qualified relay team per event. NOCs may enter swimmers regardless of time (1 swimmer per sex) if they have no swimmers meeting qualifying B standard.

The qualifying time standards must be obtained in Continental Championships, National Olympic Trials or International Competitions approved by FINA

Fina

Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...

 in the period March 15, 2007 to July 15, 2008.

FINA Qualifying Standards are as follows:

Men's Events			Women's Events
Event	Men's A	Men's B	Event	Women's A	Women's B
Men's 50 metre freestyle Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 50 metre freestyle The following Olympic records were set during this competition.-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat 3:-Heat 4:-Heat 5:-Heat 6:-Heat 7:-Heat 8:-Heat 9:-Heat 10:-Heat 11:-Heat 12:-Heat 13:-Semifinal 1:-Semifinal 2:-Final:...	22.35	23.13	Women's 50 metre freestyle	25.43	26.32
Men's 100 metre freestyle	49.23	50.95	Women's 100 metre freestyle	55.24	57.17
Men's 200 metre freestyle	1:48.72	1:52.53	Women's 200 metre freestyle	1:59.30	2:03.50
Men's 400 metre freestyle	3:49.95	3:58.00	Women's 400 metre freestyle	4:11.26	4:20.05
-	-	-	Women's 800 metre freestyle	8:36.00	8:54.04
Men's 1500 metre freestyle	16:07.44	16:13.75	-	-	-
Men's 100 metre backstroke	55.14	57.07	Women's 100 metre backstroke	1:01.70	1:03.86
Men's 200 metre backstroke	1:59.72	2:03.90	Women's 200 metre backstroke	2:12.73	2:17.40
Men's 100 metre breaststroke	1:01.57	1:03.72	Women's 100 metre breaststroke	1:09.00	1:11.43
Men's 200 metre breaststroke	2:13.70	2:18.37	Women's 200 metre breaststroke	2:28.20	2:33.40
Men's 100 metre butterfly	52.86	54.70	Women's 100 metre butterfly	59.35	1:01.43
Men's 200 metre butterfly	1:57.67	2:01.80	Women's 200 metre butterfly	2:10.84	2:15.42
Men's 200 metre individual medley	2:01.40	2:05.65	Women's 200 metre individual medley	2:15.27	2:20.00
Men's 400 metre individual medley	4:18.40	4:27.45	Women's 400 metre individual medley	4:45.10	4:55.06

Pool: Relays

The 2008 Olympics relay field consisted of 16 teams per event. These spots were allocated to:

• the top 12 finishers at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
  2007 World Aquatics Championships
  The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
  
  ;
• the fastest 4 teams not qualified via the 2007 Worlds, based on performances from April 2007-July 2008.

Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Men's 4×100 m medley relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Women's 4×200 m freestyle relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Women's 4×100 m medley relay

Competition	| Qualifiers (16)
2007 World Championships 2007 World Aquatics Championships The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...   (12)
World Ranking (4)

Open Water: Marathon

The 2008 Olympics mark the debut of an "open water" swimming even at the Olympics; for which a male and female 10-kilometer race was held at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park

Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is the new, purpose-built venue for the rowing, canoeing and 10 km open-water swimming events in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is located in Mapo Village in the Shunyi District in Beijing....

.

A nation could qualify up to two marathon swimmers per event, but only 25 swimmers competed in both the men's and women's 10-kilometer races. Those 25 spots were allocated/awarded as follows:

Men's 10 km

Event	Location	Date	Vacancies	Qualified
2008 Open Water World Championships	Seville Seville Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...	May 3–4, 2008	10	Vladimir Dyatchin Vladimir Dyatchin Vladimir Fyodorovich Dyatchin is a Russian long distance swimmer and the current world champion at the 10 km open water...     David Davies David Davies (swimmer) David Davies is a Welsh Commonwealth Games and Olympic distance swimmer. Born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Davies swam for Wales at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games and represented Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics...     Thomas Lurz Thomas Lurz Thomas Lurz is a German swimmer who specializes is long-distance freestyle swimming, especially open water swimming...     Maarten van der Weijden Maarten van der Weijden Maarten van der Weijden is a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar.Van der Weijden was known as a promising swimming talent in his youth, becoming Dutch national champion at the 1500 m freestyle , 400 m freestyle and 5 km open water...     Evgeny Drattsev    Ky Hurst Ky Hurst Ky Hurst is an Australian swimmer and ironman. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 10km marathon swimming event and finished in 11th place, after qualifying by finishing fifth at the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship.He won a silver medal at the 1998 World Aquatics...     Mark Warkentin Mark Warkentin Mark Warkentin is an American open water swimmer. After graduating from San Marcos High School in 1998, Warkentin attended the University of Southern California, from which he graduated in 2003 with a degree in communication. While a Trojan, he was a four-time All-American...     Valerio Cleri Valerio Cleri Valerio Cleri is a freestyle swimmer from Italy, who primarily competes in open water swimming.-Career:Cleri won a gold medal in the 25 km open water race at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome....     Gianniotis Spyridon    Brian Ryckeman
			Continental Representation* 5**	Gilles Rondy Gilles Rondy Gilles Rondy is an Olympic and European Champion swimmer from France. He swam for France at the 2008 Olympics, and won the 2006 European Championships in the 25 km open water event....     Luis Escobar    Mohamed El Zanaty    Saleh Mohammad Saleh Mohammad Haji Saleh Mohammad was selected to represent Kunar Province in Afghanistan's Meshrano Jirga, the upper house of its National Legislature, in 2005.A report on Kunar prepared at the Navy Postgraduate School stated that he was "affiliated with Sedaqat"....
			Host Nation= 1	Xin Tong Xin Tong Xin Tong is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major achievements:*2003/2004 National Champions Tournament - 1st 4×200 m freestyle relay...
Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier	Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...	May 31 - Jun 1, 2008	9	Petar Stoychev Petar Stoychev Petar Stoychev is a Bulgarian swimmer who is the most successful long distance marathon swimmer of the last decade. He is one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time and an honor swimmer in the...     Csaba Gercsak Csaba Gercsák Csaba Gercsák is a Hungarian long-distance swimmer and Olympic participant, who won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in the 25 km open water event.-External links:* *...     Rostislav Vitek   Chad Ho    Erwin Maldonado    Allan Do Carmo    Damián Blaum Damián Blaum Damián Blaum is an Olympic open water swimmer from Argentina. Blaum swam for Argentina at the 2008 Olympics where he finished 21st in the Men's 10K event. He is Jewish.-References:...     Jose Francisco Hervas    Arseniy Lavrentyev**
TOTAL			25

* The first eligible finisher from each of the five Continents at the 2008 Open Water World Championship.

** Since Australia was the only Oceanian country at the 2008 OW WC and the country had a qualifier in the top-10, Oceania did not receive any continental berth and the place redistributed to the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier for allocation.

Women's 10 km

Event	Location	Date	Vacancies	Qualified
2008 Open Water Swimming World Championships	Seville Seville Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...	May 3–4, 2008	10	Larisa Ilchenko Larisa Ilchenko Larisa Dmitriyevna Ilchenko is a Russian long distance swimmer. She had won eight World Championships and the 2008 Olympics at age 19....     Cassandra Patten   Yurema Requena    Natalie du Toit Natalie du Toit Natalie du Toit is a South African swimmer. She is best known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the other being table tennis player Natalia Partyka...   Jana Pechanová Jana Pechanová Jana Pechanová is an Olympic distance swimmer from the Czech Republic. She swam for the Czech Olympic team at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Pechanová finished 8th in 10 km distance.-References:...   Poliana Okimoto Poliana Okimoto Poliana Okimoto is a Brazilian long-distance swimmer and Olympian.She competed at the 2008 Olympics, where she finished 7th in the Women's 10K race....   Angela Maurer Angela Maurer Angela Maurer is a long-distance swimmer from Germany.Angela Maurer lives in Wiesbaden, where she was born. She swims for the SSV Undine 08 e.V...   Keri Anne Payne   Aurélie Muller   Ana Marcela Cunha
			Continental Representation* 5**	Edith van Dijk Edith van Dijk Edith van Dijk is a Dutch swimmer and 6-fold world champion. She is Holland's most successful open water swimmer and long distance swimmer, whose career started in 1990 taking part in the Dutch IJsselmeermarathon...   Fang Yanqiao Fang Yanqiao Fang Yanqiao is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major achievements:*2008 World Open Water Championships – 12th 10 km*2010 World Open Water Championships – 3rd 10 km... ***   Andreina Pinto Andreina Pinto Andreina Pinto is an Olympic and National Record holding swimmer from Venezuela. She swam for Venezuela at the 2008 Olympics.She also swam at the:*2007 World Championships*2007 Pan American Games...     Melissa Gorman Melissa Gorman Melissa Anne Gorman is an Australian long distance swimmer.-Career:At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Gorman won a silver medal in the 800 m freestyle....
			Host Nation= 1***
Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier	Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...	May 31 - Jun 1, 2008	9	Chloe Sutton Chloe Sutton Chloe Sutton is an American swimmer who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.Sutton has won a total of five medals in major international competition, three gold, one silver, and one bronze spanning the Open Water Championships, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Pan American...   Martina Grimaldi   Marianna Lymperta   Nataliya Samorodina   Kristel Köbrich Kristel Köbrich Kristel Arianne Köbrich Schimpl is an Olympic long-distance freestyle swimmer from Chile. She was the country's flagbearer at the 2004 Olympics, and also swam at the 2008 Games....   Imelda Martinez   Eva Berglund Eva Berglund Eva Berglund is a Swedish swimmer from Jönköping, representing Jönköpings SS.She has participated in some international championship in open water long distance events. She became the first Swedish swimmer competing in a European Championship in Open Water on July 26, 2006 in Lake Balaton,...   Teja Zupan   Antonella Bogarin**   Daniela Inacio***
TOTAL			25

* The first eligible finisher from each of the five continents at the 2008 Open Water World Championships. Basically the top finisher from each continent that was outside the top-10 finishers, and from a country who did not have a finisher in the top-10.

**Because South Africa was the only African country at the championships and they had Natalie du Toit

Natalie du Toit

Natalie du Toit is a South African swimmer. She is best known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the other being table tennis player Natalia Partyka...

 qualify for the Olympics via her top-10 finish at the 2008 Open Water World Championships, the Africa continental berth was not allocated to the other South African entrant in the race. The entry allocation instead was added to those available for awarding at the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier.

***The Host Nation allocated entry was only if China did not have someone qualify in another fashion. China's Fang Yanqiao

Fang Yanqiao

Fang Yanqiao is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major achievements:*2008 World Open Water Championships – 12th 10 km*2010 World Open Water Championships – 3rd 10 km...

qualified at the 2008 Open Water World Championships via the Asia Continental Representative allocation, and therefor the Host Nation allocated spot became available at the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier.

****The Olympic committee of Israel did not approve the participation of Daniel Katzir (men) and Olga Berenseva (women) in the Olympic team, as their results were not good enough to make the national Olympic criteria. Their appeals to court against this decision were denied.

External links

• Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
• Federation Internationale de Natation