Swimming: The Essentials
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | 4:43 PM ET
By Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports
Three-time Olympic champion Leisel Jones of Australia has the best times in the Commonwealth this year in the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
For Canada, swimming has been a major source of Commonwealth medals going back to the inaugural British Empire Games in 1930 in Hamilton. Canada ranks second in the all-time swimming medal count with 322, including 103 gold. That's just ahead of England (303, 77) but well behind leader Australia (557, 237), a traditional swimming power whose excellence extends to the Olympics.
Ten of the Aussies' Commonwealth gold medals belong to the great Ian Thorpe, who won four at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur and added a record-tying six more plus a silver at the 2002 Games in Manchester, England. The Thorpedo shares the mark for most gold medals at a single Games with two other swimmers — Australia's Susie O'Neill (1998 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and Canadian Graham Smith (1978 Edmonton). Canadian rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Orlando equalled the feat in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia.
In Delhi, 38 gold medals are up for grabs across 19 events for both men and women. The freestyle discipline accounts for seven of those, with five individual events ranging in distance from 50 to 1,500 metres for men and 50 to 800 metres for women, plus two relays.
Swimming is one of four sports that include competition for disabled athletes (athletics, table tennis and power lifting are the others). There are three freestyle swimming events for men, along with two freestyle and one butterfly for women.
Who to watch
Ryan Cochrane (Canada): At the 2008 Beijing Games, the Victoria native snapped an 88-year medal drought for Canada in the 1,500-metre freestyle by taking the bronze. It was just the second trip to the Olympic podium for a Canadian swimmer since 1996. This summer, the 22-year-old shone at the premier event of the year — the Pan Pacific championships in California, where he won both the 1,500 (with the fastest time in the world this year) and the 800 and came second in the 400. There's no 800 event in Delhi, but look for Cochrane to duel with Australia's Robert Hurley at the other two distances. It's possible Cochrane could double the Canadian swimming team's total output from the 2006 Commonwealth Games by winning two gold medals.
Leisel Jones, Emily Seebohm (Australia): The Aussies' longtime dominance in the water is poised to continue behind this dynamic duo on the women's side. Jones, a three-time Olympic champion, has the best times in the Commonwealth this year in the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke. Seebohm, part of one of the winning relay teams in Beijing, leads the world in both the 100 back and the 200 medley. Together, they combined for seven medals at the Pan Pacific championships, including a pair of golds by Seebohm. In Delhi, Seebohm and Jones will try to make up for the absence of the great Stephanie Rice, a triple gold medallist in Beijing who's out after shoulder surgery.
Annamay Pierse (Canada): The world-record holder in the 200 breaststroke, Pierse went toe-to-toe with Jones in that event at Pan Pacs, where Pierse took the bronze, Jones got the silver, and American Rebecca Soni won gold. Pierse, a 26-year-old from Edmonton, will also compete in the 50 and 100 breaststroke in Delhi. Another Canadian woman to watch is Victoria Poon of Lasalle, Que., the Pan Pac bronze medallist in the 50-metre freestyle.
Brent Hayden (Mission, B.C.): A veteran of two Olympics and three world championships, Hayden was a co-world champion in the 100 free at the 2007 world championships. Three years later, the 26-year-old from Mission, B.C., is still Canada's best sprint swimmer. He captured two medals at Pan Pacs — a silver in the 100 free and bronze in the 50 free, and was the top Commonwealth swimmer in both events.
When to watch (finals)
Day 1 (Oct. 4)
- Women's 200-metre freestyle
- Men's 400-metre freestyle
- Women's 200-metre individual medley
- Men's 200-metre butterfly
- Men's 4x100-metre freestyle relay
Day 2 (Oct. 5)
- Women's 50-metre butterfly
- Men's 50-metre backstroke
- Women's 50-metre breaststroke
- Women's para 50-metre freestyle (S9)
- Men's 200-metre freestyle
Day 3 (Oct. 6)
- Men's 200-metre backstroke
- Women's 100-metre freestyle
- Men's para 50-metre freestyle (S9)
- Women's 200-metre breaststroke
- Men's 50-metre butterfly
- Women's 100-metre backstroke
- Men's 100-metre breaststroke
- Women's 4x200-metre freestyle relay
Day 4 (Oct. 7)
- Women's 100-metre butterfly
- Men's 100-metre freestyle
- Women's para 100-metre freestyle (S9)
- Men's 400-metre individual medley
- Women's 800-metre freestyle
Day 5 (Oct. 8)
- Men's 100-metre butterfly
- Women's 50-metre freestyle
- Men's 50-metre breaststroke
- Women's 200-metre backstroke
- Women's 100-metre breaststroke
- Men's 100-metre backstroke
- Women's 400-metre freestyle
- Men's para 100-metre freestyle (S8)
- Women's 400-metre freestyle
- Women's 50-metre backstroke
- Men's 200-metre individual medley
- Women's 4x100-metre freestyle relay
Day 6 (Oct. 9)
- Men's 50-metre freestyle
- Women's 200-metre butterfly
- Women's para 100-metre butterfly (S9)
- Men's 200-metre breaststroke
- Women's 400-metre individual medley
- Men's para 100-metre freestyle (S10)
- Men's 1,500-metre freestyle
- Women's 4x100-metre medley relay
- Men's 4x100-metre medley relay
