1,324 articles
Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir
Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir (Ragga Ragnars), Icelandic swimmer born 1984 in Reykjavík, two-time Olympian (2004, 2008) in sprint freestyle, Icelandic record holder, later actress as Gunnhild in Vikings 2018–2020; distinct from the handball player of the same name.
Rainer Henkel
Rainer Henkel (born 1964), West German freestyle swimmer, SV Rhenania Köln; 1986 world champion at 400 m and 1,500 m, 1987 European champion, Olympic relay silver 1984 and bronze 1988, 4x200 m relay world record 7:13.10.
Ralph Breyer
Ralph Theodore Breyer (1904-1991), American freestyle swimmer; 1924 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200 m freestyle relay with a 9:53.4 world record; Northwestern NCAA and Big Ten champion.
Ralph Hutton
Ralph Hutton (born 1948), Canadian swimmer nicknamed the Iron Man; 1968 Olympic 400 m freestyle silver medallist and world record holder (4:06.5); 24 major Games medals for Canada.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo
Ranomi Kromowidjojo (born 1990, Sauwerd) is a retired Dutch sprint freestyle swimmer, three-time Olympic champion (2008 relay; 2012 50m and 100m free), SCM 50m free world record holder 22.93, retired 2022.
Rebecca Adlington
Rebecca (Becky) Adlington, British swimmer born 1989 in Mansfield; won 400m and 800m freestyle gold at Beijing 2008 with an 8:14.10 800m world record, plus two bronzes at London 2012; retired 2013.
Rebecca Brown
Rebecca Kate Brown (born 1977, Brisbane) is an Australian breaststroke swimmer who set the 200 m breaststroke world record (2:24.76, 1994), won the 2000 short-course world title, and placed 14th at Sydney 2000; distinct from other athletes named Rebecca Brown.
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni, American breaststroke swimmer born 1987 in Freehold, New Jersey; six Olympic medals (3 gold, 3 silver) at Beijing 2008 and London 2012; first woman under 2:20 in the 200m breaststroke.
Regan Smith
Regan Smith (born 2002, Lakeville, Minnesota) is an American swimmer, 8-time Olympic medalist (2 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze) and backstroke world-record holder (100m 57.13, 200m 2:03.35), not the NASCAR driver of the same name.
Reiko Nakamura
Reiko Nakamura (中村礼子), born 1982 in Yokohama, Japanese backstroke swimmer; won 200 m backstroke bronze at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, held short-course world records in the 100 m (58.45) and 200 m (2:03.24).
Reinhold Becker
Reinhold Becker (born 1959, Troisdorf) is a West German backstroke swimmer, SSF Bonn 1905; 20th in 100 m and 18th in 200 m backstroke at the 1976 Montréal Olympics, 1978 World medley relay silver (heats only).
Renate Vogel
Renate Vogel (Renate Bauer, Heinrich), East German breaststroke swimmer born 1955 in Chemnitz; 1972 Olympic relay silver, triple 1973 world champion, 100 m breaststroke world record holder; defected to West Germany in 1979 and exposed GDR doping.
Rex Favero
Rex Favero (born 1955), American distance freestyle and butterfly swimmer from Carmichael, California; 1973 world champion in the 4x200 m freestyle relay, 1975 Pan American Games 200 m freestyle bronze medalist and relay gold medalist, and 1975 club relay world record holder.
Rhi Jeffrey
Rhi Jeffrey (Rhiannon Rhae Jeffrey), American swimmer born 1986 in Delray Beach, Florida; 2004 Athens Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle relay, 2003 double world champion, later New Hampshire club coach and Atlantis Aquatics owner.
Ria van Velsen
Ria van Velsen (Maria Martina van Velsen-Racké, 1943–2025), Dutch backstroke swimmer from Den Haag; four-time 100 m backstroke world record holder, 1962 European champion, and two-time Olympian (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964).
Rica Reinisch
Rica Reinisch is a German former backstroke swimmer who won three Olympic gold medals for East Germany at the 1980 Moscow Games, all in world-record times, before retiring from competition at a young age.
Ricardo Prado
Ricardo Prado (Pradinho), Brazilian swimmer born 1965 in Andradina, São Paulo; 1984 Olympic silver medalist and 1982 world champion and world record-holder (4:19.78) in the 400 m individual medley.
Rich Saeger
Rich Saeger (Richard Erwin Saeger), American swimmer born 1964 in Rochester, New York; 1984 Olympic gold medalist as a heat swimmer on the US 4x200 m freestyle relay, also double gold at the 1982 World Championships and SMU graduate.
Rich Schroeder
Rich Schroeder (Richard Alan Schroeder, born 1961) is an American breaststroke swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100 m medley relay (1984 heats, 1988 final), UC Santa Barbara graduate, and 1988 world record holder.
Richard Klatt
Richard Klatt is an American former swimmer who won gold and set a world record in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay at the 1973 World Championships.
Rick Carey
Rick Carey (Richard John Carey, born 1963), American backstroke swimmer; triple gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (100 m and 200 m backstroke, medley relay), nine world records, 1983 Swimming World Swimmer of the Year, ISHOF inductee 1993.
Rick Colella
Rick Colella (Richard Phillip Colella, Jr., born 1951, Seattle) is an American breaststroke swimmer, 1976 Olympic 200 m breaststroke bronze medalist, 1972 and 1976 Olympian, and record-setting Masters swimmer.
Rick Demont
Rick DeMont (Richard James DeMont), American swimmer born 1956, won the 1972 Olympic 400 m freestyle at 16 but was disqualified for ephedrine in his asthma medication; first under 4 minutes for 400 m free (3:58.18, 1973 Worlds gold), later Arizona coach and artist.
Ricky Berens
Ricky Berens is an American former competition swimmer from Charlotte, North Carolina, who won Olympic gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2008 and 2012 Games.
Rie Kaneto
Rie Kaneto (金藤理絵), Japanese swimmer born 1988 in Shobara, Hiroshima; won 200 m breaststroke gold at Rio 2016 in 2:20.30, seventh at Beijing 2008, Japanese record holder 2:19.65, retired after 2016.
Rie Mastenbroek
Hendrika "Rie" Mastenbroek (1919–2003) was a Dutch swimmer who won three golds and a silver at the 1936 Berlin Olympics at age 17, setting Olympic records.
Rie van Veen
Rie van Veen, Dutch swimmer of the late 1930s; won silver in the 400 m freestyle (5:27.7) and the 4x100 m freestyle relay at the 1938 European Championships, behind Ragnhild Hveger.
Rika Bruins
Rika Bruins (Henderika Bruins, 1934-2025), Dutch breaststroke swimmer from Groningen; 10th in the 200 m breaststroke at Helsinki 1952 and world record holder in the 4x100 m medley relay, 1954 and 1955.
Rikke Møller Pedersen
Rikke Møller Pedersen, Danish breaststroke swimmer born 1989 in Odense; set the 200 m breaststroke world record (2:19.11, Barcelona 2013), won 2016 Olympic relay bronze, and earned 31 international medals before retiring in 2019.
Riley Gaines
Riley Gaines (Riley Marie Gaines Barker), former University of Kentucky swimmer, 12-time All-American, tied Lia Thomas for fifth in the 200 free at the 2022 NCAAs, now a conservative activist against trans women in women's sports.