1,324 articles
Ripszima Szekely
Ripszima Szekely (Ripszima Mária Székely, born 12 July 1936, Budapest) is a Hungarian swimmer, 1956 Olympian (5th, 400 m freestyle), 4x100 m medley relay world record holder (4:57.8, 1955), who defected to the US after Melbourne; not Éva Székely.
Ritz Correia
Ritz Correia (Maritza Correia-McClendon), born 1981 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an American swimmer, first African-American woman on a US Olympic swim team, 2004 Athens 4x100m freestyle relay silver medalist and Georgia Bulldogs record holder.
Robert Christophe
Robert Christophe (1938-2016), French backstroke swimmer from CN Marseille; European 100 m backstroke champion 1958, world-record 4x100 freestyle relay 1962, fourth in the Olympic 100 m backstroke in 1956 and 1960.
Robert Emmet Odlum
Robert Emmet Odlum (1851-1885), Washington D.C. swimming instructor and Natatorium founder, first person to jump from the Brooklyn Bridge, May 19, 1885; died hitting the water at a bad angle.
Robert Hurley
Robert (Bobby) Hurley, Australian swimmer born 1988 in Melbourne, backstroke and freestyle specialist; set 50m backstroke short course world record 23.24 in 2008 and won two world short course titles.
Robertas Shulpa
Robertas Shulpa (Robertas Žulpa, 1960–2024), Lithuanian breaststroke swimmer for the Soviet Union; 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medalist in the 200 m breaststroke (2:15.85), three-time European champion, 1982 world silver medalist.
Robin Backhaus
Robin James Backhaus (born 1955), American swimmer, 1972 Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 m butterfly and 1973 world champion in the 200 fly and 4x200 free relay; distinct from the German swimmer Robin Backhaus (born 1989).
Robin Leamy
Robin Leamy (Robin John Leamy), born 1961 in Apia, Samoa, is an American former swimmer, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100 m freestyle relay, 1981 50 m freestyle world record holder (22.54), UCLA NCAA champion, and later a corporate real estate executive.
Rod Strachan
Rod Strachan (Rodney Strachan), American swimmer born 1955 in Santa Monica; 1976 Montreal Olympic gold medalist in the 400 m individual medley with world record 4:23.68, 1973 world silver medalist, later an internal medicine physician.
Roger Pyttel
Roger Pyttel (born 1957, Wolfen) is a German former swimmer who competed for East Germany at three Olympics, won 1980 silver in the 100 m butterfly and bronze in the 200 m, and in 1976 became the first man under two minutes in the 200 m butterfly.
Roland Matthes
Roland Matthes (1950–2019), East German backstroke swimmer, won the 100 and 200 m backstroke at both the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, took 8 Olympic medals, and was unbeaten 1967–1974.
Roland Schoeman
Roland Shoeman (Roland Mark Schoeman, born 1980), South African sprint swimmer; 2004 Olympic relay gold, 100m free silver, 50m free bronze; 50m butterfly world record 22.96 (Montreal 2005); first man under 21 seconds in short-course 50m freestyle.
Rolf Beab
Rolf Beab (born 1964, Helmstedt) is a German breaststroke swimmer of the 1980s, FRG. 1985 European silver 100 m breaststroke and medley relay gold, 1986 Worlds fourth, European 50 m breaststroke record holder.
Roman Sludnov
Roman Andreyevich Sludnov, born 1980 in Omsk, is a Russian breaststroke swimmer who set the first sub-minute long-course 100-meter breaststroke record, 59.97 seconds, and won Olympic bronze at Sydney 2000.
Roswitha Beier
Roswitha Beier (Roswitha Sonntag), East German swimmer born 1956 in Riesa, won silver in the 100 m butterfly and 4x100 medley relay at Munich 1972 and 200 m butterfly silver at the 1973 Belgrade World Championships.
Rowdy Gaines
Rowdy Gaines (Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines IV, born 1959) is an American swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and later became NBC's swimming analyst.
Roy Saari
Roy Allen Saari (1945-2008), American distance swimmer and water polo player; first under 17 minutes in the 1,500 m freestyle (16:58.7), 1964 Olympic gold and silver medalist, nine-time NCAA champion at USC.
Rozaliya Nasretdinova
Rozaliya Nasretdinova (Розалия Хайдяровна Насретдинова, born 1997, Moscow) is a Russian sprint freestyle and butterfly swimmer, Youth Olympic double champion 2014, 2016 world short-course mixed relay champion, and Rio 2016 Olympian.
Russell Duncan
Russell P. Duncan (1917-2009), American lawyer and Yale swimmer; captain of the 1940 Yale team and member of the world record 4x100 yd freestyle relay (3:30.7, Feb 3, 1940); Yale Law 1946, Navy WWII subchaser commander.
Ryan Berube
Ryan Thomas Berube (born 1973, Tequesta, Florida) is an American swimmer, 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist in the men's 4x200 m freestyle relay, a 26-time SMU All-American, and later a UBS wealth manager.
Ryan Held
Ryan Held, American swimmer from Springfield, Illinois, NC State alum, Olympic gold medalist in the men's 4x100 m freestyle relay at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, with 17 World Aquatics and Olympic medals.
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte, American swimmer, 12 Olympic medals (6 gold) across 2004–2016; 200m IM world record 1:54.00 (2011) held 14 years; second to Phelps in World Championship medals; later Missouri State coach.
Ryan Mitchell
Ryan Mitchell names several athletes: Australian Olympic breaststroker Ryan Scott Mitchell (born 1977, Sydney 2000 relay silver, 1996 short-course medley relay world record), a Cardinals 2025 second-round outfielder, and a mountaineering YouTuber.
Ryan Murphy (swimmer)
Ryan Murphy (born 1995) is an American backstroke swimmer who has won nine Olympic medals, including five golds, across the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Games.
Ryk Neethling
Ryk Neethling, South African swimmer born 1977 in Bloemfontein; Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay Athens 2004 (world record 3:13.17), 100m IM world records, four Olympics 1996-2008, later Val de Vie marketing director.
Sabina Schulze
Sabina Schulze (Sabina Kessler), born 1972 in Leipzig, East German swimmer; 1988 Seoul Olympic 4x100 m freestyle relay gold as a heats swimmer, 1986 world champion and world record holder.
Sachiko Yamada
Sachiko Yamada (山田沙知子), born 1982 in Osaka, Japanese distance freestyle swimmer; 2000 and 2004 Olympian, 2004 world 800 m champion, and former short-course 800 m freestyle world record holder (8:13.35).
Samantha Riley
Samantha Riley (born 1972), Australian breaststroke swimmer; three Olympic medals (100 m breaststroke bronze 1992 and 1996, medley relay silver 1996), dual 1994 world champion, world record holder, first Australian Indigenous Olympic medalist.
Sandor Wladar
Sandor Wladár (Wladár Sándor), Hungarian swimmer born 1963 in Budapest, 1980 Moscow Olympic champion in 200 m backstroke (2:01.93), 1981 European double champion, veterinarian, and President of the Hungarian Swimming Federation since 2017.
Sandra Morgan
Sandra Morgan (Sandra Anne Morgan-Beavis, born 1942, Tamworth, NSW) is an Australian freestyle swimmer who won 4x100m relay gold at Melbourne 1956, aged 14.