Water sports

Annie Timmermans

Annie Timmermans, also known as Ans Timmermans (Anna Petronella Timmermans-Ineke, 1919-1958), Dutch freestyle swimmer; 1934 world record and European gold in the 4x100 m freestyle relay, 12th in the 400 m freestyle at the 1936 Berlin Olympics; died in a car accident in Parkdale, Melbourne.

Annika Lurz

Annika Lurz, née Liebs, German swimmer born 1979 in Karlsruhe; 2006 world-record 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, 2007 world silver 200m freestyle, 2008 Olympian for SV Würzburg 05.

Ansgar Wessling

Ansgar Wessling, born 1961 in Essen, is a retired German rower who won Olympic gold in the men's eight for West Germany at Seoul 1988 and bronze for unified Germany at Barcelona 1992, plus world titles in 1989 and 1991.

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards is the name of several Olympic athletes, chiefly Anthony John Edwards, an Australian lightweight rower who won three Olympic medals between 1996 and 2012.

Anthony Ervin

Anthony Ervin (born 1981, Berkeley, California) is an American sprint swimmer, three-time Olympic champion who won 50m freestyle gold in 2000 and again at 35 in 2016, the oldest male Olympic swimming champion, after retiring in 2003 and returning in 2011.

Anthony Nesty

Anthony Nesty (born 1967, Port of Spain) is a Surinamese swimmer who won 1988 Olympic 100m butterfly gold in 53.00, beating Matt Biondi by 0.01s, Suriname's first Olympic medal; now Florida Gators head coach and 2024 US Olympic men's swim coach.

Antje Stille

Antje Stille (born 1961), East German backstroke swimmer, set two 200m backstroke world records in 1976 and placed 6th-7th at the Montreal Olympics; later a dentist in Magdeburg.

Anton Chupkov

Anton Chupkov (Антон Чупков), Russian breaststroke swimmer born 1997 in Moscow; Olympic 200 m breaststroke bronze at Rio 2016, world champion 2017 and 2019, world record 2:06.12 (2019–2022); retired November 2024.

Anton Paz

Antón Paz Blanco (Anton Paz), Spanish sailor born 1976 in Madrid; Olympic Tornado gold medalist Beijing 2008 with Fernando Echávarri, Tornado world champion 2005 and 2007, ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2005; not the footballers Nico Paz or Federico Paz.

Antonina Seredina

Antonina Seredina (Антонина Александровна Середина), Soviet sprint canoeist (1929–2016), double 1960 Rome Olympic champion in K-1 and K-2 500 m, 1968 K-2 bronze medalist, world and European champion.

Antonio Rossi

Antonio Rossi, born 1968 in Lecco, Italian sprint kayaker with five Olympic medals (3 gold) from Barcelona 1992 to Athens 2004, three K-2 1000 m world titles, Beijing 2008 flagbearer, later FICK president.

Anzhelika Timanina

Anzhelika Timanina (Анжелика Тиманина), Russian artistic swimmer born 1989 in Yekaterinburg; 2012 Olympic team gold and 11 world titles, later a competitive surfer.

Aquatics (marathon swimming)

Marathon swimming (open-water swimming), a World Aquatics discipline: 10 km Olympic mass-start races for men and women since Beijing 2008; World Championship 5, 10, 25 km since 1991 Perth.

Archie Mackinnon

Archie Mackinnon (Archibald Alan MacKinnon, 1937-2026), Canadian rower, bow of UBC's Cinderella Four that won Canada's first Olympic rowing gold at Melbourne 1956; also silver in the eights at Rome 1960 and Commonwealth gold in 1958.

Are Guling Beach

Are Guling Beach (Pantai Are Guling), Tumpak Village, Pujut, Central Lombok, Indonesia: quiet reef bay 15-20 minutes west of Kuta Lombok with right and left reef breaks, sharp reef, strong channel current, and minimal facilities.

Ariana Kukors

Ariana Kukors (Kukors Smith), American swimmer born 1989 in Federal Way, Washington; 2009 world champion and world record holder (2:06.15) in the 200 m individual medley, 2012 Olympian, later sued USA Swimming over coach abuse.

Ariarne Titmus

Ariarne Titmus (born 2000, Launceston, Tasmania), nicknamed Arnie, is an Australian freestyle swimmer who won four Olympic golds, beat Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle at Tokyo and Gwangju, held the 200m and 400m world records, and retired in October 2025 aged 25.

Arina Surkova

Arina Aleksandrovna Surkova (Арина Александровна Суркова, born 1998, Novokuznetsk) is a Russian sprint butterfly and freestyle swimmer; Tokyo 2020 Olympian for ROC and two-time 2024 short-course world champion in mixed medley relays.

Arkady Vyatchanin

Arkady Vyatchanin (Аркадий Вятчанин), born 1984 in Vorkuta, is a Russian-born backstroke swimmer with two Beijing 2008 Olympic bronzes and short-course world records in the 100 m (48.97) and 200 m (1:46.11) backstroke.

Armin Eichholz

Armin Eichholz (born 1964, Duisburg) is a German rower, engineer, and manager; Olympic gold in the men's eight at Seoul 1988 for West Germany, bronze at Barcelona 1992, and 1991 world champion in the coxed four.

Arne Borg

Arne Borg (Claes Arne Borg, 1901–1987), Swedish freestyle swimmer nicknamed the Swedish Sturgeon; set 32 world records 1921–29, won 5 Olympic medals including 1500 m gold at Amsterdam 1928, first under 20 minutes for 1500 m.

Arne Sejersted

Arne Nannestad Sejersted (1877-1960), Norwegian sailor and dentist from Trondheim; won 1920 Olympic gold in the 10-metre 1919 rating class aboard Mosk II, the event's only entrant.

Arnfinn Heje

Arnfinn Kolbjørn Heje (1877–1958), Norwegian sailor and engineer; won 1912 Olympic gold in the 12-metre class aboard Magda IX and led the Agra margarine company, creating the Melange method.

Arno Bieberstein

Arno Bieberstein (Arnold Curt Bieberstein), German swimmer for SC Hellas Magdeburg, won the 1908 Olympic 100 m backstroke gold in world-record 1:24.6, the last Olympic backstroke title won with inverted breaststroke.

Arno Kamminga

Arno Kamminga, Dutch breaststroke swimmer (born 1995, Katwijk aan Zee), double Olympic silver medalist at Tokyo 2020 in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke; former Mark Faber trainee now based in Hong Kong under Tom Rushton through LA 2028.

Arpad Lengyel

Arpad Lengyel (Lengyel Árpád, 1915–1993) was a Hungarian swimmer who won bronze in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the 1934 European title.

Arthur Allers

Arthur Allers (1875–1961), Norwegian merchant and sailor from Bergen; won 1920 Antwerp Olympic gold in the 12 metre (1919 rating) class as crew of Heira II, the event's only entrant.

Arthur Stockhoff

Arthur Stockhoff (Arthur Martin Stockhoff, 1879-1934) was an American dentist and rower for St. Louis's Century Boat Club who won 1904 Olympic gold in the men's coxless fours with Dietz, Erker, and Nasse.

Artistic swimming

Artistic swimming, known as synchronized swimming until 2017, is an aquatic sport in which solo, duet, and team routines are judged on difficulty, synchronization, execution, and artistic impression.