Swimming

Technological advances have changed Olympic sports—including fencing, sprinting, distance running and pole vaulting.

From Sleek Swimsuits to Specialized Running Shoes, These Five Innovations Transformed the Olympics

Technology has advanced sports including fencing and pole vaulting

Of these featured individuals, Benjamin Spock, Johnny Weissmuller and Harold Sakata medaled at the Olympics.

Ten Surprising Public Figures Who Dreamed of Olympic Gold

The list includes European royals, Darth Vader's stunt double and an American World War II general

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, took a brief swim in the Seine River wearing a wetsuit and goggles on July 17.

Paris Mayor Takes a Dip in the Seine Ahead of the Summer Olympics

The city spent $1.5 billion to improve water quality in the river, where several Olympic events are scheduled to take place

Baby beluga whales and adults alike spend the summer in the Churchill River.

Watch Chatty Beluga Families Migrate With These Stunning Live Cams in Canada

Polar Bears International and Explore.org are once again capturing video footage and audio recordings of the social marine mammals as tens of thousands congregate in the Churchill River this summer

American oystercatchers use their orange bills to pry open shellfish.

Nesting Shorebirds Are Mobbing Drones on New York City Beaches

The drones, equipped with inflatable life rafts, were intended to help improve public safety for humans this summer—but they're also upsetting orange-beaked birds called American oystercatchers

The researchers used drone footage and tracking devices to analyze the behavior of 11 orcas in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Between Dives, Orcas Take Only a Single Breath

A new study finds the black-and-white marine mammals tend to make shorter, shallower dives compared to humpback and blue whales, making orcas the "sprinters" of the ocean

The ancient pool was lined with mosaics made with tesserae, or shaped tiles, of different materials.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Swimming Pool in Albania

Found in an upper-class villa, the indoor pool was accompanied by decorative mosaics and frescoes dating back nearly two millennia

"Change Your Game / Cambia tu juego" looks at scores of innovations that improve performance, ensure safety and more accurately score games.

From the JogBra to Gatorade to Breakaway Basketball Rims, Sports Are a Field for Invention

A new exhibition at the National Museum of American History aims to inspire the next generation of innovators

The Bréal Cup, designed by French scholar Michel Bréal, was awarded to the winner of the first Olympic marathon.

Paris Is Preparing for the Summer Olympics With a New Exhibition at the Louvre

"Olympism" explores the history of the ancient Olympics and France’s influence on the modern games

Surfers play an overlooked role in keeping other beachgoers safe, according to new research.

Surfers Play a Crucial Role in Ocean Rescue

During their lifetimes, surfers rescue an average of three people in trouble, according to a new study

Shipwreck NORMAN in upper Lake Huron in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Eight of the Best Spots to Go Freshwater Diving or Snorkeling in the United States

These bucket-list underwater sites offer up megalodon teeth, manatee herds and other unique encounters

The dogs receive training that helps enhance their natural swimming abilities and rescue instincts.

Meet the Lifeguard Dogs Watching Over Beachgoers in Maine

Buoy and Beacon are trained to help human lifeguards rescue swimmers at Scarborough Beach State Park

Participants in a YWCA camp for girls in Highland Beach, Maryland, in 1930

When Private Beaches Served as a Refuge for the Chesapeake Bay's Black Elite

During the Jim Crow era, working-class Washingtonians' recreation options were far more limited—and dangerous

A shark swims near two paddle boarders off California's coast.

Great White Sharks Come Much Closer to Swimmers Than Thought in Southern California

Juvenile white sharks and humans overlap 97 percent of the time in some warm Pacific waters, a new study finds

Humans have been fascinated with mermaids since antiquity, writes columnist Jackie Mansky. The 1914 silent film Neptune's Daughter, featuring champion swimmer and actress Annette Kellerman (above), captured the public imagination.

The Return of Mermaidcore

For a century, a collective love of tails and fins has helped women transgress on land and sea

One of the marble capitals found by swimmer Gideon Harris

Swimmer Stumbles Upon 1,800-Year-Old Marble Columns From Shipwreck Off Israel’s Coast

The artifacts help settle an unanswered question about ancient architectural materials

Paris is working on an ambitious project to clean the Seine river for use during swimming events in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

For the First Time in a Century, Paris Is Making the Seine Swimmable

The city's ambitious project will allow Olympians, and later the French public, to return to the famous river's waters

Natovenator likely swam to catch small prey.

World’s First Swimming Dinosaur Discovered in Mongolia

Natovenator was a streamlined hunter with jaws full of tiny teeth

Shark skin is made of tiny, stiff segments of overlapping, textured dentin and enamel. Shark skin’s distinctive texture gives sharks greater efficiency moving through the water.

Shark Skin-Inspired Materials Have a Long Way to Go Before They Work Like the Real Thing

The predator's distinctive texture is the envy of engineers trying to maximize hydrodynamics

The so-called frogmen swam into enemy beaches unarmed, wearing only swim trunks, dive masks and fins.

The Stealth Swimmers Whose WWII Scouting Laid the Groundwork for the Navy SEALs

The Underwater Demolition Teams cleared coastal defenses and surveyed enemy beaches ahead of Allied landings

Page 1 of 3