50-meter Freestyle
Year   Time  
1988 Kristin Otto, E. Ger 25.49 OR
1992 Yang Wenyi, CHN 24.79 WR
1996 Amy Van Dyken, USA 24.87  
2000 Inge de Bruijn, NED 24.32  
2004 Inge de Bruijn, NED 24.58  
2008 Britta Steffen, GER 24.06 OR

 

100-meter Freestyle
Year   Time  
1912 Fanny Durack, AUS 1:22.2   
1920 Ethelda Bleibtrey, USA 1:13.6  WR
1924 Ethel Lackie, USA 1:12.4   
1928 Albina Osipowich, USA 1:11.0  OR
1932 Helene Madison, USA 1:06.8  OR
1936 Rie Mastenbroek, NED 1:05.9  OR
1948 Greta Andersen, DEN 1:06.3   
1952 Katalin Szke, HUN 1:06.8   
1956 Dawn Fraser, AUS 1:02.0  WR
1960 Dawn Fraser, AUS 1:01.2  OR
1964 Dawn Fraser, AUS 59.5  OR
1968 Jan Henne, USA 1:00.0   
1972 Sandra Neilson, USA 58.59 OR
1976 Kornelia Ender, E. Ger 55.65 WR
1980 Barbara Krause, E. Ger 54.79 WR
1984 (TIE) Nancy Hogshead, USA 55.92  
  & Carrie Steinseifer, USA 55.92  
1988 Kristin Otto, E. Ger 54.93  
1992 Zhuang Yong, CHN 54.65 OR
1996 Le Jingyi, CHN 54.50  
2000 Inge de Bruijn, NED 53.83  
2004 Jodie Henry, AUS 53.84  
2008 Britta Steffen, GER 53.12 OR

 

200-meter Freestyle
Year   Time  
1968 Debbie Meyer, USA 2:10.5  OR
1972 Shane Gould, AUS 2:03.56 WR
1976 Kornelia Ender, E. Ger 1:59.26 WR
1980 Barbara Krause, E. Ger 1:58.33 OR
1984 Mary Wayte, USA 1:59.23  
1988 Heike Friedrich, E. Ger 1:57.65 OR
1992 Nicole Haislett, USA 1:57.90  
1996 Claudia Poll, CRC 1:58.16  
2000 Susie O'Neill, AUS 1:58.24  
2004 Camelia Potec, ROM 1:58.03  
2008 Federica Pellegrini, ITA 1:54.82 WR

 

400-meter Freestyle
Year   Time  
1920 Ethelda Bleibtrey, USA (300m) 4:34.0  WR
1924 Martha Norelius, USA 6:02.2  OR
1928 Martha Norelius, USA 5:42.8  WR
1932 Helene Madison, USA 5:28.5  WR
1936 Rie Mastenbroek, NED 5:26.4  OR
1948 Ann Curtis, USA 5:17.8  OR
1952 Valria Gyenge, HUN 5:12.1  OR
1956 Lorraine Crapp, AUS 4:54.6  OR
1960 Chris von Saltza, USA 4:50.6  OR
1964 Ginny Duenkel, USA 4:43.3  OR
1968 Debbie Meyer, USA 4:31.8  OR
1972 Shane Gould, AUS 4:19.44 WR
1976 Petra Thmer, E. Ger 4:09.89 WR
1980 Ines Diers, E. Ger 4:08.76 OR
1984 Tiffany Cohen, USA 4:07.10 OR
1988 Janet Evans, USA 4:03.85 WR
1992 Dagmar Hase, GER 4:07.18  
1996 Michelle Smith, IRE 4:07.25  
2000 Brooke Bennett, USA 4:05.80  
2004 Laure Manaudou, FRA 4:05.34  
2008 Rebecca Adlington, AUS 4:03.22  

 

800-meter Freestyle
Year   Time  
1968 Debbie Meyer, USA 9:24.0  OR
1972 Keena Rothhammer, USA 8:53.68 WR
1976 Petra Thmer, E. Ger 8:37.14 WR
1980 Michelle Ford, AUS 8:28.90 OR
1984 Tiffany Cohen, USA 8:24.95 OR
1988 Janet Evans, USA 8:20.20 OR
1992 Janet Evans, USA 8:25.52  
1996 Brooke Bennett, USA 8:27.89  
2000 Brooke Bennett, USA 8:19.67 OR
2004 Ai Shibata, JPN 8:24.54  
2008 Rebecca Adlington, AUS 8:14.10 WR

 

100-meter Backstroke
Year   Time  
1924 Sybil Bauer, USA 1:23.2  OR
1928 Maria Braun, NED 1:22.0   
1932 Eleanor Holm, USA 1:19.4   
1936 Dina Senff, NED 1:18.9   
1948 Karen-Margrete Harup, DEN 1:14.4  OR
1952 Joan Harrison, S. Afr. 1:14.3   
1956 Judy Grinham, GBR 1:12.9  OR
1960 Lynn Burke, USA 1:09.3  OR
1964 Cathy Ferguson, USA 1:07.7  WR
1968 Kaye Hall, USA 1:06.2  WR
1972 Melissa Belote, USA 1:05.78 OR
1976 Ulrike Richter, E. Ger 1:01.83 OR
1980 Rica Reinisch, E. Ger 1:00.86 WR
1984 Theresa Andrews, USA 1:02.55  
1988 Kristin Otto, E. Ger 1:00.89  
1992 Krisztina Egerszegi, HUN 1:00.68 OR
1996 Beth Botsford, USA 1:01.19  
2000 Diana Mocanu, ROM 1:00.21 OR
2004 Natalie Coughlin, USA 1:00.37  
2008 Natalie Coughlin, USA 58.96  

 

200-meter Backstroke
Year   Time  
1968 Pokey Watson, USA 2:24.8  OR
1972 Melissa Belote, USA 2:19.19 WR
1976 Ulrike Richter, E. Ger 2:13.43 OR
1980 Rica Reinisch, E. Ger 2:11.77 WR
1984 Jolanda de Rover, NED 2:12.38  
1988 Krisztina Egerszegi, HUN 2:09.29 OR
1992 Krisztina Egerszegi, HUN 2:07.06 OR
1996 Krisztina Egerszegi, HUN 2:07.83  
2000 Diana Mocanu, ROM 2:08.16  
2004 Kirsty Coventry, ZIM 2:09.19  
2008 Kirsty Coventry, ZIM 2:05.24 WR

 

100-meter Breaststroke
Year   Time  
1968 Djurdjica Bjedov, YUG 1:15.8  OR
1972 Cathy Carr, USA 1:13.58 WR
1976 Hannelore Anke, E. Ger 1:11.16  
1980 Ute Geweniger, E. Ger 1:10.22  
1984 Petra van Staveren, NED 1:09.88 OR
1988 Tania Dangalakova, BUL 1:07.95 OR
1992 Yelena Rudkovskaya, UT 1:08.00  
1996 Penny Heyns, RSA. 1:07.73  
2000 Megan Quann, USA 1:07.05  
2004 Xuejuan Luo, CHN 1:06.64 OR
2008 Leisel Jones, AUS 1:05.17 OR

 

200-meter Breaststroke
Year   Time  
1924 Lucy Morton, GBR 3:33.2  OR
1928 Hilde Schrader, GER 3:12.6   
1932 Clare Dennis, AUS 3:06.3  OR
1936 Hideko Maehata, JPN 3:03.6   
1948 Petronella van Vliet, NED 2:57.2   
1952 va Szkely, HUN 2:51.7  OR
1956 Ursula Happe, GER 2:53.1  OR
1960 Anita Lonsbrough, GBR 2:49.5  WR
1964 Galina Prozumenshikova, USSR 2:46.4  OR
1968 Sharon Wichman, USA 2:44.4  OR
1972 Beverley Whitfield, AUS 2:41.71 OR
1976 Marina Koshevaya, USSR 2:33.35 WR
1980 Lina Kaciusyte, USSR 2:29.54 OR
1984 Anne Ottenbrite, CAN 2:30.38  
1988 Silke Hrner, E. Ger 2:26.71 WR
1992 Kyoko Iwasaki, JPN 2:26.65 OR
1996 Penny Heyns, RSA 2:25.41  
2000 Agnes Kovacs, HUN 2:24.35  
2004 Amanda Beard, USA 2:23.37  OR
2008 Rebecca Soni, AUS 2:20.22 WR

 

100-meter Butterfly
Year   Time  
1956 Shelly Mann, USA 1:11.0  OR
1960 Carolyn Schuler, USA 1:09.5  OR
1964 Sharon Stouder, USA 1:04.7  WR
1968 Lynn McClements, AUS 1:05.5   
1972 Mayumi Aoki, JPN 1:03.34 WR
1976 Kornelia Ender, E. Ger 1:00.13 WR
1980 Caren Metschuck, E. Ger 1:00.42  
1984 Mary T. Meagher, USA 59.26  
1988 Kristin Otto, E. Ger 59.00 OR
1992 Qian Hong, CHN 58.62 OR
1996 Amy Van Dyken, USA 59.13  
2000 Inge de Bruijn, NED 56.61 WR
2004 Petria Thomas, AUS 57.72  
2008 Libby Trickett, AUS 56.73  

 

200-meter Butterfly
Year   Time  
1968 Ada Kok, NED 2:24.7  OR
1972 Karen Moe, USA 2:15.57 WR
1976 Andrea Pollack, E. Ger 2:11.41 OR
1980 Ines Geissler, E. Ger 2:10.44 OR
1984 Mary T. Meagher, USA 2:06.90 OR
1988 Kathleen Nord, E. Ger 2:09.51  
1992 Summer Sanders, USA 2:08.67  
1996 Susie O'Neill, AUS 2:07.76  
2000 Misty Hyman, USA 2:05.88 OR
2004 Otylia Jedrzejczak, POL 2:06.05  
2008 Liu Zige, CHN 2:04.18 WR

 

200-meter Individual Medley
Year   Time  
1968 Claudia Kolb, USA 2:24.7  OR
1972 Shane Gould, AUS 2:23.07 WR
1984 Tracy Caulkins, USA 2:12.64 OR
1988 Daniela Hunger, E. Ger 2:12.59 OR
1992 Lin Li, CHN 2:11.65 WR
1996 Michelle Smith, IRE 2:13.93  
2000 Yana Klochkova, UKR 2:10.68 OR
2004 Yana Klochkova, UKR 2:11.14  
2008 Stephanie Rice, AUS 2:08.45 WR

 

400-meter Individual Medley
Year   Time  
1964 Donna de Varona, USA 5:18.7  OR
1968 Claudia Kolb, USA 5:08.5  OR
1972 Gail Neall, AUS 5:02.97 WR
1976 Ulrike Tauber, E. Ger 4:42.77 WR
1980 Petra Schneider, E. Ger 4:36.29 WR
1984 Tracy Caulkins, USA 4:39.24  
1988 Janet Evans, USA 4:37.76  
1992 Krisztina Egerszegi, HUN 4:36.54  
1996 Michelle Smith, IRE 4:39.18  
2000 Yana Klochkova, UKR 4:33.59 WR
2004 Yana Klochkova, UKR 4:34.83  
2008 Stephanie Rice, AUS 4:29.45 WR