Swimmer Strongholds: Schools that power the U.S. Olympic teams
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An Axios analysis found that more than half of athletes who have swum for the U.S. Olympics team and attended college hailed from the same eight schools.
- California reigns supreme, with Stanford, Berkeley and USC comprising three of the top four spots.
Why it matters: Swimming has won the U.S. the most Olympic medals in the last seven games, and a quarter of all medals historically. The U.S. swim team currently holds three times as many medals as any other country's team.
Powerhouse college programs develop a steady stream of talent, establishing continued U.S. dominance.
- Many of the most prominent swimmers come from these schools, including Mark Spitz from Indiana and Michael Phelps from Michigan.
- Katie Ledecky, who has the most gold medals of any female swimmer in history, trained at Stanford.
Zoom in: These programs are expensive, and the NCAA's financial data reveals that nearly all colleges put far more money into collegiate sports than they get out.
- UT Austin's swimming and diving team had a $5.4 million-dollar cumulative budget in 2023. They have had 50 students and alumni compete for USA Swimming at the Olympics.
- University of Tennessee spent over $700k more than any other school on their swimming and diving programs in the 2022-23 school year, but has only ever sent seven swimmers to the Olympics.
And swimming is itself an expensive sport. USA Swimming's sample budget for a non-collegiate club team put the baseline costs at $155k a year for a 150-person team with two coaches.
- This budget does not include costs associated with sending athletes to national or international competitions that could qualify them for Olympic Trials.
- It also does not include personal equipment for athletes like custom-fitted practice and compression racing suits, caps or goggles. This equipment alone can cost hundreds per athlete and needs to be replaced every few months.
What's next: Ledecky will compete in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle races beginning on July 30. She could add three medals to her record.
