The Last Time Each Asian, African and Oceanian Country Won an Olympic Medal

By Bradley Bush on SwimSwam

Since the 1896 debut of swimming at the first Olympic Games in Athens, 49 countries still existing today have won a medal in the sport. Of these 49 countries, seven lie within Asia, three within Africa, and two within Oceania. Between these three continents, at least one country has won an Olympic medal at every game since the second Olympiad, in 1900 (thanks largely in part to Australia). 

Below, the countries that have won a medal (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) in a modern Olympic Games (since 1896) are listed, in alphabetical order. The most recent swimming medalists for the country (pool or open water swimming) are listed under the country’s name, along with the other Olympic games in which that country has won a medal.

Australia: Tokyo 2021

Cate Campbell: 100 Free (Bronze)
Kyle Chalmers: 100 Free (Silver)
Kareena Lee: 10 km Marathon (Bronze)
Jack McLoughlin: 400 Free (Silver)
Emma McKeon: 50 Free/100 Free (Gold), 100 Fly (Bronze)
Kaylee McKeown: 100 Back/200 Back (Gold)
Emily Seebohm: 200 Back (Bronze)
Brendon Smith: 400 IM (Bronze)
Zac Stubblety-Cook: 200 Breast (Gold)
Ariarne Titmus: 200 Free/400 Free (Gold), 800 Free (Silver)
Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay: Bronze
Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay: Gold
Men’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay: Bronze
Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay: Bronze
Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay: Gold
Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay: Bronze

One of the foremost powerhouses in the swimming world, the Australian team has been dominant for quite some time now. The country holds a whopping 207 medals across pool and marathon swimming, second only to the United States but distinctly ahead of the next most-decorated nation, Japan with 83. The Dolphins have represented on the Olympic podium more consistently than many other nations, only having missed the 1896 Olympics and competing under another name (Australasia) in 1908 and 1912. Australia looks to add another batch of medals this summer in Paris. 

Podium Appearances: 1900, 1904, ***, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021

*** The combined team of Australasia, consisting of Australia, New Zealand, and a few other nearby South Pacific islands, won medals in the 1908 and 1912 games.  

China: Tokyo 2021

Li Bingjie: 400 Free (Bronze)
Wang Shun: 200 IM (Gold)
Zhang Yufei: 200 Fly (Gold), 100 Fly (Silver)
Women’s 4×200 Free Relay: Gold
Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay: Silver

Since 1988, China has been a consistent force at the Olympics in the pool. With 49 total medals across eight Olympic games and five current long course world records under their belt, they’ve had great success on paper. The Chinese have a tough road ahead to defend their three golds from the Tokyo– especially in the women’s 200 IM and 4×200 freestyle relay– but they seem poised to find success in other events, namely the men’s 100 freestyle with newly crowned world record holder Pan Zhanle. 

Podium Appearances: 1988, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021

Hong Kong: Tokyo 2021

Siobhan Haughey: 100 Free/200 Free (Silver)

Siobhan Haughey, the two-time silver medalist for Hong Kong, earned her medals swimming freestyle at the Tokyo Games. Single-handedly owning two of the country’s nine medals, Haughey has not only made a name for herself as the most impressive swimmer, but one of the most impressive athletes from the country. The only other multi-medal athlete from Hong Kong is track cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, a two-time bronze medalist. Haughey, the current world leader in the 100 free, will be competing again this summer in Paris. 

Podium Appearances: 2021

Japan: Tokyo 2021

Tomoru Honda: 200 Fly (Silver)
Yui Ohashi: 200 IM/400 IM (Gold)

With 83 swimming medals across 16 Olympic Games, Japan has always been a fixture on the podium. Since 1928, the Japanese have been the most decorated Asian nation swimming at the Olympics, and third most decorated nation of all time, behind the United States and Australia. Yui Ohashi will be back to defend her title in the 200 IM, but not the 400, as she missed the Japanese qualification standard by less than half a second. Tomoru Honda, with his silver medal performance in the 200 fly in Tokyo, continued a five-Olympic-long Japanese medal streak in the event, following in the footsteps of Takashi Yamamoto (2004), Takeshi Matsuda (2008, 2012), and Masato Sakai (2016). 

Podium Appearances: 1928, 1932, 1936, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1972, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021

Kazakhstan: Rio 2016

Dmitriy Balandin: 200 Breast (Gold)

Dmitriy Balandin, Kazakhstan’s only medalist in the sport, took home the gold in the 200 breaststroke in Rio 2016. At the same games, he made the final in the 100 breast, placing eighth. Balandin was the first Kazakh swimmer to make an Olympic final since Vladislav Polyakov, another breaststroker, placed fifth in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in Athens in 2004. Balandin competed in the Tokyo Olympics, scoring 11th in the 200 breaststroke and 17th in the 100.  

Podium Appearances: 2016

New Zealand: Atlanta 1996

Danyon Loader: 200 Free/400 Free (Gold)

Danyon Loader, the only swimmer from New Zealand to win multiple swimming medals, also happens to be New Zealand’s most recent medalist in the pool, dating back to 1996. Alongside from his gold medal middle-distance double at the Atlanta Olympics, Loader also won a silver medal in the 200 butterfly at the Barcelona games in 1992. 

Podium Appearances: 1952, 1988, 1992, 1996

Philippines: Los Angeles 1932

Teofilo Yldefonso: 200 Breast (Bronze)

Amongst all countries that have won a medal, the Philippines has gone the longest time without being featured on an Olympic podium, with the most recent being Teofilo Yldefonso’s bronze medal in the 200 Breast in 1932. Yldefonso holds two of the country’s 14 total medals, and is one of two athletes to win multiple medals. Following his Olympic career, he fought under American command in World War Two, unfortunately losing his life in 1942 shortly after the Bataan Death March. In 2010, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Podium Appearances: 1928, 1932

Singapore: Rio 2016

Joseph Schooling: 100 Fly (Gold)

Joseph Schooling shocked the world in 2016 with an upset over Michael Phelps in the 100 butterfly, claiming the first and only gold medal in Singapore’s history. One of the more well-known podiums from the recent few Olympics, Schooling stood atop the podium, in front of the three-way tie between Laszlo Cseh, Michael Phelps, and Chad le Clos. Schooling is one of the country’s five athletes to ever win a medal at the Olympics, and the only swimmer to do so. The Singaporean star retired from swimming this past April. 

Podium Appearances: 2016

South Africa: Tokyo 2021

Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker): 200 Breast (Gold), 100 Breast (Silver)

South Africa has a bit of a troubled history with the Olympics, serving a 32-year ban in the middle of the twentieth century due to its Apartheid policies. Since returning to international competition in 1992, the country has seen success in the pool through the likes of a few standout performers, including Roland Schoemann, Chad le Clos, Cameron van der Burgh, and recent Olympic champion Tatjana Smith. At the Tokyo games, Smith won the 200 breaststroke in world record time, and placed silver in the 100. She looks to defend her title in Paris.

Podium Appearances: 1928, 1932, 1952, 1956, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, 2021

South Korea: London 2012

Park Tae-Hwan: 200 Free/400 Free (Silver)

South Korea’s only medalist in the sport, middle-distance swimmer Park Tae-Hwan is the Asian country’s most recent Olympic medalist. After having medaled in the 200 and 400 freestyles at both the Beijing and London Olympics, Park served an 18-month suspension after testing positive for testosterone. He competed in the 2016 Olympics, but failed to qualify for semifinals.

Podium Appearances: 2008, 2012

Tunisia: Tokyo 2021

Ahmed Hafnaoui: 400 Free (Gold)

Tunisia has four medals across three Olympic games, all earned by distance specialists Oussama Mellouli and Ahmed Hafnaoui. The country has an impressive three golds, with Mellouli in the 1500 freestyle (2008) and the 10km (2016) and Hafnaoui with an impressive lane-8 win in the 400 freestyle (2021). Unfortunately, Hafnaoui will not repeat his Olympic gold medal performance, citing an injury that is preventing him from competing in Paris this year. The African record holder in the 400 and 1500 freestyle was the only pool swimmer from Tunisia to compete in Tokyo. 

Podium Appearances: 2008, 2012, 2021

Zimbabwe: Beijing 2008

Kirsty Coventry: 200 Back (Gold), 100 Back/200 IM/400 IM (Silver)

Arguably the best African female swimmer of all time, Kirsty Coventry holds all seven of Zimbabwe’s medals won in the pool. Coventry, having won four medals in Beijing in 2008 and three in Athens in 2004, still holds the title of Zimbabwe’s only individual medalist (Women’s field hockey won gold in Moscow 1980). As the former world record holder in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, Kirsty Coventry left an impressive mark on the swimming world, and has since retired following her appearance at the 2016 games in Rio. 

Podium Appearances: 2004, 2008

Map below depicts the last time each country worldwide won a medal. 

All-Time Continental Medal Count (Pool + Open Water):

North America: 651
Europe: 529
Oceania: 207
Asia: 142
Africa: 31
South America: 23

Information sourced from Olympedia, maps created with mapchart.net

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