Every four (this time, it’s five) years, Americans become huge swimming fans. The pool is one place that Team USA especially dominates, and it doesn’t look like the 2021 Olympics are going to be any different.
There are plenty of stars on both the men’s and women’s teams. Ryan Murphy won three gold medals at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro in the 100m and 200m backstrokes, as well as the 4 x 100m medley relay. Caeleb Dressel won two golds in the 4 x 100m freestyle and medley relays and at the 2019 World Championships, he broke Michael Phelps’ record of eight medals.
Murphy owns the world record at the 100m backstroke, which he set at the Rio Games, while Dressel has the best time ever in the 100m butterfly.
Murphy is +270 in the 100m backstroke, third on the odds board behind the Russian Olympic Committee’s Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov, both of whom are +220. Murphy is +275 on BetMGM to Rylov in the 200m backstroke.
Dressel, meanwhile, is a heavy favorite in the 100m butterfly (-550) and 50m freestyle (-430).
The star on the women’s side is Katie Ledecky, who owns the world record in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle. Ledecky is looking to defend her gold medal in those three events, as well as the 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
Ledecky faces stiff competition this year in the form of Australia’s Ariane Titmus. In the 400m freestyle, Titmus is -190 and Ledecky +160 at FanDuel, and Titmus is -220 in the 200m freestyle and Ledecky +270.
Ledecky is a huge favorite in the 1500m freestyle, though, at -550.
A potential breakout star for the Americans is 19-year-old Regan Smith, who holds the world record for the women’s 200m backstroke. She held the world’s best mark for the 100m backstroke, as well, although Australia’s Kaylee McKeown broke that last month.
In the 100m backstroke, McKeown is -135 on FanDuel and Smith +240.
Schedule courtesy of olympics.com. All events can be streamed live on Peacock.
July 24
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Men's 400m Individual Medley | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Men's 400m Freestyle | 9:52 p.m. ET |
| Women's 400m Individual Medley | 10:12 p.m. ET |
| Women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay | 10:45 p.m. ET |
July 25
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Women's 100m Butterfly | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Men's 100m Breaststroke | 10:12 p.m. ET |
| Women's 400m Freestyle | 10:20 p.m. ET |
| Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 11:05 p.m. ET |
July 26
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Men's 200m Freestyle | 9:43 p.m. ET |
| Women's 100m Backstroke | 9:51 p.m. ET |
| Men's 100m Backstroke | 9:59 p.m. ET |
| Women's 100m Breaststroke | 10:17 p.m. ET |
July 27
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Women's 200m Freestyle | 9:41 p.m. ET |
| Men's 200m Butterfly | 9:49 p.m. ET |
| Women's 200m Individual Medley | 10:45 p.m. ET |
| Women's 1500m Freestyle | 10:54 p.m. ET |
| Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 11:26 p.m. ET |
July 28
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Men's 800m Freestyle | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Men's 200m Breaststroke | 9:44 p.m. ET |
| Women's 200m Butterfly | 10:28 p.m. ET |
| Men's 100m Freestyle | 10:37 p.m. ET |
| Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 11:31 p.m. ET |
July 29
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Women's 200m Breaststroke | 9:41 p.m. ET |
| Men's 200m Backstroke | 9:50 p.m. ET |
| Women's 100m Freestyle | 9:59 p.m. ET |
| Men's 200m Individual Medley | 10:16 p.m. ET |
July 30
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Men's 100m Butterfly | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Women's 200m Backstroke | 9:37 p.m. ET |
| Women's 800m Freestyle | 9:46 p.m. ET |
| Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 10:43 p.m. ET |
July 31
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Men's 50m Freestyle | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Women's 50m Freestyle | 9:37 p.m. ET |
| Men's 1500m Freestyle | 9:46 p.m. ET |
| Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 10:43 p.m. ET |
| Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 11:31 p.m. ET |
