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- Tokyo Olympic swimming events started on July 24 and conclude July 31.
- Swimming events will air on NBC and USA Network via live TV streaming services.
- On the USA team, expectations are high for Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel.
Swimming events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics started on July 24 and continue daily until July 31. Live coverage will be broadcast on NBC and the USA network.
The USA team has several strong competitors in women’s and men’s divisions, but all eyes will be on Katie Ledecky when she gets in the water. Ledecky already has an impressive collection of five gold medals and one silver medal coming into the Tokyo Olympics. If she snags three more gold medals in Tokyo, Ledecky will tie swimming legend, Jenny Thompson, as the winningest female US Olympian of all time.
In the men’s division, Caeleb Dressel is expected to lead the pack after his impressive showing at the 2019 FINA World Championships. Dressel earned two gold medals during the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
During the first three days of swimming events, the USA team earned three gold medals. In an unexpected victory, 17-year-old Alaskan Lydia Jacoby took home the gold medal for her performance in the women’s 100m breaststroke. For the men’s swimming division, Americans earned a top podium spot in the 400m individual medley and the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Katie Ledecky posted the fastest qualifying times in 200m and 1500m freestyle, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. On July 27, the women’s finals for both events will air live during prime time coverage on NBC.
How to watch Olympic swimming
Live broadcasts of Olympic swimming events are split between two channels: USA and NBC. For both men’s and women’s events, you can watch the preliminary heats on USA and the finals on NBC. Swimming heats will air in the mornings starting around 6 a.m. ET, and final races will air later in the evening during primetime coverage.
If you already have access to NBC and USA through a pay-TV provider, you can also stream every swimming event live via the NBC Sports app or NBCOlympics.com.
If you don’t have cable, you can get NBC and USA through a variety of live TV streaming services. Sling TV is the cheapest subscription service for watching all the Olympic swimming events. New members can get their first month for just $10 (regularly $35). NBC is only offered in select markets, however, so be sure to check Sling’s website for availability first.
FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV are additional live streaming services with access to both channels for watching Olympic swimming, but these options are more expensive at $65/month each.
Viewers who can’t tune into events live can stay caught up on the action by catching highlights and primetime coverage on NBC. For free swimming highlights and videos from additional Olympic events, you can download the Peacock app or visit NBCOlympics.com.
Men’s Olympic swimming schedule
Jeff Roberson/AP Images
July 27
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 100m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:02 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Breaststroke (Heats) | 6:50 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Heats) | 7:17 a.m. ET | USA |
| 800m Freestyle (Heats) | 7:37 a.m. ET | USA |
| 100m Freestyle (Semifinals) | 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Butterfly (Final) | 9:49 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Breaststroke (Semifinals) | 10:21 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Final) | 11:26 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 28
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 200m Backstroke (Heats) | 6:25 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Individual Medley (Heats) | 7:15 a.m. ET | USA |
| 800m Freestyle (Final) | 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Breaststroke (Final) | 9:44 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Backstroke (Semifinals) | 10:04 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 100m Freestyle (Final) | 10:37 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Individual Medley (Semifinals) | 11:08 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 29
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 100m Butterfly (Heats) | 6:50 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x100m Medley Relay, Mixed (Heats) | 7:28 a.m. ET | USA |
| 100m Butterfly (Semifinals) | 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Backstroke (Final) | 9:50 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Individual Medley (Final) | 10:16 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 30
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 50m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:02 a.m. ET | USA |
| 1500m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:48 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x100m Medley Relay (Heats) | 8:50 a.m. ET | USA |
| 100m Butterfly (Final) | 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 50m Freestyle (Semifinals) | 10:11 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x100m Medley Relay, Mixed (Final) | 10:43 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 31
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 50m Freestyle (Final) | 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 1500m Freestyle (Final) | 9:44 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x100m Medley Relay (Final) | 10:36 p.m. ET | NBC |
Women’s Olympic swimming schedule
Charlie Neibergall/AP Images
July 27
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 200m Butterfly (Heats) | 6:28 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Freestyle (Final) | 9:41 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Butterfly (Semifinals) | 9:57 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Individual Medley (Final) | 10:45 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 1500m Freestyle (Final) | 10:54 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 28
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 100m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:02 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Breaststroke (Heats) | 6:52 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Heats) | 7:34 a.m. ET | USA |
| 100m Freestyle (Semifinals) | 9:53 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Butterfly (Final) | 10:28 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Breaststroke (Semifinals) | 10:54 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Final) | 11:31 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 29
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 800m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:02 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Backstroke (Heats) | 7:08 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x100m Medley Relay, Mixed (Heats) | 7:28 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Breaststroke (Final) | 9:41 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 100m Freestyle (Final) | 9:59 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 200m Backstroke (Semifinals) | 10:35 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 30
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 50m Freestyle (Heats) | 6:24 a.m. ET | USA |
| 4x100m Medley Relay (Heats) | 8:36 a.m. ET | USA |
| 200m Backstroke (Final) | 9:37 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 800m Freestyle (Final) | 9:46 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 50m Freestyle (Semifinals) | 10:32 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x100m Medley Relay, Mixed (Final) | 10:43 p.m. ET | NBC |
July 31
| Event | Time | Channel |
| 50m Freestyle (Final) | 9:37 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4x100m Medley Relay (Final) | 10:36 p.m. ET | NBC |
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