Swimming
Thirty-seven athletes represented Team GB in the swimming events. Selection followed the 2008 British Olympic Swimming Trials in Sheffield in April, with open water event swimmers selected after performance in the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships, in Seville, Spain. In winning six medals (two gold, two silver and two bronze) the team bettered the target of three medals set by UK Sport. The most successful swimmer was Rebecca Adlington who won two gold medals. Her 400 m freestyle success was Britain's first Olympic swimming title since 1988, and the first swimming gold by a British woman since 1960. Her second gold, in the 800 m freestyle, meant she also equalled the best performance by a British woman, from any sport, at the summer Olympics and was the best swimming performance by a Briton at the Olympics for 100 years.
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| David Carry | 400 m freestyle | 3:47.17 NR | 15 | Did not advance | |||
| Richard Charlesworth | 1500 m freestyle | 15:17.27 | 25 | Did not advance | |||
| Chris Cook | 100 m breaststroke | 1:00.70 | 15 Q | 1:00.81 | 15 | Did not advance | |
| Todd Cooper | 100 m butterfly | 52.52 | 29 | Did not advance | |||
| Euan Dale | 400 m individual medley | 4:18.60 | 19 | Did not advance | |||
| Ross Davenport | 200 m freestyle | 1:47.13 | 11 Q | 1:47.35 | 10 | Did not advance | |
| David Davies | 1500 m freestyle | 14:46.11 | 5 Q | 14:52.11 | 6 | ||
| 10 km open water | 1:51:53.1 | 02 ! | |||||
| Mark Foster | 50 m freestyle | 22.35 | 23 | Did not advance | |||
| Kristopher Gilchrist | 100 m breaststroke | 1:01.34 | 27 | Did not advance | |||
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:11.13 | 15 Q | 2:10.27 NR | 13 | Did not advance | ||
| James Goddard | 200 m individual medley | 1:59.74 | 13 Q | 1:58.63 | 6 Q | 1:59.24 | 6 |
| Thomas Haffield | 400 m individual medley | 4:16.72 | 17 | Did not advance | |||
| James Kirton | 200 m breaststroke | 2:15.25 | 37 | Did not advance | |||
| Dean Milwain | 400 m freestyle | 3:48.77 | 21 | Did not advance | |||
| Robbie Renwick | 200 m freestyle | 1:47.82 | 17 Q | 1:47.07 | 8 Q | 1:47.47 | 8 |
| Michael Rock | 100 m butterfly | 52.48 | 27 | Did not advance | |||
| 200 m butterfly | 1:55.55 | 9 Q | 1:55.90 | 12 | Did not advance | ||
| Gregor Tait | 100 m backstroke | 54.62 | 16 Q | 54.37 | 12 | Did not advance | |
| 200 m backstroke | 1:57.03 | 5 Q | 1:56.72 | 6 Q | 1:57.00 | 8 | |
| Liam Tancock | 100 m backstroke | 53.85 | 6 Q | 53.61 | 6 Q | 53.39 NR | 6 |
| 200 m individual medley | 1:59.79 | 14 Q | 1:59.42 | 7 Q | 2:00.76 | 8 | |
| Adam Brown Simon Burnett Ross Davenport Benjamin Hockin |
4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:13.69 NR | 8 Q | 3:12.87 NR | 8 | ||
| David Carry Ross Davenport Benjamin Hockin Andrew Hunter Robbie Renwick |
4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:07.89 NR | 4 Q | 7:05.92 NR | 6 | ||
| Simon Burnett Chris Cook Michael Rock Liam Tancock |
4×100 m medley relay | 3:33.83 NR | 5 Q | 3:33.69 NR | 6 | ||
Qualifiers for the latter rounds (Q) of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.
- Women
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Rebecca Adlington | 400 m freestyle | 4:02.24 | 2 Q | 4:03.22 | 01 ! | ||
| 800 m freestyle | 8:18.08 OR | 1 Q | 8:14.10 WR | 01 ! | |||
| Kirsty Balfour | 100 m breaststroke | 1:08.30 | 14 Q | 1:09.23 | 15 | Did not advance | |
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:27.87 | 18 | Did not advance | ||||
| Ellen Gandy | 200 m butterfly | 2:08.98 | 15 Q | 2:10.60 | 15 | Did not advance | |
| Francesca Halsall | 50 m freestyle | 24.93 | 8 Q | 24.80 | 10 | Did not advance | |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.93 | 5 Q | 53.94 | 5 Q | 54.29 | 8 | |
| 100 m butterfly | 58.70 | 21 | Did not advance | ||||
| Kate Haywood | 100 m breaststroke | 1:08.18 | 11 Q | 1:08.36 | 11 | Did not advance | |
| Joanne Jackson | 200 m freestyle | 1:58.00 | 14 Q | 1:58.70 | 14 | Did not advance | |
| 400 m freestyle | 4.03.80 | 4 Q | 4:03.52 | 03 ! | |||
| Jemma Lowe | 100 m butterfly | 58.49 | 16 Q | 57.78 NR | 6 Q | 58.06 | 6 |
| 200 m butterfly | 2:08.07 | 10 Q | 2:07.87 | 9 | Did not advance | ||
| Caitlin McClatchey | 100 m freestyle | DNS | Did not advance | ||||
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.97 | 3 Q | 1:57.73 | 7 Q | 1:57.65 | 6 | |
| Hannah Miley | 200 m individual medley | 2:11.72 | 4 Q | 2:12.35 | 11 | Did not advance | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:36.56 | 8 Q | 4:39.44 | 6 | |||
| Cassie Patten | 800 m freestyle | 8:25.91 | 8 Q | 8:32.35 | 8 | ||
| 10 km open water | 1:59:31.0 | 03 ! | |||||
| Keri-Anne Payne | 200 m individual medley | 2.12.78 | 15 Q | 2:14.14 | 16 | Did not advance | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:38.69 | 15 | Did not advance | ||||
| 10 km open water | 1:59:29.2 | 02 ! | |||||
| Elizabeth Simmonds | 100 m backstroke | 1:00.53 | 12 Q | 1:00.39 | 10 | Did not advance | |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:08.66 NR | 2 Q | 2:08.96 | 7 Q | 2:08.51 NR | 6 | |
| Gemma Spofforth | 100 m backstroke | 1:00.11 | 6 Q | 59.79 | 5 Q | 59.38 | 4 |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:10.56 | 16 Q | 2:09.19 | 9 | Did not advance | ||
| Julia Beckett Francesca Halsall Melanie Marshall Caitlin McClatchey Jessica Sylvester |
4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:39.18 NR | 8 Q | 3:38.18 NR | 7 | ||
| Rebecca Adlington Francesca Halsall Joanne Jackson Melanie Marshall Caitlin McClatchey Hannah Miley |
4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:56.16 | 9 | Did not advance | |||
| Francesca Halsall Kate Haywood Jemma Lowe Gemma Spofforth |
4×100 m medley relay | 3:59.14 | 2 Q | 3:57.50 | 4 | ||
Qualifiers for the latter rounds (Q) of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.
Read more about this topic: Great Britain At The 2008 Summer Olympics
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—Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)