Swimming at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships

The swimming events of the 15th FINA World Aquatics Championships were held July 28 – August 4, 2013, in Barcelona, Spain. The competition was held in a long course pool inside the Palau Sant Jordi. It featured 40 LCM events, split evenly between males and females. Swimming was one of the five aquatic disciplines at the championships.

The United States won the overall medal count, led by Missy Franklin who claimed a record-setting six gold medals. China's Sun Yang won three gold medals on route to "male swimmer of the meet". Katie Ledecky, from the United States, was named "female swimmer of the meet" after setting two world records and winning four gold medals. Four other women's world records were broken during the competition, all four in the women's breaststroke events.

If a nation entered one competitor in an event then they only have to meet the B standard, but if they enter two competitors then in an event then they both have to meet the A standard. Each member nation can enter one relay team in each event. Qualifying standards must have been met between July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2013.

Competition format:

During the World Aquatic Championships, five world records were set (one twice), all by women. Katie Ledecky of the United States broke the world record in the 800-metre freestyle and the 1500-metre freestyle events en route to two gold medals. She also won the 400-metre freestyle to go 3-for-3 in her events. She added a fourth gold, swimming a leg of the 4x200-metre freestyle relay that the United States won. Her performance earned her "female swimmer of the meet," beating out fellow American Missy Franklin based on a formula that does not consider relay events. Franklin became the first woman ever to win six golds in a single World Championships. Kristin Otto of East Germany has achieved this at the 1988 Olympic Games. She won the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke events and the 200-metre freestyle. She finished fourth in the 100-metre freestyle in personal best-time. She was also a part of all three women's relay events, which the United States swept. The previous record of five golds in a single World Championships was held by America's Tracy Caulkins and Australia's Libby Trickett. Among men, Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz of America, Ian Thorpe of Australia all won at least six golds in a single World Championships or Olympics. Franklin also moved into a tie with Trickett for most all-time gold medals with nine.

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