Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

freestyle: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As front crawl • crawl

Photos and Videos

Freestyle stroke
Watch: Swimming the freestyle
How to turn in swimming
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Katie Ledecky smiles and points while celebrating in the pool after setting a world record at the 2013 FINA World Championships, with FINA signage in the background.
Katie Ledecky
American swimmer
Michael Phelps smiles while wearing a black suit at the 2004 ESPYs awards, with people in the background.
Michael Phelps
American swimmer
Ryan Lochte, shirtless and wet, smiles and looks upward after swimming, with a blurred blue pool background at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Ryan Lochte
American swimmer
Trickett, Libby
Libby Trickett
Australian swimmer
default image
Michelle Smith
Irish swimmer and lawyer
Inge de Bruijn after winning the 100-metre butterfly at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Inge de Bruijn
Dutch swimmer
Thorpe, Ian
Ian Thorpe
Australian swimmer
default image
Arne Borg
Swedish swimmer
Murray Rose
Murray Rose
Australian swimmer
Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle
American swimmer
Kristin Otto
Kristin Otto
German swimmer
Aileen Riggin, 1922.
Aileen Riggin
American swimmer and diver
default image
Donna de Varona
American athlete and sportscaster
Shane Gould
Shane Gould
Australian athlete
Janet Evans
Janet Evans
American swimmer
Olympic gold-medal winner Ethelda Bleibtrey
Ethelda Bleibtrey
American athlete
Champion swimmer Kornelia Ender
Kornelia Ender
East German swimmer
Weissmuller, Johnny
Johnny Weissmuller
American swimmer and actor
Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
American swimmer
Ross, Norman
Norman Ross
American swimmer