Swimming is, by far, one of the most popular pastimes in the world. It is also one of the oldest. As an organized activity, swimming dates back to around 2500 B.C. Swimming was immensely popular in ancient Egypt, and there are a number of relics from the period which depict the act of swimming in vivid and awe-inspiring detail.
In ancient Greece and Rome, swimming was taught to boys as part of their elementary school curriculum. Furthermore, the first known public swimming pools were built in Rome. Under the direction of a wealthy Roman lord named Gaius Maecenas, the first heated swimming pool was also built for public use.
Aside from the Greeks and Romans, many other ancient cultures have left evidence of their love for swimming; among them the Babylonians, Assyrians and Phoenicians. There is also evidence of competitive swimming in Japan over 2000 years ago.
In the 1830s, swimming became extremely popular in England with the establishment of various swim clubs. At the time, the breaststroke was the most often used technique. In 1885, Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim across the English Channel, and the breaststroke was his technique of choice. Two of the most popular swim clubs from the time were The Otter Swimming Club and The Leander Swimming Club.
In 1896, the first of the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. Naturally, competitive swimming played a significant role. The swimming event was held in the Aegean Sea, in the Bay of Zea. The gold medalist for the swimming event was a fellow named Alfred Hoyos Guttman. Of the event, he said that his greatest struggle “was against the towering twelve-foot waves and the terribly cold water.”
Swimming continues to be the sport of choice for many of today’s athletes. Most cities have public swimming facilities, where you can swim competitively or merely for fun. In fact, a number of public swimming areas also offer lessons for a very reasonable price. If you really enjoy swimming, you might even consider installing a pool in your backyard, especially in Florida as the weather provides the opportunity for swimming year round!
For more information, visit www.SwimmingPools101.com.
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