Dawn Fraser
Katinka Hosszu
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Dawn Fraser leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Dawn Fraser at #5 and Katinka Hosszu at #10.
The case for Dawn Fraser
The pioneering queen of sprint freestyle and one of the toughest competitors in the sport's history. Fraser became the first swimmer, male or female, to win the same event at three consecutive Olympics, taking the 100m freestyle at Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964. In 1962 she became the first woman to break 60 seconds for the 100m freestyle, and she set 27 individual world records across her career. She won eight Olympic medals (four gold, four silver) in an amateur era before the World Championships existed. Fierce and unruly, she was controversially banned for ten years after a flag-stealing prank in Tokyo, cutting short a career that might otherwise have yielded even more. Her three-in-a-row remains a landmark of durability.
The case for Katinka Hosszu
The 'Iron Lady', the most prolific racer of her generation and the queen of the individual medley. Hosszu won three gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics, in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 100m backstroke, and set world records in the 200m IM (2:06.12) and 400m IM (4:26.36) that showcased her all-round mastery. She amassed around nine world-championship titles and built an unprecedented career on the World Cup circuit, racing dozens of events per season for prize money and points, hence her nickname. Where most stars pick a lane, Hosszu contested every stroke and distance, and her medley dominance across the 2010s, combining butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle at the highest level, made her one of the most versatile swimmers ever.