By Corey He on SwimSwam
We’ve beforehand lined familial connections in aggressive swimming that span not less than one era. You could find that article right here.
As we speak, we’re switching gears barely and taking a deep dive into essentially the most profitable siblings within the historical past of aggressive swimming. There have been fairly a number of sibling pairs (and even trios) which have seen unimaginable success on the worldwide stage, together with quite a few Olympic champions, world champions, and world document holders. Let’s dive proper into it.
1. Shirley, Debbie, and Jack Babashoff (sister-sister-brother), USA
Whole Medal Haul: 10 Olympic medals + 12 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 3
Notable Info: Out of this trio of siblings, Shirley was essentially the most profitable, with 3 Olympic golds and a couple of World Championship titles to her identify. Jack additionally captured a world title in 1978. Each Shirley and Jack represented Staff USA on the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
2. John and Ilsa Konrads (brother-sister), Australia
Whole Medal Haul: 4 Olympic medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 3
Notable Info: Initially each born in Latvia through the Second World Conflict, the Konrads household initially moved to Germany earlier than settling in Australia, the place John and Ilsa have been initially taught to swim to forestall dangers of drowning. John would go on to turn out to be the Olympic champion within the 1500m freestyle on the 1960 Rome Olympics.
3. Cate and Bronte Campbell (sisters), Australia
Whole Medal Haul: 12 Olympic medals + 25 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 7
Notable Info: Cate’s first Olympic medal got here on the age of simply 16 — a bronze within the 50m freestyle on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She beforehand held the long-course 100m freestyle world document and nonetheless owns the short-course 100m freestyle world document. The pair of them have teamed up on Australia’s 400m freestyle relay on the Olympics 3 times, profitable gold on every event.
4. Alex and Gretchen Walsh (sisters), USA
Whole Medal Haul: 5 Olympic medals + 26 World Championships medals (*as of July 2025)
Whole Olympic Appearances: 3 (*as of July 2025)
Notable Info: The pair swam collegiately on the College of Virginia, contributing to the crew’s dominance from 2020 to today. Gretchen is the primary lady to interrupt a number of limitations:
the 45-second barrier within the 100-yard freestyle, the 47-second barrier within the 100-yard butterfly, and the 55-second barrier within the 100-meter butterfly.
5. Laure and Florent Manaudou (sister-brother), France
Whole Medal Haul: 9 Olympic medals + 10 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 7
Notable Info: On the 2004 Athens Olympics, Laure received France’s first ever gold medal in ladies’s swimming. Florent is the one athlete to have ever medalled within the 50m freestyle at 4 Olympics — and he served as France’s flagbearer on the Paris Opening Ceremony in 2024. The pair are the primary to win particular person Olympic gold medals in swimming
6. Duke and Sam Kahanamoku (brothers), USA
Whole Medal Haul: 6 Olympic medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 4
Notable Info: The pair took silver and bronze within the 100m freestyle on the 1924 Paris Olympics — and within the course of, Duke grew to become the primary man to win three medals within the occasion and is the primary man to ever be inducted into each the Swimming and Browsing Halls of Fame.
7. David and Martin López-Zubero (brothers), Spain
Whole Medal Haul: 2 Olympic medals + 4 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 6
Notable Info: The pair graduated from the Bolles College and swam collegiately for the College of Florida. David later served as Martin’s private coach and coach. After retiring, Martin was inducted into the Worldwide Swimming Corridor of Fame and briefly returned to educate for the Bolles College.
8. Arne and Åke Borg (brothers), Sweden
Whole Medal Haul: 6 Olympic medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 3
Notable Info: On the 1924 Paris Olympics, they teamed as much as earn Sweden a bronze medal within the 4x200m freestyle relay. Arne, specifically, broke 32 world data within the Twenties — and in addition earned a European Championships medal as a member of Sweden’s water polo crew.
9. Claudia and Silvia Ballot (sisters), Costa Rica
Whole Medal Haul: 4 Olympic medals + 8 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 5
Notable Info: The pair are Costa Rica’s solely Olympic medalists in any sport — Silvia received the nation’s first ever Olympic medal in 1988, and Claudia received the nation’s first ever Olympic gold in 1996. As well as, they each contested the 200m freestyle on the worldwide stage.
And for one final point out, although they don’t seem to be siblings…
10. Christian and Nicholas Sprenger (cousins), Australia
Whole Medal Haul: 4 Olympic medals + 10 World Championships medals
Whole Olympic Appearances: 4
Notable Info: Each Christian and Nicholas have achieved world titles — Christian took gold within the 100m breaststroke on the 2013 Worlds, whereas Nicholas collected 2 golds as a member of Australia’s 800m freestyle relay crew. Christian, specifically, has additionally beforehand owned two world data within the 200m breaststroke (in each the long- and short-course codecs).
Learn the complete story on SwimSwam: The Most Profitable Siblings in Aggressive Swimming
