Swimming at the Rio 2016 Olympics: All you need to know

The sport in brief: Swimming has been ever-present throughout the modern Olympics. There are 32 events in the pool, with heats, semi-finals and a final for any race up to and including 200m and just heats and a final for everything else. The two 10km open-water events take place in the South Atlantic.

Anything new for Rio 2016? The schedule, which has caused some controversy; finals will begin at 10pm local time in Rio - about four hours later than usual. Usual morning heats start at 1pm. Relay-only swimmers now have to swim in either the heats or the final, or their teams will be disqualified.

British prospects: Adam Peaty and James Guy are world champions in the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle respectively. World record holder Peaty is also the European and Commonwealth champion. Jazz Carlin (800m freestyle) and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor (200m individual medley) won 2015 World Championship bronze medals.

Who are the favourites? The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, has rediscovered his mojo (he won four golds without it in 2012). Fellow American Katie Ledecky, 19, is poised for greatness - she won five freestyle gold medals at the 2015 World Championship, setting three world records.

I didn't know that: Johnny Weissmuller won five Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928 before gaining international fame as Tarzan. On one day in 1924, he won two swimming golds and a bronze in water polo.

Previous British medallists: Sixty eight (15 gold, 23 silver, 30 bronze)

Most recent British gold: 2008 - Rebecca Adlington (women's 400m & 800m freestyle)

Most recent British medals: 2012 - Rebecca Adlington (bronze, 400m & 800m freestyle), Michael Jamieson (silver, 200m breaststroke)

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