- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1966–1976
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
GOAT Rank · 10
Greatest Swimmers who debuted in the 1960s
This ranking is led by Roland Matthes, Mark Spitz and Don Schollander. GOAT Rank currently ranks 10 eligible swimmers who debuted in the 1960s using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Roland Matthes ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 89.6.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1965–1972
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1962–1968
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1967–1972
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1968–1976
- Country
- 🇷🇺 Russia
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1966–1972
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1968–1974
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1968–1974
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1969–1976
- Country
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1968–1976
- Country
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Roland Matthes | Swimming | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1966–1976 | 89.6 |
| 25 | Mark Spitz | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1965–1972 | 87.5 |
| 70 | Don Schollander | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1962–1968 | 84.8 |
| 72 | Debbie Meyer | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1967–1972 | 84.4 |
| 107 | Vladimir Bure | Swimming | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1968–1976 | 82.9 |
| 124 | Mike Burton | Swimming | 🇺🇸 United States | 1966–1972 | 82.0 |
| 135 | Gunnar Larsson | Swimming | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1968–1974 | 81.6 |
| 159 | Novella Calligaris | Swimming | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1968–1974 | 80.9 |
| 207 | Mayumi Aoki | Swimming | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1969–1976 | 78.7 |
| 226 | Marie-Thérèse Armentero | Swimming | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 1968–1976 | 77.9 |
Compare the leaders
Roland Matthes vs Mark SpitzRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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