LEGO Swimming Champion (8831)

About This Set

The Swimming Champion is the racing swimmer of LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 7, released in May 2012, and she arrives dressed for the podium as much as the pool. Her black swimsuit is printed on the front of her torso and continues in a V shape down her mostly yellow legs. Two pieces made their debut with her: a smooth black swim cap, moulded with a few ripples at the back, and a gold medal on a red strap that sits around her neck, a flexible piece finished with a pearl-gold medallion. She is one of sixteen figures in Series 7, a series noted for the amount of printing carried by its characters.

Her head is printed on both sides so she can be posed in and out of the water. One face wears printed swimming goggles, their straps continuing under the cap, with a competitive smile; turn the head around and the goggles are gone, replaced by a broad podium grin with lipstick and long eyelashes. The reversible face, the cap and the medal together let the same figure cover the race and the medal ceremony afterwards. The swimsuit print itself echoes the Lifeguard from Series 2, updated with new colours and sharper printing, and the medal went on to be shared with all nine figures in the Team GB Olympic series released later in 2012.

Key Features

• Black swim cap — a new piece created for this figure, moulded with ripples at the back
• Gold medal accessory — a flexible piece with a red neck strap and a pearl-gold medallion, new with this figure
• Double-sided head — printed goggles and a competitive smile on one side, a podium grin with lipstick and eyelashes on the other
• Printed black swimsuit — across the front of the torso, continuing in a V shape on the legs
• Black 3 x 4 display stand — plus the Series 7 collector leaflet
• One of 16 Series 7 figures — sold in a sealed red mystery bag in May 2012, priced at $2.99
• Shared medal piece — the same medal came with all nine Team GB Olympic figures later in 2012

Theme Background

Series 7 arrived in May 2012 in scarlet-red bags, with sixteen figures including an Aztec Warrior, a Galaxy Patrol trooper, a Bunny Suit Guy and a Viking Woman. The series was noted for the density of its printing, and the Swimming Champion was one of only five figures in the line-up built around more than one brand-new mould. Her medal accessory proved so useful that LEGO carried it into the Team GB Olympic minifigures released that summer, where every athlete wears the same piece. Series 7 continued the bump-code identification system used since Series 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pieces are in LEGO 8831 Swimming Champion?

Six pieces: the minifigure, her swim cap, her medal and the black 3 x 4 display stand.

Is the Swimming Champion's head double-sided?

Yes. One side has printed swimming goggles and a competitive smile; the other has a broad grin with lipstick and eyelashes, for posing her on the podium with her medal.

How does the medal attach?

The medal is a single flexible piece with a red strap that sits around the figure's neck, finished with a pearl-gold medallion.

Which series is the Swimming Champion from?

Collectable Minifigures Series 7, released in May 2012. She is one of sixteen figures in the series, and one of its five female characters.

Did the medal piece appear in any other series?

Yes. The same medal piece came with all nine athletes in the Team GB Olympic minifigure series released in the summer of 2012.