fˈaɪv ʌvðɪ ˈeɪt fˈaɪnəlˌɪsts fɹʌmðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt ɡˈeɪmz ɹᵻtˈɜːnd: ɡˈoʊld mˈɛdəlˌɪst mˈæt bˌaɪoʊndˈaɪ ʌvðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts, bɹˈɑːnz mˈɛdəlˌɪst stˈeɪfən kˈæɹən ʌv fɹˈæns, fˈoːɹθplˈeɪs fˈɪnɪʃɚ dʒˈɛnɐdˌɪi pɹɪɡˈoʊdə ʌvðə sˈoʊviət jˈuːniən nˈaʊ kəmpˈiːɾɪŋ fɚðə jˈuːnɪfˌaɪd tˈiːm, sˈɪksθplˈeɪs fˈɪnɪʃɚɹ ˈændɹuː bˈeɪldən ʌv ɔːstɹˈeɪliə, ænd ˈeɪtθplˈeɪs fˈɪnɪʃɚ tˈɑːmi wˈɜːnɚɹ ʌv swˈiːdən.
Five of the eight finalists from the 1988 Games returned: gold medalist Matt Biondi of the United States, bronze medalist Stéphan Caron of France, fourth-place finisher Gennadiy Prigoda of the Soviet Union (now competing for the Unified Team), sixth-place finisher Andrew Baildon of Australia, and eighth-place finisher Tommy Werner of Sweden.