Two coupling strategies for (-)-pre-swinholide A were devised based on the analysis in Scheme 1. In the first route, a boron-mediated aldol reaction between the ethyl ketone 19 and the aldehyde 3 was used to construct the C-15-C-16 bond with moderate diastereoselectivity. In the second route, a Mukaiyama aldol reaction between the methyl ketone 54 and the aldehyde 4 introduced the C-18-C-19 bond with complete stereocontrol.