Olympic Swimming - Description and Overview Swimming Expert By Mat Luebbers What is Olympic swimming? It is one of the most watched Summer Olympic sports. Olympic swimming is also one of the oldest Olympic events. Olympic swimmers must use one of four different swimming styles or techniques (or all four strokes in some races) to swim a certain distance. The fastest swimmer wins the Olympic Swimming gold medal. THE COMPETITION In the modern Olympics, there are 16 Olympic Swimming events that take place in the swim pool (plus one that takes place in open water): Freestyle: 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m (women only) & 1500m (men only) Backstroke: 100m & 200m Butterfly: 100m & 200m Individual medley: 200m & 400m - this event is often called the "IM" In the individual medley events, the competitor swims one leg each of four types of stroke, in order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

Relay: 4x100m free, 4x200m free & 4x100m medley In the medley relay a different swimmer swims each leg using a particular stoke, but in a different order than the one used in the individual medley; backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. continue reading below our video Profile of Natalie Coughlin 10-kilometer open water race (for the Beijing Olympics, this event will be held in the Olympic rowing basin. Freestyle Freestyle is not really a specific stroke. Swimmers can use whatever stroke they choose, but the since the fastest stroke for most swimmers is the front crawl, that has become the default style used in freestyle events. Swimmers could use any style in a freestyle event, even one they make up themselves. In the medley events, when the freestyle leg comes, swimmers may not use a stroke that has been previously used, so they must do something other than butterfly, backstroke, or breaststroke. Freestylers can swim up to 15 meters underwater from the start and after each turn, but they usually surface earlier.

Backstroke Backstroke is sort of an upside down freestyle stroke. Competitors must swim on their backs with their eyes up. They are allowed to rotate their body to some degree as they swim. This is the only race where competitors start in the water although they can still spend 15 meters underwater from the start and after each turn; backstrokers often do butterfly kicks during this underwater portion of the race. Breaststroke Breaststroke is probably the oldest formalized stroke, and it often reminds people of a frog. Nowadays it looks more like a hyper-active frog! Swimmers must swim face down, moving their arms and legs together in a horizontal direction. Their head can be immersed completely, but it must break the surface of the water at least once during every stroke. While underwater at the start and the turns, swimmers are only allowed to make one arm stroke and one leg kick; there is no specific distance limit. A recent rule change allows breaststrokers to take one butterfly kick during the underwater pull during the start and turns. Butterfly The most physically demanding of all the strokes, butterfly evolved from the breaststroke, and was invented by a swimmer from Iowa.

It differs from breaststroke in that the arms and legs, which must move together during a stroke, move vertically rather than horizontally. The arms recover above the water and the legs kick as if they were a fish tail, with the toes turned in-wards, sort of pigeon-toed. Butterflyers can swim up to 15 meters underwater from the start and after each turn using a butterfly kick. EQUIPMENT Olympic swimming takes place in a 50-meter swimming pool with at least 8 separate lanes, one for each swimmer. The lanes are separated by a wave absorbing lane line or lane rope. The pools are deep - 5-feet or deeper - and have a variety of high-tech features that minimize turbulence for the swimmers. Each race starts from the starting blocks, a raised platform at one end of the pool. Swimmers wear suits (regulated by FINA, the international governing body for swimming) and goggles. Most swimmers also wear swim caps to minimize drag. Officials are present to enforce the technical rules of swimming so the competition is fair and equitable. Officials must attend clinics, pass written tests, and work at many swim meets before being certified and invited to be officials at the Olympic Games.

GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE Only two swimmers per country, per individual event, are allowed to compete in any individual event. Some countries may not have any entries in some events or might have only one entry, all based on how many of their swimmers achieved Olympic qualifying times. Each country is allowed to enter one relay team; the swimmers on that relay team may be different in the preliminary and final heats. Each heat race has a maximum of eight swimmers, and there can be multiple heats for any event. There are preliminary heats in the 50m, 100m and 200m distances that lead to semi-finals and then finals, all based on who swims the fastest. In the relays and longer individual events the eight fastest finishers in the preliminary heats advance straight through to the finals. The fastest swims in the finals earn the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Finish times are taken to the hundredth (.00). Because of this, ties could occur if multiple swimmers finish a race with identical times.

Swimming Equipment and History - Olympic Sport History Sports History Swimming can be dated back to the Stone Age, but did not truly become an organised sport until the early 19th century. An ancient discipline Prehistoric man learnt to swim in order to cross rivers and lakes – we know this because cave paintings from the Stone Age depicting swimmers have been found in Egypt. Swimming was also referred to in Greek mythology. Dawn of a sport Swimming was not widely practised until the early 19th century, when the National Swimming Society of Great Britain began to hold competitions. Most early swimmers used the breaststroke, or a form of it. Discovering the crawl Based on a stroke used by native South Americans, the first version of the crawl featured a scissor kick. In the late 1880s, an Englishman named Frederick Cavill travelled to the South Seas, where he saw the natives performing a crawl with a flutter kick. Cavill settled in Australia, where he taught the stroke that was to become the famous Australian crawl. Olympic history Swimming has featured on the programme of all editions of the Games since 1896. The very first Olympic events were freestyle (crawl) or breaststroke.

Backstroke was added in 1904. In the 1940s, breaststrokers discovered that they could go faster by bringing both arms forward over their heads. This practice was immediately forbidden in breaststroke, but gave birth to butterfly, whose first official appearance was at the 1956 Games in Melbourne. This style is now one of the four strokes used in competition. Women’s swimming became Olympic in 1912 at the Stockholm Games. Since then, it has been part of every edition of the Games. The men’s and women’s programmes are almost identical, as they contain the same number of events, with only one difference: the freestyle distance is 800 metres for women and 1,500 metres for men. Legends of the Spiral - Wizard101 How long is a NCAA or short course pool? Answer: 25 meters or 25 yards Correct! How long is an Olympic or long course pool? Answer: 50 meters Correct! In which stroke does a swimmer need to touch the pool with only one hand when they finish an event? Answer: Freestyle Correct! In which U.S. state must you be certified by law to teach swimming?

Answer: Florida Correct! Over 50% of world-class swimmers suffer from what kind of pain? Answer: Shoulder pain Correct! What is the most popular (and considered the fastest) freestyle stroke? Answer: Crawl Correct! What is the slowest Olympic swim stroke? Answer: Breaststroke Correct! What is the fastest Olympic swim stroke? Answer: Freestyle Correct! What is the term for friction that can slow your swimming down? Answer: Drag Correct! What percentage of people in the United States doesn't know how to swim? Answer: 65% Correct! What was the bikini swimsuit named after? Answer: A US Nuclear Testing Site Correct! When did swimming first become an Olympic event? Answer: 1896 Correct! When was the first filtration system for swimming pools introduced? Answer: 1910 Correct! When were women allowed to participate in Olympic swimming competitions? Answer: 1912 Correct! Where is the Deep Eddy Swimming pool, the oldest known concrete swimming pool? Answer: Texas Correct! Where were the first recorded swimming races held in 36 BC? Answer: Japan Correct! Which is the oldest swim stroke? Answer: Breaststroke Correct! Who invented swim fins?

Answer: Benjamin Franklin Correct! Why is swimming often a popular choice for physical therapy? Answer: The Water's Buoyancy Correct! USA Swimming - Swimming 101 Swimming 101 Join Today Become Part of America’s Swim Team Want to be a teammate of Ryan Lochte and Natalie Coughlin? Find a USA Swimming club near you and dive into the world of competitive swimming for fun, friends and exclusive member benefits. Check out our Member Kit For Members of America's Swim Team! Whether you've just joined America's Swim Team or you've been swimming for years, you'll want to check out the member kit for free downloads, a customizable video, tips for swimmers and more! Help Your Child Learn to Swim Introduce your child to the lifelong benefits swimming can provide and keep them safe around the water. Find a nearby learn-to-swim program. Home / Member Resources / Parents / Swimming 101 THE FOUR STROKES The four competitive swimming strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The combination of all four strokes is called individual medley. In freestyle events, the competitor may swim any stroke.

The stroke most commonly used is sometimes called the crawl, which is characterized by the alternate stroking of the arms over the surface of the water surface and an alternating (up-and-down) flutter kick. Backstroke consists of an alternating motion of the arms with a flut­ter kick while on the back. On turns, swimmers may rotate to the stomach and perform a flip turn and some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. The swimmer must finish on the back. The breaststroke requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pressed out from in front of the breast in a heart shaped pattern and recovered under or on the surface of the water. The kick is a simultaneous somewhat circular motion similar to the action of a frog. On turns and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at, above or below the water surface. Some consider the butterfly to be the most beautiful of the strokes. It features a simultaneous recovery of the arms over the water combined with an undulating dolphin kick. In the kick, the swimmer must keep both legs together and may not flutter, scissors or use the breaststroke kick. Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously on the turns and the finish.

The individual medley, commonly referred to as the I.M., features all four strokes. In the IM, the swimmer begins with the butterfly, then changes after one-fourth of the race to backstroke, then breaststroke and finally freestyle. COMPETITION 101 RULES The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer. COURSE Competition pools may be short course (25 yards or 25 meters), or long course (50 meters). The international standard (as used in the Olympics) is 50 meters. World records are accomplished in 25 and 50 meter pools. USA Swimming maintains records for 25 yard, 25 meter and 50 meter pools. COMPETITION Participants compete in different age groups and meets depending on their achievement level and how old they are on the first day of the meet. Traditionally recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18.

Many local meets feature 8 and under, single age groups, or senior events. Team practice groups are usually determined by age and/or ability. OFFICIALS Officials are present at all competitions to enforce the technical rules of swimming so the competition is fair and equitable. Officials attend clinics, pass a written test and work meets before being certified. All parents are encouraged to get involved with some form of officiating. EQUIPMENT Here is a list of common equipment used by competitive swimmers. Not all equipment is required for every swimmer, and some clubs may even provide certain items for practice and meets. Your child’s coach will be able to tell you exactly what your swimmer needs. The Development of the Modern Stroke The Development of the Modern Stroke Beginnings Ancient civilizations left ample evidence of their swimming abilities. Bas-relief artwork in an Egyptian tomb from around 2,000 B.C. shows an overarm stroke like the front crawl. The Assyrians showed an early breaststroke in their stone carvings. The Hittites, the Minoans, and other early civilizations left drawings of swimming and diving skills.

Even the Bible refers to movement through the water-in Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, and Isaiah 25:11. Competitive swimming is at least as old as 36 B.C., when the Japanese held the first known swimming races. The earliest published work on swimming was written in 1538 by Nicolas Wynman, a German professor of languages. In 1696, The Art of Swimming by the French author Thevenot first described a type of breaststroke done with the face out of the water and an underwater arm recovery (the stage of a stroke when the arms and/or legs relax and return to the starting position). This stroke gives the swimmer good stability, even in rough water. After the English trans- lation of Thevenot's work became the standard swimming reference, the breaststroke was the most common stroke for centuries. dRise of Competitive Swimming The English are considered the first modem society to develop swimming as a sport. By 1837, when modern competitive swimming began in London, several indoor pools already existed. The National Swimming Society regulated competition. The breaststroke and the recently developed sidestroke were used.

In 1844, Native Americans swam in a London meet. Flying Gull swam 130 feet in 30 seconds to defeat Tobacco and win a medal. Their stroke was described as thrashing the water with their arms in a motion "like a windmill" and kicking in an up-and-down motion. This early form of the front crawl was successful in that race, but the English continued to prefer the breaststroke for competition. The English also liked to compete against nature. In 1875, Captain Matthew Webb first swam the English Channel. With the breaststroke, he swam the 21.26 miles in 21 hours and 45 minutes. The first woman to swim the channel was Gertrude Ederle in 1926. Marcus Hooper, the youngest person to complete the swim, swam the channel in 1979 at age 12. In 1983, Ashby Harper swam the channel just a few days before his 66th birthday, making him the oldest.

Penny Dean had held the world record for the channel swim since 1978, but in 1994 American Chad Hundeby rewrote the mark. This challenge continues to attract distance swimmers as the ultimate feat in this sport. Early interest in stroke development Throughout the 1800s, a series of swimming strokes evolved. The sidestroke, in which the swimmer lies on one side, was soon modified to become the overarm sidestroke. One arm was recovered above the water for increased arm speed. The legs were squeezed together in an uncoordinated action. In 1895, J. H. Thayers of England, using the overarm sidestroke, swam a record 1:02.50 for 100 yards. (Note: Swimming times are expressed in minutes, seconds, and hundredths of seconds. So this record means the 100 yards were swum in 1 minute, 2 and 50/100 seconds. A time of less than a minute would be designated as 48.25-48 and 25/100 seconds.

Times that last longer than an hour-as for a triathlon or a marathon-would be expressed 3:22:15.30, for 3 hours, 22 minutes, 15 and 30/100 seconds.) John Trudgen developed the hand-over-hand stroke, then named the trudgen. He copied the stroke from South American Indians and introduced it in England in 1873. Each arm recovered out of the water as the body rolled from side to side. The swimmer did a scissors kick with every two arm strokes. This stroke was the forerunner of the front crawl. Kick variations included different multiples of scissors kicks or alternating scissors and flutter kicks. F. V. C. Lane showed the speed of the trudgen in 1901 by swimming 100 yards in 1:00.0. Modern Times: Swimming in the Twentieth Century Leisure swimming Swimming for leisure has become tremendously popular since late in the last century. The first municipal pool in the U.S. was built in Brookline, Mass., in 1887.

Soon after that, New York City built public facilities, then called "baths." In the 1920s, the first boom for swimming pools occurred with several thousand pools built in this country. At the same time there was a great rise in "estate pools," as residential pools were then called. Construction of swimming pools has not slowed since and shows no sign of ending. The National Spa and Pool Institute, a trade association representing the pool and spa industry, reports that there are now about 6 1/2 million pools in the United States. Today, pools are almost everywhere. hotels and motels, private associations, apartment buildings and condominiums, commercial operations, schools and universities, and municipalities have pools. Water theme parks with rides, slides, and artificial waves attract large numbers of thrill-seekers. As in the past, swimming in oceans, lakes, rivers, canals, and quarries continues to be popular, even though most swimmers use pools. Just as the number of places for swimming has increased, so have the kinds of activities people enjoy in and on the water.

Boating and water skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving, surfing and sail boarding, fishing, and an unlimited number of games-from tag to water polo-are all increasingly popular. The variety of relaxing water pastimes, such as hot tubs, saunas, and whirlpools often located at or near swimming facilities, also are growing in popularity. Leisure swimming also has great social value. Family and neighborhood ties are strengthened by weekends at the beach, vacations by mountain lakes, pool parties, and just "having the neighbor kids over to use the pool". Fitness aerobics The restorative power of water has long been recognized Ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome had their "baths." The Romans wrote that "health comes from water" on the walls of their public facilities. In our own time, the importance of aerobic exercise and the advantages of exercising in water are well known. Water exercise leads to less stress and fewer injuries to tendons and joints. From 1961, the Red Cross Swim and Stay Fit program has encouraged fitness by keeping track of one's swimming distance. Research on conditioning and aerobics in the 1960s revolutionized the world of water and most other sports.

The emphasis changed to cardiovascular conditioning rather than simply developing muscles. Physical fitness now focuses on heart rate, progressive resistance, overload, metabolism, and other aspects of fitness. The development of modern strokes Although people have swum since ancient times, swimming strokes have been greatly refined in the past 100 years. Competitive swimming, most notably the modern Olympic Games, begun in Athens, Greece, in 1896 increased interest in strokes. Scientific stroke analysis has helped produce more varied strokes, greater speeds, and a better understanding of propulsion through the water. Front Crawl The inefficiency of the trudgen kick led Australian Richard Cavill to try new methods. He used a stroke he observed natives of the Solomon Islands using, which combined an up-and-down kick with an alternating overarm stroke. He used the new stroke in 1902 at the International Championships and set a new world record (100 yards in 58.4 seconds). This stroke became known as the Australian crawl. Breaststroke and Butterfly Swimming research has helped the breaststroke evolve. Other strokes are faster, but the breaststroke is still a competitive event. Until the 1950s, the breaststroke was the only stroke with a required style.

The underwater recovery of both arms and legs in the breaststroke is a natural barrier to speed. In 1934, however, David Armbruster, coach at the University of Iowa, devised a double overarm recovery out of the water. This "butterfly" arm action gave more speed but required greater training and conditioning. Then in 1935, Jack Sieg, a University of Iowa swimmer, developed the skill of swimming on his side and beating his legs in unison like a fish's tail. He then developed the leg action face down. Armbruster and Sieg combined the butterfly arm action with this leg action and learned to coordinate the two efficiently. With two kicks to each butterfly arm action, Sieg swam 100 yards in 1:00.2. This kick was named the dolphin fishtail kick. Even though the butterfly breaststroke, as it was called, was faster than the breaststroke, the dolphin fishtail kick was declared a violation of competitive rules. For the next 20 years, champion breaststrokers used an out-of-water arm recovery (butterfly) with a shortened breaststroke kick.

In the late 1950s, the butterfly stroke with the dolphin kick was legalized as a separate stroke for competition. Many swimmers say the "wiggle" is the key to the stroke and that a swimmer who can undulate through the water naturally can more easily learn the butterfly. Competitive Swimming As swimmers refine strokes or make changes, the best way to see if the new stroke is an improvement is to use it in competition. This is why so much attention is paid to speed and endurance records. Swimmers Setting Records Alfred Hajos of Hungary won the first Olympic men's swimming gold medal in the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. He had a time of 1:22.20 for the 100-meter freestyle, a competitive event in which any stroke is allowed. Since then, new swimming records have been set regularly. While names have come and gone from the record books, several U.S. swimmers have left their mark on the swimming world. Johnny Weissmuller won 5 Olympic medals and 36 national championships and never lost a race in his 10-year career.

His record of 51 seconds for the 100-yard freestyle stood for over 17 years. Tracy Caulkins set world records in the 200-meter butterfly and the 400-meter individual medley (an event in which the competitor swims one quarter of the total distance using a different competitive stroke in a prescribed order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle). She broke her own world record in the 200-meter individual medley three times. Besides winning three Olympic medals, she is the only swimmer ever to hold all of the U.S. records at the same time. Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, more than any other swimmer in the history of Olympic competition. The first modern Olympic Games had only four swimming events, three of them freestyle. The second Olympics in Paris in 1900 included three unusual swimming events. One used an obstacle course; another was a test of underwater swimming endurance; the third was a 4,000-meter event, the longest competitive swimming event ever. None of the three was ever used in the Olympics again.

For a variety of reasons, women were excluded from swimming in the first several Olympic Games. In 1896 and again in 1906, women could not participate because the developer of the modern games, Pierre de Coubertin, held firmly to the assumption, common in the Victorian era, that women were too frail to engage in competitive sports. In 1900, the committee organizing the Paris games allowed women to participate in golf and tennis, since these were popular sports in Europe. (Until the International Olympic Committee was formed, events at Olympic Games were chosen by the host committee.) The 1904 games in St. Louis were dominated by the President of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), James E. Sullivan, who allowed women to participate only in archery, a demonstration sport. Sullivan's control not only of the Olympics but of the AAU is attested by the fact that one month after his death in 1914, women's events were allowed by the AAU. In 1908, women were allowed to compete in archery, and women's gymnastics was a demonstration event.

Women's swimming made its debut in the 1912 Games at the prompting of the group that later became the International Olympic Committee. As early as 1914 in this country, the Women's Swimming Association of New York, another outgrowth of the U.S. Volunteer Life Saving Corps, provided the first opportunity for women to train for national and international competition. From the humble beginning with four swimming events, the Olympics have developed to 32 swimming races, 16 for men and 16 for women. Competition for people with disabilities Swimming competition for people with disabilities also has a long history. In 1924, the Comite International des Sports des Sourds (CISS�the International Committee for Sports for the Deaf) held the first Summer World Games for men and women who were deaf. Athletes with cognitive disabilities first joined in international swimming competition in 1968, with the International Summer Special Olympics. The most recent Special Olympics had 22 events for men and 22 for women. Other organizations also provide aquatic competitions for people with disabilities. Research and Training Techniques Unlike walking and other motions, swimming is not a natural activity for the human body.

A standing position on land does not translate easily to a horizontal swimming position. Therefore, people throughout history have experimented with different ways to swim better. Our ability to use a variety of swimming techniques is due to the ball and socket joints of our shoulders and hips. Early swimmers experimented by trial and error and watched others. In 1928, however, David Armbruster first filmed swimmers under water to study strokes. The Japanese also photographed and studied world-class athletes, using their research to produce a swim team that dominated the 1932 Olympic Games. This marked the beginning of research into stroke mechanics. At the same time, others advanced the role of conditioning. The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, showed the clear value of conditioning. The host team for those games had fantastic success, which was due to their training program, not their stroke technique. American swimming coaches began adopting training methods like those used by track coaches to help runners break the 4-minute mile. Current research focuses on the forces that act on a body moving through the water, the science of hydrodynamics. Dr. James Counsilman, Charles Silvia, and Dr.

Ernest Maglischo have revolutionized stroke mechanics with their pioneering and painstaking work. This increased understanding of stroke mechanics has helped researchers and coaches improve swimmers' times in competition. American swim researchers include C. H. McCloy and Robert Kiphuth, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award, by President Johnson in 1963. They and others have given swimmers new techniques, drills, and training methods based on these scientific principles. Swimming Swimming Swimming is the way humans move themselves quickly through water. It is a popular activity in hot countries. It is also popular in areas with natural watercourses such as rivers, canals and lakes. Swimming is also a competitive sport. Normally there are four types of swimming in competitions: Freestyle - the swimmers can swim any way they want. But nearly every swimmer uses the front crawl. This is normally the fastest way to swim. Butterfly - the swimmers pull their arms out of the water together. They need very good balance. The butterfly is the hardest of the four strokes. Breaststroke - the swimmers hands must be pushed forward together from the breast (chest) At the same time the elbows must stay under the water.

It is the slowest stroke in swimming. Swimmers must have strong shoulders to swim the breaststroke, and the butterfly, stroke well. Backstroke � the swimmers lie on their back. They swing their arms back over their shoulder to move through the water. When one arm is in the air the other arm is in the water. The swimmers� legs kick up and down with the knees slightly bent. Backstroke is easy to swim. Images courtesy of 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 200m relay Backstroke 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 200m relay Backstroke Egyptian wrote hieroglyphics (small drawings) showing swimming. 400 BC Egyptians and Romans dived off cliffs as fun. 36 BC Japanese Emperor Suigiu tried to get people swimming. 78 AD Romans made swimming a event for men to meet at in Britain.

600's Plagues stopped people from swimming during the Dark Ages. People were scared they would catch diseases. 1300's Knights learn how to swim in armour. 1400's The church disapproved of people bathing naked. 1500's Oxford and Cambridge University banned swimming. 1600's Japanese Emperor Go-Yoozei said school children should swim. 1700's Sea swimming made popular by King George III. 1800's Germany and Sweden developed acrobatic diving. 1845 First swimming championship introduced in Sydney. 1875 People started swimming across the English Channel. Captain Matthew Webb was the first swimmer to achieve this. 1885 First diving competition held in Germany. 1892 First women's championship held in Scotland. 1908 The Federation Internationale de Natation de Amateur (FINA) was formed. They look after swimming and diving competitions all around the world. 1924 Johnny Weissmuller set 67 world records in many swimming events.

Australian Commonwealth Games medal tally from 1930 to 2002 218 Gold medals Olympic Game World Records for Australian Swimming Event Current and Recent Australian Swimmers Ian Thorpe Susie O�Neill Training Tips If you want to become a great swimmer you have to train lots. Usually swimmers train 6 to 12 times each week. They would swim about 1000 to 2000 metres each time if they race over short distances. Swimmers who compete in long races would practice swimming 10 kilometres each time. They would practice two or three times a day. The very best swimmers would train for six hours a day. Swimmers may also run, ride a bicycle and light weights as part of their training. Competition Olympic swimming events can take 20 seconds to 15 minutes to finish. The Swimmers Body Usually swimmers are tall with strong arms, shoulders and chests. It is useful for swimmers to be thin. This makes it easier to move themselves faster through the water. Health & Nutrition Daily Recovery The many hours of training makes swimmers tired. They need to eat more food than other people to have more energy. They often eat straight after training.

This is very important if swimmers have to wait a long time until their next meal. Drinking during Training Swimming very quickly actually makes people sweat. This is hard to tell because swimmers are already wet in the water. So swimmers bring drink bottles with them to the pool. Sports drinks can also give extra energy. Swimmers need Iron Many hours of training use up iron in swimmers� bodies. Swimmers need plenty of iron in their diet. They should eat both plant foods and meat that have lots of iron in the same meal. Staying Well Swimmers can get sick if they use up too much energy training. Scientists have found swimmers stay well if they do not get too hungry while training. Sports drinks and a snack after training also help. Australian Medallists Dawn One Hell Of A Life by Dawn Fraser Australian & New Zealand Olympians: the stories of 100 great champions by Graeme Atkinson Champions of Australian Sport Swimming by Robert Hillman Kieren Perkins (Young Achievers series) by Beth Dolan "History of Swimming" RSC03 History of Swimming Swimming has been known since prehistoric times.

Drawings from the Stone Age were found in "the cave of swimmers" near Wadi Sora (or Sura) in the southwestern part of Egypt. Written references date from 2000 B.C., including Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1538 Nicolas Wynman, German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, "Colymbetes". Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using breaststroke. The front crawl, then called the trudgen, was introduced in 1873 by John Arthur Trudgen, copying it from Native Americans. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902 the trudgen was improved by Richard Cavill, using the flutter kick. In 1908, the world swimming association, Federation Internationale de Natation de Amateur (FINA), was formed.

Butterfly was first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. Ancient Times Drawings from the Stone Age were found in "the cave of swimmers" near Wadi Sora (or Sura) in the southwestern part of Egypt near Libya. These pictures seem to show breaststroke or dog paddle, although it may also be possible that the movements have a ritual meaning unrelated to swimming. This cave is also featured in the movie The English Patient. An Egyptian clay seal dated between 4000 B.C. and 9000 B.C. shows four swimmers who are believed to be swimming a variant of the front crawl. More references to swimming are found in Babylonian bas-reliefs and Assyrian wall drawings, depicting a variant of the breaststroke. The most famous drawings were found in the Kebir desert and are estimated to be from around 4000 B.C. The Nagoda bas-relief also shows swimmers dating back from 3000 B.C. The Indian palace Mohenjo Daro from 2800B.C. contains a swimming pool sized 30m by 60m.

The Minoan palace Minos of Knossos in Crete also featured baths. An Egyptian tomb from 2000 B.C. shows a variant of the front crawl. Depictions of swimmers were also found from the Hittites, Minoans, and other Middle Eastern civilizations, the Incas in the Tepantitla House at Teotihuacan, and in mosaics in Pompeii. Written references date back to 2000 B.C. including Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas, although the style is never described. There are also many mentions of swimmers in the Vatican, Borgian and Bourbon codices. The Greeks did not include swimming in the ancient Olympic Games, but practiced the sport, often building swimming pools as part of their baths. One common insult in Greece was to say about somebody that he/she neither knew how to run nor swim.

The Etruscans at Tarquinia (Italy) show pictures of swimmers in 600 B.C., and tombs in Greece depict swimmers 500 B.C. The greek Scyllis was taken prisoner on a ship of the Persian king Xerxes I in 480 B.C. After learning about an impending attack on the Greek navy, he stole a knife and jumped overboard. During the night and using a snorkel made from reed, he swam back to the ships and cut them loose. It was also said that the ability to swim saved the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis, while the Persians all drowned when their ships were destroyed. Julius Caesar was also known to be a good swimmer. A series of reliefs from 850 B.C. in the Nimrud Gallery of the British Museum show swimmers, mostly in military context, often using swimming aids. In Japan swimming was one of the noble skills of the Samurai, and historic records describe swimming competitions in 36 B.C. organized by emperor Suigui (spelling unclear), which are the first known swimming races. The Germanic folklore describes swimming, which was used successfully in wars against the Romans.

Swimming competitions are also known from that time. Middle Ages to 1800 Swimming was initially one of the seven agilities of knights during the Middle Ages, including swimming with armour. However, as swimming was done in a state of undress, it became less popular as society became more conservative, and it was opposed by the church at the end of the middle ages. For example, in the 16th century, a German court document in the Vechta prohibited the naked public swimming of children. Leonardo da Vinci made early sketches of lifebelts. In 1538 Nicolas Wynman, German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book "Colymbetes". His goal was not exercise, but rather to reduce the dangers of drowning. Nevertheless, the book contained a very good and methodical approach to learning breaststroke, and includes swimming aids like air filled cow bladders, reed bundles, or cork belts. Around the same time, E. Digby in England also wrote a swimming book, claiming that humans can swim better than fish. In 1603 the first national swimming organization was established in Japan. TEmperor Go-Yozei of Japan declared that school children should swim.

In 1696, the French author Thevenot wrote "The Art of Swimming", describing a breaststroke very similar to the modern breaststroke. This book was translated into English and became the standard reference of swimming for many years to come. In 1708, the first known lifesaving group "Chinkiang Association for the Saving of Life" was established in China. In 1796 a (still existing) swimming club was founded in Upsala, Sweden. Benjamin Franklin is credited with the invention of the swimming fins at the age of ten, in 1716. In 1739 Guts Muts (also spelled as Guts Muth) from Schnepfenthal, Germany, wrote "Gymnastik für die Jugend" (Exercise for the youth), including a significant portion about swimming. In 1794 Kanonikus Oronzio de Bernardi of Italy wrote a two volume book about swimming, including floating practice as a prerequisite for swimming studies.

In 1798 Guts Muts wrote another book "Kleines Lehrbuch der Schwimmkunst zum Selbstunterricht" (Small study book of the art of swimming for self study), recommending the use of a "fishing rod" device to aid in the learning of swimming. His books describe a three step approach to learn swimming that is still used today. First, get the student used to the water, second, practice the swimming movements out of the water, third, practice the swimming movements in the water. He believed that swimming is an essential part of every education. More lifesaving groups were established in 1767 (1768?) in Amsterdam by the Dutch, 1772 in Copenhagen, and in 1774 by Great Britain. In 1768 a humane society was established in the United States. The Haloren, a group of salt makers in Halle, Germany, greatly advanced swimming through setting a good example to others by teaching their children swimming at a very early age. The Pre-Olympic Era to 1896 In 1804 the lifebelt was invented by W. H.

Mallison (America?), the device being known at that time as the "SeamanпїЅs Friend". However, the lifebelts took up valuable space on ships, and the United States Navy was worried about the devices being used by sailors to desert. The first German swimming club was founded in 1837 in Berlin. A journal mentions "swimming skates" in France, which may be an early version of a surfboard. One watershed event was a swimming competition in 1844 in London. Some Native Americans participated in this competition. While the British raced using breaststroke, the Native Americans swam a variant of the front crawl, which has been used by people in the Americas, West Africa and some Pacific islands for generations, but was not known to the British. As the front crawl is a much faster style than the breaststroke, the Americans won against the British competition. Flying Gull won the medal, swimming the 130 feet in 30 seconds; the second place was also won by another American named Tobacco. Their stroke was described as making a motion with the arms "like a windmill" and kicking the legs up and down.

As this produced considerably splashing, it was considered barbaric and "un-European" to the British gentlemen, who preferred to keep their heads over the water. Subsequently, the British continued to swim only breaststroke until 1873. The first indoor swimming pool was built in England in 1862. An Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain was organized in 1880 with more than 300 members. The main swimming styles were the breaststroke and the recently developed sidestroke. In the sidestroke, the swimmer lies on one side. Initially, the arms were brought forward under water, but this was soon modified to bring the arm forward over water to reduce resistance and to improve the speed, resulting in an overarm sidestroke. The legs were squeezed together in a scissor style. In 1895, J. H. Thayers of England swam 100 yards in a record-breaking 1:02.50 using a sidestroke. In 1873 John Arthur Trudgen reintroduced the front crawl to England.

Trudgen learned the stroke from Native Americans during a trip to South America (the exact date, however, is disputed and may be anywhere between 1870 and 1890). This stroke, a variant of the front crawl, was then called the Trudgen or Trudgeon. The arms were brought forward, alternating while the body rolled from side to side. The kick was a scissors kick, with one kick for two arm strokes, although it is believed that the Native Americans did indeed do a flutter kick and Trudgen mistakenly used the (in Britain) more common breaststroke kick. Variants used different ratios of scissor kicks to arm strokes, or alternated with a flutter (up-and-down) kick. The speed of the new stroke was demonstrated by F. V. C. Lane in 1901, swimming 100 yards in 1:00.0, an improvement of about ten seconds compared to the breaststroke record. This style is the first European version of the front crawl, the fastest swimming style known today. Due to its speed the Trudgen became very quickly popular around the world, despite all the ungentlemanlike splashing.

Captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English channel (between England and France), in 1875. He used breaststroke, swimming 21.26 miles in 21 hours and 45 minutes. No other man or woman swam the channel for the next 31 years. He died in 1882 while attempting to swim the Niagara Falls. The first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna. In 1879 Louis III of Bavaria built a swimming pool in castle Linderhof. This is believed to be the first artificial wave pool and also featured electrically heated water and light. Synchronized swimming started in the late 19th century, and the first competition was in 1891 in Berlin, a men's-only event. The Modern Olympic Era after 1896 The Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, a male-only competition (see also Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics).

Six events were planned, but only four events were actually contested: 100 m, 500 m, and 1200 m freestyle and 100 m for sailors. The first gold medal was won by Alfred Hajos of Hungary in 1:22.20 for the 100m freestyle. Hajos was also victorious in the 1200 m event, and was unable to compete in the 500 m, which was won by Austrian Paul Neumann. Another swimming competition of 100m for sailors included three Greek sailors in Bay of Zea near Piraeus, starting from a rowing boat. The winner was Ioannis Malokinis in two minutes and 20 seconds. A 1500m race was also performed. In 1897 Capt. Henry Sheffield designed a rescue can or rescue cylinder, now well known as the lifesaving device in Baywatch. The pointed ends made it slide faster though the water, although it can cause injuries.

The second Olympic games in Paris in 1900 featured 200m, 1000m, and 4000m freestyle, 200m backstroke , and a 200m team race (see also Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics). There were two additional unusual swimming events (although common at the time) : an obstacle swimming course in the Seine river (swimming with the current), and an underwater swimming race. The 4000m freestyle was won by John Arthur Jarvis in under one hour, the longest Olympic swimming race ever. The backstroke was also introduced to the Olympic games in Paris, as was water polo. The Osborne Swimming Club from Manchester beat club teams from Belgium, France and Germany quite easily. The Trudgen was improved by the British-born Australian swimming teacher and swimmer Richard (Fred, Frederick) Cavill. Like Trudgen, he watched natives from the Solomon Islands, using front crawl. But different from Trudgen, he noticed the flutter kick, and studied it closely. He used this new flutter kick instead of the breaststroke or scissor kick for the Trudgen.

He used this stroke in 1902 at an International Championships in England to set a new world record by outswimming all Trudgen swimmers over the 100 yards in 0:58.4 (some sources say it was his son in 0:58.8). He taught this style to his six sons, each becoming a championship swimmer. The technique became known as Australian crawl up to 1950, when it was shortened to crawl, technically known as front crawl. The Olympics in 1904 in St. Louis included races over 50 yards, 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards and one mile freestyle, 100 yards backstroke and 440 yards breaststroke, and the 4*50 yards freestyle relay (see also Swimming at the 1904 Summer Olympics). These games differentiated between breaststroke and freestyle, so that there were now two defined styles (breaststroke and backstroke) and freestyle, where most people swam Trudgen.

These games also featured a competition to plunge for distance, where the distance without swimming, after jumping in a pool, was measured. In 1907 the swimmer Annette Kellerman from Australia visited the United States as an "Underwater Ballerina", a version of Synchronized swimming, diving into glass tanks. She was arrested for indecent exposure, as her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck. Kellerman changed the suit to have long arms and legs, and a collar, still keeping the close fit revealing the shapes underneath. She later starred in several movies, including one about her life. In 1908, the world swimming association Federation Internationale de Natation de Amateur (FINA) was formed. Women were first allowed to swim in the Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm, competing in freestyle races. (Women could participate in golf and tennis since 1900 in Paris). In the 1912 games, Harry Hebner of the United States won the 100m backstroke.

At these games Duke Kahanamoku from Hawaii won the 100m freestyle, having learned the six kicks per cycle front crawl from older natives of his island. This style is now considered the classical front crawl style. The men's competitions were 100m, 400m, and 1500m Freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m and 400m breaststroke, and four by 200m freestyle relay. The womenпїЅs competitions were 100m freestyle and four by 100m freestyle relay. On 28 July 1912, a 800m long bridge between Binz and Rügen, Germany collapsed under the load of 1000 people waiting for a cruise steamer Kronprinz Wilhelm. Sailors of the German navy were able to save most people, but 17 people died because they could not swim, including seven children. This catastrophe caused the foundation of the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG) (German lifesaving organization) on October 19 1913 in Leipzig.

In the same year the first elastic swimsuit was made by the sweater company Jantzen. In 1922, Johnny Weissmuller became the first person to swim the 100m in less than a minute, using a six kicks per cycle Australian crawl. Johnny Weissmuller started the golden age of swimming and was the world's most famous swimmer, winning five Olympic medals and 36 national championships and never losing a race in his ten-year career, until he retired from swimming and started his second career as Tarzan. His record of 51 seconds in 100 yard freestyle stood for over 17 years. In the same year, Sybil Bauer was the first woman to break a menпїЅs world record over the 440m backstroke in 6:24.8. At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, lane dividers made of cork were used for the first time, and lines on the pool bottom aided with orientation. 1928 was the start of the scientific study of swimming by David Armbruster, coach at the University of Iowa, filming underwater swimmers.

The Japanese also used underwater photography to research the stroke mechanics, and subsequently dominated the 1932 Summer Olympics. Armbruster also researched a problem of breaststroke where the swimmer was slowed down significantly while bringing the arms forward underwater. In 1934 Armbruster refined a method to bring the arms forward over water in breaststroke. While this "butterfly" technique was difficult, it brought a great improvement in speed. One year later, in 1935, Jack Sieg (Seig?), a swimmer also from the University of Iowa developed a technique involving swimming on his side and beating his legs in unison similar to a fish tail, and modified the technique afterward to swim it face down. Armbruster and Sieg combined these techniques into a variant of the breaststroke called butterfly with the two kicks per cycle being called dolphin fishtail kick. Using this technique Sieg swam 100 yards in 1:00.2. However, even though this technique was much faster than regular breaststroke, the dolphin fishtail kick violated the rules and was not allowed.

Therefore, the butterfly arms with a breaststroke kick were used by a few swimmers in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin for the breaststroke competitions. In 1938, almost every breaststroke swimmer was using this butterfly style, yet this stroke was considered a variant of the breaststroke until 1952, when it was accepted as a separate style with a set of rules. Around that time another modification to the backstroke became popular. Previously, the arms were held straight during the underwater push phase, for example by the top backstroke swimmer from 1935 to 1945, Adolph Kiefer. However, Australian swimmers developed a technique where the arms are bent under water, increasing the horizontal push and the resulting speed and reducing the wasted force upward and sideways. This style is now generally used worldwide. In 1935 topless swimsuits for men were worn for the first time during an official competition. In 1943 the US ordered the reduction of fabric in swimsuits by 10% due to wartime shortages, resulting in the first two piece swimsuits.

Shortly thereafter the Bikini was invented in Paris by Louis Reard (officially) or Jacques Heim (earlier, but slightly larger). Another modification was developed for breaststroke. In breaststroke, breaking the water surface increases the friction, reducing the speed of the swimmer. Therefore, swimming underwater increases the speed. This led to a controversy at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and six swimmers were disqualified, as they repeatedly swam long distances underwater. However, one Japanese swimmer, Masaru Furukawa, circumvented the rule by not surfacing at all after the start, but swimming as much of the lane under water as possible before breaking the surface. He swam all but 5m under water for the first three 50m laps, and also swam half under water for the last lap, winning the gold medal. The adoption of this technique led to many swimmers suffering from oxygen starvation or even some swimmers passing out during the race due to a lack of air, and a new rule was introduced by the FINA, limiting the distance that can be swum under water after the start and every turn, and requiring the head to break the surface every cycle.

The 1956 games in Melbourne also saw the introduction of the body roll, a sort of tumble turn to faster change directions at the end of the lane. In 1972, another famous swimmer, Mark Spitz, was at the height of his career. During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he won seven gold medals, more than any other Olympic athlete has ever won. Shortly thereafter in 1973, the first swimming world cup was held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia by the FINA. Breaking the water surface reduces the speed in swimming; this is true not only for breaststroke, but also for backstroke. The swimmers Daichi Suzuki (Japan) and David Berkoff (America) used this for the 100m backstroke at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Berkoff swam 33m of the first lane completely underwater using only a dolphin kick, surfacing just before the turn, far ahead of his competition. A sports commentator called this a Berkoff Blastoff.

Suzuki, having practiced the underwater technique for 10 years, surfaced only a little bit earlier, winning the race in 0:55.05. The rules were quickly changed in the same year by the FINA to ensure the health and safety of the swimmers, limiting the underwater phase after the start to ten meters, which was expanded to 15m in 1991. In Seoul, Kristin Otto from East Germany won six gold medals, the most ever won by a woman. Another innovation is the use of forward tumble turns for backstroke. According to the rules, a backstroke swimmer had to touch the wall while lying less than 90 degrees out of the horizontal. Some swimmers discovered that they could turn faster if they rolled almost 90 degrees sideways, touched the wall, and made a forward tumble turn, pushing off the wall on their backs. The FINA has changed the rules to allow the swimmers to turn over completely before touching the wall to simplify this turn and to improve the speed of the races.

In 1998 Benoît Lecomte swam across the Atlantic Ocean, a total of 5,600 kilometers in 72 days, swimming 6 to 8 hours daily. He was accompanied by two sailors on a sailboat. After underwater swimming for breaststroke and backstroke, the underwater swimming technique is now also used for butterfly, for example by Denis Pankratov (Russia) or Angela Kennedy (Australia), swimming large distances underwater with a dolphin kick. FINA is again considering a rule change for safety reasons. It is currently unclear if it is possible to swim faster underwater than swimming freestyle or front crawl at the surface. The Fastest Swimming Strokes | LIVESTRONG.COM The Fastest Swimming Strokes Last Updated: Jan 09, 2016 Lisa Porter Lisa Porter began writing professionally in 2009. She writes for various websites and has a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. A young man swims freestyle in a pool. Photo Credit ViktorCap/iStock/Getty Images International swimming competitions feature four strokes: freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke.

The freestyle remains the fastest stroke, according to world records posted on USAswimming.com, followed by butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke, the slowest competitive swimming stroke. Freestyle Rules The classic freestyle, also known as the front crawl, combines a scissor kick with an overhead arm pull in which the arms move in an alternating pattern. Swimmers face the bottom of the pool to swim the freestyle. The international swimming governing body, the Federation Internationale de Natation or FINA, does not provide specific rules for the execution of the freestyle in its rulebook. In fact, swimmers can swim in any style they choose during freestyle events, except in medley events, when they may not swim backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly. Still, most swimmers perform the classic freestyle stroke that has proved to be the fastest stroke in competitive swimming. Butterfly Rules The butterfly stroke combines a dolphin kick with an overhead arm pull in which the arms move together. According to FINA rules, swimmers must move their legs up and down simultaneously and may not perform a scissor kick or butterfly kick. Butterfly swimmers also must move their arms together simultaneously throughout the race.

Freestyle Records All of the fastest 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m swimming records have been achieved in freestyle events, according to the world records posted at USAswimming.org. Cesar Cielo of Brazil holds the world record in 50 m freestyle with a time of 20.91 seconds, achieved in December 2009. This time beats the fastest 50 m breaststroke time by 5.76 seconds, achieved by Cameron Van der Burgh in July 2009. Cielo also holds the world record in 100 m freestyle with a time of 46.91, achieved in July 2009. Paul Biedermann set a world record in the 200 m freestyle in July 2009 with a time of 1:42.00.

Butterfly Records Rafael Munoz set a world record in the 50 m butterfly in April 2009 with a time of 22.43, only 1.52 seconds slower than the fastest 50 m freestyle time. Michael Phelps holds the world records in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly, with times of 49:82 and 1:51.51, swum in August 2009 and July 2009, respectively. Related Searches THE LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate Nutrition, Workouts & Tips GOAL Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week GENDER

Question: What is the slowest of the four Olympic swimming strokes?
Answer: Breaststroke