1.

0 History of swimming
Swimming has been known since prehistoric times. Drawings from the Stone Age were found in
"the cave of swimmers" near WadiSora (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 WadiSora (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 MohenjoDaro 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 greekScyllis 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
"Gymnastikfr die Jugend" (Exercise for the youth), including a significant portion about
swimming. In 1794 KanonikusOronzio 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 "KleinesLehrbuch der SchwimmkunstzumSelbstunterricht" (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 "Seamans 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 IoannisMalokinis 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 womens competitions were 100m
freestyle and four by 100m freestyle relay.

On 28 July 1912, a 800m long bridge between Binz and Rgen, 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
mens 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 BenotLecomte 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.

2.0 BREAST STROKE
There are several steps to breast stroke swimming with diagram.
First step - Place yourself laterally in the water with your arms extended straight in front
of you and your legs in back of you.



Second step - Push your arms apart so that they create a diagonal with your body. Make
sure your palms are facing out and your elbows are straight.










Third step - Pull your elbows into the sides of your body, then bring your hands together in
front of your chest. Now simply push your hands forward so they return to where
they started. Do not make your arms go wide open, but do not make a tiny circle
either. Also, when both of your hands get to your chest, shoot them out quickly
side by side, palms up.









Forth step - While completing step 3, lift your head, neck, and upper chest out of the water to
breathe. Do not remove your hands from the water.











Fifth step - Bending your knees, bring your feet towards your bottom. Make a circular motion with
your feet until they meet with your legs fully extended once again. Complete this step as
fast as possible.










Sixth step - Glide. But not for too long. In competitions, DO NOT go over 1 or 2 seconds, as it will
slow you down a lot.











Seventh step - Do not take 2 strokes with 1 breath. This WILL give you automatic
disqualification. If you want to take your breath every other stroke, then you
have to lift your head up and put it back down. If you don't and just do 2 strokes
without lifting up your head, you will be disqualified, so make sure that you at
least lift up your head. Also, when you take a breath, do not look up. Instead,
look down at the water. With every stroke of your hands and arms, it will take
your head up automatically so don't move your head, as it will waste your
energy. When you are almost finished, touch the shore with both hands at the
same time, or else you will be disqualified.






3.0 Butterfly stroke
The butterfly stroke is named after the graceful motion of a butterfly's wings. It is one of the fastest
swim strokes, and is also considered to be one of the most difficult. However, with practice and
perseverance, you can perform the butterfly stroke with confidence and efficiency.

Before beginning, it is preferable to consult your physician and be in good physical condition. It is
also a good idea to have some familiarity with the other basic swimming strokes. The best option is
to have a qualified swim coach to instruct you, but if this is not possible you can certainly teach
yourself the butterfly stroke.

The butterfly is broken down into two components: the kick and the stroke. The kick is done with the
legs together in an undulating motion originating from the hips, flowing through the knees and then
through the feet. This is known as a dolphin kick. Often it is helpful to practice the dolphin kick
separately either with a kick board or while wearing flippers. This helps familiarize swimmers with the
power and fluidity of the kick.


The stroke performed consists of three basic parts: the pull, the push, and the recovery. The stroke
can be practiced separately while stationary in the water. Start with your arms out in front of you,
shoulder width apart. Next, in a continuous motion bring your arms down through the water to waist-
level, achieving the pull - pulling yourself through the water. Continue the arm motion with a push
through to the hips or mid-thigh, and then bring your arms up out of the water, over the top of your
head, and back around to the starting point to perform the recovery. This completes the motion of
the stroke.

After mastering these two components, the next step is to put them together. This is best done with
an understanding of the two-kick cycle. The two-kick cycle is performed by first pushing off of the
wall of the pool with the dolphin kick. When you are ready to breathe, execute a pull and push, lifting
your head out of the water and taking a deep breath. As you are pulling and pushing, do a giant kick
to lift up out of the water and breathe. As you perform the recovery, kick back down into the water to
glide for approximately 1-2 seconds. This completes the butterfly stroke.

Lastly, it is always recommended to learn butterfly stroke only after you are proficient in other basic
strokes such as freestyle or breast stroke.