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Swimming(sport)
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Swimmingisanindividualorteamsportandactivity.Competitiveswimmingisoneofthemostpopular
Olympicsports,witheventsinfreestyle,backstroke,breaststroke,andbutterfly.Inadditiontothese
individualevents,Olympicswimmersalsoparticipateinrelays.Swimmerscanalsocompeteinopenwater
events(i.e.swimmingintheOcean).

Contents
1 History
2 Competitiveswimming
2.1 Openwater
2.2 Swimstyles
2.3 Dolphinkick
3 Competitionpools
4 Seasons
5 Officials
6 Swimwear
6.1 Regularswimwear
6.1.1 Men
6.1.2 Women
6.1.3 Useofdragwear
7 EliteandInternationalSwimming
7.1 Professionalism
8 CollegiateSwimming
9 Openwaterswimming
10 Changestothesport
11 Records
12 Healthbenefits
13 CommonInjuries
14 Seealso
15 References
16 Externallinks

Startofthe4100metersrelayinthe2008
SummerOlympics.

History
Evidenceofrecreationalswimminginprehistorictimeshasbeenfound,withtheearliestevidencedatingto
StoneAgepaintingsfromaround10000yearsago.Writtenreferencesdatefrom2000BC,withsomeofthe
earliestreferencestoswimmingincludingtheIliad,theOdyssey,theBible,Beowulf,theQuranandothers.
In1538,NikolausWynmann,aGermanprofessoroflanguages,wrotethefirstswimmingbook,The
SwimmerorADialogueontheArtofSwimming(DerSchwimmerodereinZweigesprchberdie
Schwimmkunst).

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Swimmingemergedasacompetitive
recreationalactivityinthe1830sinEngland.In
1828,thefirstindoorswimmingpool,St
George'sBathswasopenedtothepublic.[1]By
1837,theNationalSwimmingSocietywas
holdingregularswimmingcompetitionsinsix
artificialswimmingpools,builtaroundLondon.
Therecreationalactivitygrewinpopularityand
by1880,whenthefirstnationalgoverning
body,theAmateurSwimmingAssociation,was
formed,therewerealreadyover300regional
clubsinoperationacrossthecountry.[2]
In1844
two
Native

TheroutestakenbyWebbandT.W.
BurgessacrosstheEnglishChannel,
in1875and1911,respectively.

LeanderswimmingacrosstheHellespont.Detailfroma
paintingbyBernardPicart.

AmericanparticipantsataswimmingcompetitioninLondon
introducedthefrontcrawltoaWesternaudience.SirJohnArthur
TrudgenpickedupthehandoverstrokefromsomeSouthAmerican
nativesandsuccessfullydebutedthenewstrokein1873,winninga
localcompetitioninEngland.Hisstrokeisstillregardedasthemost
powerfultousetoday.[3]

CaptainMatthewWebbwasthefirstmantoswimtheEnglish
Channel(betweenEnglandandFrance),in1875.Usingthe
breaststroketechnique,heswamthechannel21.26miles(34.21km)
in21hoursand45minutes.Hisfeatwasnotreplicatedorsurpassedforthenext36years,untilT.W.
Burgessmadethecrossingin1911.
OtherEuropeancountriesalsoestablishedswimmingfederationsGermanyin1882,Francein1890and
Hungaryin1896.ThefirstEuropeanamateurswimmingcompetitionswerein1889inVienna.Theworld's
firstwomen'sswimmingchampionshipwasheldinScotlandin1892.[4]
Men'sswimmingbecamepartofthefirstmodernOlympicGamesin1896inAthens.In1902,the
AustralianRichmondCavillintroducedthefrontcrawltotheWesternworld.In1908,theworldswimming
association,FdrationInternationaledeNatation(FINA),wasformed.Women'sswimmingwasintroduced
intotheOlympicsin1912.Butterflywasdevelopedinthe1930sandwasatfirstavariantofbreaststroke,
untilitwasacceptedasaseparatestylein1952.

Competitiveswimming
Competitiveswimmingbecamepopularinthe19thcentury.Thegoalofcompetitiveswimmingistobreak
personalorworldrecordswhilebeatingcompetitorsinanygivenevent.Swimmingincompetitionshould
createtheleastresistanceinordertoobtainmaximumspeed.However,someprofessionalswimmerswho
donotholdanationalorworldrankingareconsideredthebestinregardtotheirtechnicalskills.Typically,
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anathletegoesthroughacycleoftraininginwhichthebodyisoverloadedwithworkinthebeginningand
middlesegmentsofthecycle,andthentheworkloadisdecreasedinthefinalstageastheswimmer
approachescompetition.
Thepracticeofreducingexerciseinthedaysjustbeforeanimportantcompetitioniscalledtapering.Afinal
stageisoftenreferredtoas"shaveandtaper":theswimmershavesoffallexposedhairforthesakeof
reducingdragandhavingasleekerandmorehydrodynamicfeelinthewater.[5]Additionally,the"shave
andtaper"methodreferstotheremovalofthetoplayerof"deadskin",whichexposesthenewerandricher
skinunderneath.[6]
SwimmingisaneventattheSummerOlympicGames,wheremale
andfemaleathletescompetein16oftherecognizedeventseach.
Olympiceventsareheldina50meterpool,calledalongcourse
pool.
Therearefortyofficiallyrecognizedindividualswimmingeventsin
thepoolhowevertheInternationalOlympicCommitteeonly
recognizes32ofthem.Theinternationalgoverningbodyfor
competitiveswimmingistheFdrationInternationaledeNatation
("InternationalSwimmingFederation"),betterknownasFINA.

Openwater

WorldrecordholderandOlympic
goldmedalistMichaelPhelpsinthe
400IM.

Inopenwaterswimming,wheretheeventsareswuminabodyof
openwater(lakeorsea),therearealso5km,10kmand25kmeventsformenandwomen.However,only
the10kmeventisincludedintheOlympicschedule,againforbothmenandwomen.Openwater
competitionsaretypicallyseparatetootherswimmingcompetitionswiththeexceptionoftheWorld
ChampionshipsandtheOlympics.

Swimstyles
Incompetitiveswimming,fourmajorstyleshavebeenestablished.Thesehavebeenrelativelystableover
thelast3040yearswithminorimprovements.Theyare:
Butterfly(fly)
Backstroke(back)
Breaststroke(breast)
Freestyle(free)
Incompetition,onlyoneofthesestylesmaybeusedexceptinthecaseoftheindividualmedley,orIM,
whichconsistsofallfour.Inthislatterevent,swimmersswimequaldistancesofbutterfly,thenbackstroke,
breaststroke,andfinally,freestyle.[7]InOlympiccompetition,thiseventisswumintwodistances200and
400meters.Someshortcoursecompetitionsalsoincludethe100yardor100meterIMparticularly,for
youngerswimmers(typicallyunder14years)involvedinclubswimming,ormastersswimming(over18).

Dolphinkick

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Inthepasttwodecades,themostdrasticchangeinswimminghasbeentheadditionoftheunderwater
dolphinkick.Thisisusedtomaximizethespeedatthestartandaftertheturnsinallstyles.Thefirst
successfuluseofitwasbyDavidBerkoff.Atthe1988Olympics,heswammostofthe100mbackstroke
raceunderwaterandbroketheworldrecordonthedistanceduringthepreliminaries.Anotherswimmerto
usethetechniquewasDenisPankratovatthe1996OlympicsinAtlanta,wherehecompletedalmosthalfof
the100mbutterflyunderwatertowinthegoldmedal.Inthepastdecade,Americancompetitiveswimmers
haveshownthemostuseoftheunderwaterdolphinkicktogainadvantage,mostnotablyOlympicand
WorldmedalwinnersMichaelPhelpsandRyanLochtehowevertheseswimmersarenotabletogoany
furtherthanfifteenmetresunderwaterduetorulechangesbyFINA.[8]
Whilethedolphinkickismostlyseeninmiddledistancefreestyleeventsandinalldistancesofbackstroke
andbutterfly,itisnotusuallyusedtothesameeffectinfreestylesprinting.Thatchangedwiththeaddition
ofthesocalled"technical"suitsaroundtheEuropeanShortCourseChampionshipsinRijeka,Croatiain
December2008.There,AmauryLeveauxsetnewworldrecordsof44.94secondsinthe100mfreestyle,
20.48secondsinthe50mfreestyleand22.18inthe50mbutterfly.Unliketherestofthecompetitorsin
theseevents,hespentatleasthalfofeachracesubmergedusingthedolphinkick.[9]

Competitionpools
WorldChampionshippoolsmustbe50
metres(160ft)(longcourse)longand
25metres(82ft)wide,withtenlanes
labelledzerotonine(oronetotenin
somepoolszeroandnine(oroneand
ten)areusuallyleftemptyinsemifinals
andfinals)thelanesmustbeatleast2.5
metres(8.2ft)wide.Theywillbe
equippedwithstartingblocksatboth
endsofthepoolandmostwillhave
AutomaticOfficiatingEquipment,
includingtouchpadstorecordtimesand
sensorstoensurethelegalityofrelay
takeovers.Thepoolmusthavea
minimumdepthoftwometres.[10]
AsimplifieddiagramoftheFINAlongcourseswimmingpool
Otherpoolswhichhosteventsunder
standard,usedattheWorldChampionshipsandSummerOlympics
FINAregulationsarerequiredtomeet
somebutnotalloftheserequirements.
Manyofthesepoolshaveeightinsteadoftenlanesandsomewillbe25metres(82ft)long,makingthem
Shortcourse.Worldrecordsthataresetinshortcoursepoolsarekeptseparatefromthosesetinlongcourse
poolsbecauseitmaybeanadvantageordisadvantagetoswimmerstohavemoreorlessturnsinarace.

Seasons

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Competitiveswimming,fromtheclubthroughtointernationallevel,tendstohaveanautumnandwinter
seasoncompetinginshortcourse(25metreoryard)poolsandaspringandsummerseasoncompetingin
longcourse(50metre)poolsandinopenwater.
IninternationalcompetitionandinclubswimminginEurope,theshortcourse(25m)seasonlastsfrom
SeptembertoDecember,andthelongcourse(50m)seasonfromJanuarytoAugustwithopenwaterinthe
summermonths.
Inclub,school,andcollegeswimmingintheUnitedStates,theshortcourse(25yard)seasonismuch
longer,fromSeptembertoMarch.Thelongcourseseasontakesplacein50meterpoolsandlastsfrom
ApriltotheendofAugustwithopenwaterinthesummermonths.
InclubswimminginAustralasia,theshortcourse(25m)seasonlastsfromApriltoSeptember,andthelong
course(50m)seasonfromOctobertoMarchwithopenwaterinthesummermonths.
OutsidetheUnitedStates,metersisthestandardinbothshortandlongcourseswimming,withthesame
distancesswuminallevents.IntheAmericanshortcourseseason,the500yard,1000yard,and1650yard
freestyleeventsareswumasayardismuchshorterthanameter(100yardsequals91.44meters),while
duringtheAmericanlongcourseseasonthe400meter,800meter,and1500meterfreestyleeventsare
swuminstead.
Beginningeachswimmingseasonracinginshortcourseallowsforshorterdistanceracesfornovice
swimmers.Forexample,intheshortcourseseasonifaswimmerwantedtocompeteinastroketheyhad
justlearned,a25yard/meterraceisavailabletothem,opposedtothelongcourseseasonwhentheywould
needtobeabletoswimatleast50metersofthatnewstrokeinordertocompete.

Officials
Thereareseveraltypesofofficials,[11]whichareneededtomanagethecompetition.[12]
Referee:Therefereehasfullcontrolandauthorityoverallofficials.Therefereewillenforceallrulesand
decisionsofFINAandshalldecideallquestionsrelatingtotheactualconductofthemeet,andeventorthe
competition,thefinalsettlementofwhichisnototherwisecoveredbytherules.Therefereetakesoverall
responsibilityforrunningtheraceandmakesthefinaldecisionsastowhowinsthecompetition.Referees
callswimmerstotheblockswithshortblastsofhisorherwhistle.Thisisthesignalfortheswimmersto
standnexttotheirblocks.Thentherefereewillblowalongwhistlethatwilltelltheswimmerstostepon
theblock.Forbackstroke(otherwiseknownasbackcrawl)events,thelongwhistleisthesignalforthe
swimmerstostepinthewater.Therefereewillthenblowanotherlongwhistle,signallingtheswimmersto
grabthegutterortheprovidedblockhandle(forbackstoke/backcrawleventsonly).Therefereewillthen
handovercontroltothestarter.
Starter:Thestarterhasfullcontroloftheswimmersfromthetimetherefereeturnstheswimmersoverto
him/heruntiltheracecommences.Astartersendstheswimmersofftheblocksandmaycallafalsestartifa
swimmerleavestheblockbeforethestartersendsthem.
Clerkofcourse:Theclerkofcourse(alsocalledthe"bullpen")assemblesswimmerspriortoeachevent,
andisresponsiblefororganizing("seeding")swimmersintoheatsbasedontheirtimes.Heatsaregenerally
seededfromslowesttofastest,whereswimmerswithnoprevioustimeforaneventareassumedtobethe
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slowest.
Timekeepers:Eachtimekeepertakesthetimeoftheswimmersinthelaneassignedtohim/her.Unlessa
videobackupsystemisused,itmaybenecessarytousethefullcomplementoftimekeepersevenwhen
automaticofficiatingequipmentisused.Achieftimekeeperassignstheseatingpositionsforalltimekeepers
andthelanesforwhichtheyareresponsible.Inmostcompetitionstherewillbeoneormoretimekeepers
perlane.Ininternationalcompetitionswherefullautomatictimingandvideoplacingequipmentisinuse
timekeepersmaynotberequired.
Inspectorsofturns:Oneinspectorofturnsisassignedtooneormorelanesateachendofthepool.Each
inspectorofturnsensuresthatswimmerscomplywiththerelevantrulesforturningaswellastherelevant
rulesforstartandfinishoftherace.Inspectorsofturnsshallreportanyviolationondisqualificationreports
detailingtheevent,lanenumber,andtheinfringementdeliveredtothechiefinspectorofturnswhowill
immediatelyconveythereporttothereferee.
JudgesofStroke:Judgesofstrokearelocatedoneachsideofthepool.Theyensurethattherulesrelated
tothestyleofswimmingdesignatedfortheeventarebeingobserved,andobservetheturnsandthefinishes
toassisttheinspectorsofturns.
Finishjudges:Finishjudgesdeterminetheorderoffinishandmakesuretheswimmersfinishin
accordancewiththerules(twohandssimultaneouslyforbreaststrokeandbutterfly,onthebackfor
backstroke,etc.)
Ifanofficialobservesaswimmerbreakingaruleconcerningthestrokeheorsheisswimming,theofficial
willreportwhattheyhaveseentothereferee.Therefereecandisqualify(orDQ)anyswimmerforany
violationoftherulesthathe/shepersonallyobservesorforanyviolationreportedtothembyother
authorisedofficials.Alldisqualificationsaresubjecttothedecisionofthereferee.

Swimwear
Swimsuit
Thesuitcoverstheskinformodesty.Competitive
swimwearseekstoimproveuponbarehumanskin
foraspeedadvantage.In2009,FINArulesand
regulationswerealteredandsuitsmadewith
polyurethanewerebannedbecausetheymade
athletesmorebuoyant.Theserulesalsobannedsuits
whichgoabovethenavelorbelowthekneeformen
andsuitswhichextendpasttheshouldersorcover
theneckforwomen[13]
Swimcap
Aswimcap(a.k.a.cap)keepstheswimmer'shair
outofthewaytoreducedrag.Capsmaybemadeof
latex,silicone,spandexorlycra.

AustralianSwimTeamintheirswimsuits,1996

Goggles
Goggleskeepwaterandchlorineoutofswimmers'eyes.Gogglesmaybetintedtocounteractglareat
outdoorpools.Prescriptiongogglesmaybeusedbyswimmerswhowearcorrectivelenses.
SwimFins
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Rubberfinsareusedtohelpkickfasterandbuildstrengthand
technique,butareillegalinarace.Theyalsoimprovetechnique
bykeepingthefeetintheproperpositionwhilekicking.
Dragsuit
Swimmersusedragsuitsintrainingtoincreaseresistance.
Handpaddles
Swimmersusetheseplasticdevicestobuildarmandshoulder
strengthandrefinepullingtechnique.Handpaddlesattachtothe
handwithrubbertubingorelasticmaterial.Theycomeinmany
differentshapesandsizes,dependingonswimmerpreferenceor
ifateamhasbeguntotaper.
Capandgogglesclearlyseen
Kickboard
Akickboardisafoamboardthatswimmersusetosupportthe
weightoftheupperbodywhiletheyfocusonkickinghelpsbuildlegmuscles.(Isusuallyused
duringpractice)
Pullbuoy
Oftenusedatthesametimeashandpaddles,pullbuoyssupportswimmers'legs(andpreventsthem
fromkicking)whiletheyfocusonpulling.Pullbuoysaremadeoffoamsotheyfloatinthewater.
Swimmersholdtheminbetweenthethighs.Theycanalsobeusedasakickboardtomakekickinga
littleharder.
Anklebands
Improvingbalancewillminimizetheneedforthiskicktoprovideanupward,insteadofaforward
vector,andinsomecasescompletelycorrectsthekick.Usingananklebandwillhavetheimmediate
effectofturningoffyourkick,whichthenforcesyoutomakeeffortstocorrectyourbalance.Ifyou
aresuccessfulindiscoveringthese,thentheanklebandhasdonepartofitsjob.[14]
Snorkel
Asnorkelisaplasticdevicethathelpsswimmersbreathewhileswimming.Thispieceofequipment
helpstheswimmerpracticekeepinghisorherheadinoneposition,alongwithtrainingthemforthe
properbreathingtechniqueofbreathinginthroughthemouthandoutthenose.Thistechniqueisthe
oppositeofacommonrunner'sbreathingpattern,whichisinthenoseandoutthemouth.[15][16]
Tempotrainer
abeepingclockattachedtoaswimmerscaporgoggleshelpsthemmaintainacertainarmtempoor
speed.Aseachbeepisheard,theirnextstrokeshouldbetaken.
Zoomers
atypeofrubberswimmingfins,zoomersarecutofffinswiththeholesinthebottom.Theyhelp
maketheswimmerkickfaster,butatthecostofworkingharder.

Regularswimwear
Men
Men'smostusedpracticeswimwearincludebriefsandjammers.Malesgenerallyswimbarechested.
TherewasmuchcontroversyaftertheBeijingOlympicGamesin2008,whenmanyOlympicswimmers
brokerecordsanunprecedentednumberoftimesusingrevolutionaryswimsuits.Tohighlighttheissue,in
2008,70worldrecordswerebrokeninoneyear,and66OlympicrecordswerebrokeninoneOlympic
Games(therewereracesinBeijingwherethefirstfivefinisherswereswimmingfasterthantheoldworld
record).
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AsofJanuary1,2010,menareonlyallowedtowearsuitsfromthewaisttoabovetheknees.[17]Theyare
alsoonlypermittedtowearonepieceofswimweartheycannotwearbriefsunderneathjammers.Thisrule
wasenactedafterthecontroversyintheBeijingOlympicsandRomeWorldChampionships.
Women
Womenwearonepiecesuitswithdifferentbacksforcompetition,thoughtwopiecesuitscanalsobeworn.
Backsvarymainlyinstrapthicknessandgeometricdesign.Mostcommonstylesinclude:racerback,axel
back,corset,diamondback,andbutterflyback/FlyBack.Therearealsodifferentstylelengths:three
quarterlength(reachestheknees),regularlength(shoulderstohips),andbikinistyle(twopiece).Alsoas
ofJanuary1,2010,incompetition,womenareonlyallowedtowearsuitsthatdonotgopastthekneesor
shoulders.
Useofdragwear
Dragsuitsareusedtoincreasewaterresistanceagainsttheswimmertohelpthemtrainforcompetitions.
Otherformsofdragwearincludenylons,oldsuits,andTshirts:articlesthatincreasefrictioninthewaterto
buildstrengthduringtraining,andthusincreasespeedoncedragitemsareremovedforcompetition.
Someswimmersalsoshaveareasofexposedskinbeforeendofseasoncompetitionstoreducefrictionin
thewater.Thepracticegainedpopularityafterthe1956Olympics,whenMurrayRoseandJonHenricks
cameshavedandwongoldmedalsforAustralia.[18]Freshlyshavenskinislessresistantwheninthewater.
Inaddition,a1989studydemonstratedthatshavingimprovesaswimmer'soverallperformancebyreducing
drag.[19]
Wearingdragsuitsduringtrainingalsoimprovesmentalperformanceduringcompetitions.Dragmakesa
swimmerfeelslowerandmoreresistantduringtrainingwiththeaddedfriction.Thenonthedayofthe
competition,ashavenswimmerwearingonlyafastcompetitionsuitwillfeelanimprovementinhowfast
andsmooththeyfeelinthewater.

EliteandInternationalSwimming
Eliteandinternationalswimmingcomprisesthehighestlevelofcompetitionavailabletoswimmers.

Professionalism
Itisnotastraightforwardprofessionalsportasalmostallthemoneyforeliteandinternationalswimmingis
heldbynationalgoverningbodiesforthesportbecauseitisgeneratedbyamateurs'subscriptionfees,
governmentgrants,theOlympicGamesandtheWorldAquaticsChampionships(andineachcountry,the
nationaltrialstoqualifyforthepreceding).Thisresultsinamixoffullyprofessional,semiprofessional,
andamateurswimmersatthislevel.Fullyprofessionalswimmerswilltypicallygetasalarybothfromtheir
nationalgoverningbodyandfromoutsidesponsors,semiprofessionalsasmallstipendfromtheirnational
governingbody,andamateursthatreceivenofunding.Outsideofthesemajorchampionshipsprizemoney
islowthe2015FINAWorldCupserieshasatotalprizefundof$3,000perracesharedbetweenthetop
three[20]andthe201415USAGrandPrixSeries$1,800[21]comparedtothe2015WorldAquatics
Championshipsfundof$60,000perracesharedbetweenthetopeight.[22]
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CollegiateSwimming
Youngswimmerscompeteonclubteamsandmaywishtocontinuetheircareersthroughcollege.Priorto
July1,peoplecancompleterecruitingquestionnairesforschoolstheyareinterestedin.TheRecruiting
processforcollegiateswimmingoftenstartson1Julyfollowingtheathlete'sjunioryearofhighschool.[23]
Thatdatemarksthedaythatcollegecoachescancontactathletesviaphonetodiscusspossiblyswimming
fortheirteam.Afterspeakingwithhighschoolrecruitsviaphoneandemail,collegecoachesareableto
inviteathletesonofficialrecruitingtrips,duringwhichtherecruitsparticipateinawiderangeof
activities.[24]Suchactivitiesincludemeetingtheteammembers,attendingclasses,meetings,andathletic
eventsinordertogainanideaaboutwhatitmightbeliketoattendthatcollege.Thetripsarefundedbythe
athleticdepartmentandareknownasstructuredsalespitchesdesignedtoimpressthestudentathlete.Each
studentathleteisallowedtotakefiveofficialrecruitingtrips,eachlastingnolongerthan48hours.[25]
Swimmersmostoftenbasetheircollegedecisionsonhowwelltheymeshwiththeexistingteamand
coachingstaff,thelocationoftheschool,theacademicopportunities,andthecostofattendance.[26]
Studentathletesmustreachacertainstandardofacademicperformancedependingonwhichcollegethey
seektoattend.Insomecases,theathleticdepartmentmayhavesomecontroloverwhoisadmitted.Once
admittedhowever,academicregulationandpolicies,suchasmandatedstudyhallandcredithours,are
strictlyenforced.SwimmerscanchoosefromcompetinginDivisionI,DivisionII,DivisionIII,orthe
NAIA.SwimmersthatchoosetocompeteinDivisionsIthroughIIIadheretotherulessetbytheNCAA.[27]
ThecollegiateswimmingseasonspansfrommidOctobertomidMarchandendswiththeNCAA
Championshipmeet.Meetsbetweentwoorthreeteams,knownasdualmeetsorthelatterastrimeets,run
throughouttheseasonatcollegiatefacilities.Conferencechampionships,usuallylastingfourorfivedays,
includeallteamsineachconferenceandareusuallyheldatlargeraquaticsfacilitiestoaccommodate
spectators.CollegiateswimmersareeligibletocompeteintheNCAAchampionshipsforDivisionI,II,and
IIIcontingentuponswimmersmeetingthequalifyingtimestandards.Thequalifyingtimestandardforthe
NCAAChampionshipsarebasedonthetimesthatqualifiedfor16thand24thplaceforthemeetsthe
previousthreeyears.[28]
TheNCAAinvites235maleswimmersand281femaleswimmerstothecompetitioneachyearbasedon
thequalifyingstandards.Therearetwoqualifyingstandards,"A"and"B",wherethosequalifyingwiththe
"A"timestandardareautomaticallyinvitedtothechampionship.Thenthenextfastestswimmerswiththe
"B"timestandardareinvitedtokeepeachoftheeventseven.Thisprocessisrepeateduntilallofinvite
spotsarefilled.[29]
TheNCAAqualifyingtimesvariesacrossthedifferentDivisions.ThequalifyingstandardsfortheNCAA
ChampionshipmeetcanbefoundontheNCAAchampionshipssite.[30]

Openwaterswimming
Openwaterswimmingisswimmingoutsidearegularpool,usuallyinalake,orsometimesocean.
Popularityofthesporthasgrowninrecentyears,particularlysincethe10kmopenwatereventwasadded
asanOlympiceventin2005,contestedforthefirsttimeinthe2008OlympicGamesinBeijing.[31]

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Newrecenttechnologyhasdevelopedmuchfasterswimsuits.Fullbodysuitshavebeenbanned,but
swimmersattheverytoplevelsstillwearsuitsthathavebeenlaseredtogetherbecausestitchingcreates
drag.Thedisadvantageofthesesuitsisthattheyaresometimesuncomfortableandtight.
ThelargestOceanSwim'sintermsofnumbersofparticipantsareinAustralia,withthePiertoPub,Cole
ClassicandMelbourneSwimClassicallwithroughly5000swimmingparticipants.

Changestothesport
Swimmingtimeshavedroppedovertheyearsduetobettertrainingtechniquesandtonewdevelopments.
ThefirstfourOlympicswerenotheldinpools,butinopenwater(1896TheMediterranean,1900The
SeineRiver,1904anartificiallake,1906TheMediterranean).The1904Olympics'freestyleracewas
theonlyoneevermeasuredat100yards,insteadoftheusual100meters.A100meterpoolwasbuiltfor
the1908Olympicsandsatinthecenterofthemainstadium'strackandfieldoval.The1912Olympics,held
intheStockholmharbor,markedthebeginningofelectronictiming.
Maleswimmersworefullbodysuitsuntilthe1940s,whichcausedmoredraginthewaterthantheir
modernswimwearcounterpartsdid.Competitionsuitsnowincludeengineeredfabricanddesignstoreduce
swimmers'draginthewaterandpreventathletefatigue.Inaddition,overtheyears,pooldesignshave
lessenedthedrag.Somedesignconsiderationsallowforthereductionofswimmingresistance,makingthe
poolfaster.Namely,properpooldepth,eliminationofcurrents,increasedlanewidth,energyabsorbing
racinglanelinesandgutters,andtheuseofotherinnovativehydraulic,acoustic,andilluminationdesigns.
Therehavebeenmajorchangesinstartingblocksoverthepastyears.Startingblocksusedtobesmall,
narrowandstraight[32]butthroughouttimetheyhavebecomebiggerandwiderandnowadaysthesurface
oftheblockisangledtowardstheswimmingpool.[33]Inaddition,startingblocksnowhavea"lip"whichis
araised,slantingplatformsituatedattherearofthemainblock.Thisenablestheswimmertoadopta
crouchedpositionata90degreesangleandpushoffwiththerearlegtoincreasetheirlaunchpower.[34]
The1924SummerOlympicswerethefirsttousethestandard50meterpoolwithmarkedlanes.Inthe
freestyle,swimmersoriginallydovefromthepoolwalls,butdivingblockswereincorporatedatthe1936
SummerOlympics.Thetumbleturnwasdevelopedbythe1950sandgoggleswerefirstusedinthe1976
Olympics.
Therewerealsochangesinthelate20thcenturyintermsoftechnique.Breaststrokersarenowallowedto
diptheirheadscompletelyunderwater,whichallowsforalongerstrokeandfastertime.However,the
breaststrokersmustbringtheirheadsupatthecompletionofeachcycle.Inaddition,akeyholepullinthe
breaststrokestartandturnshasbeenaddedtohelpspeedupthestroke.Therehavebeensomeotherchanges
addedrecentlyaswell.Nowoffthestartandturns,breaststrokersareallowedonebutterflykicktohelp
increasetheirspeed.Backstrokersarenowallowedtoturnontheirstomachsbeforethewallinorderto
performa"flipturn".Previously,theyhadtoreachandflipbackwardsandavariationofit,knownasa
"bucketturn"ora"suicideturn",issometimesusedinindividualmedleyeventstotransitionfrom
backstroketobreaststroke.

Records
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ThefoundationofFINAin1908signalledthecommencementofrecordingthefirstofficialworldrecords
inswimming.[35]Atthattimerecordscouldbeestablishedinanyswimmingpooloflengthnotlessthan25
yards,andrecordswerealsoacceptedforintermediatedistancesplittimesfromlongerdistanceevents.
TodayWorldRecordswillonlybeacceptedwhentimesarereportedbyAutomaticOfficiatingEquipment,
orSemiAutomaticOfficiatingEquipmentinthecaseofAutomaticOfficiatingEquipmentsystem
malfunction.[36]
Recordsineventssuchas300yd,300m,1000yd,and1000mfreestyle,400mbackstroke,and400mand
500mbreaststrokewerenolongerratifiedfrom1948.Afurtherremovalofthe500ydand500mfreestyle,
150mbackstroke,and3100mmedleyrelayfromtherecordlistingsoccurredin1952.
In1952,thenationalfederationsoftheUnitedStatesandJapanproposedattheFINACongressthe
separationofrecordsachievedinlongcourseandshortcoursepools,howeveritwasfourmoreyears
beforeactioncameintoeffectwithCongressdecidingtoretainonlyrecordsheldin50mpoolsasthe
officialworldrecordlistings.
By1969therewerethirtyoneeventsinwhichFINArecognisedofficialworldrecords16formen,15for
womencloselyresemblingtheeventschedulethatwasinuseattheOlympicGames.
Theincreaseinaccuracyandreliabilityofelectronictimingequipmentledtotheintroductionofhundredths
ofasecondtothetimerecordsfrom21August1972.
Recordsinshortcourse(25m)poolsbegantobeofficiallyapprovedas"shortcourseworldrecords"from3
March1991.Priortothisdate,timesinshortcourse(25m)poolswerenotofficiallyrecognised,butwere
regardeda"worldbesttime"(WBT).From31October1994timesin50mbackstroke,breaststroke,and
butterflywereaddedtotheofficialrecordlistings.
FINAcurrentlyrecognisesworldrecordsinthefollowingeventsforbothmenandwomen.[37]
Freestyle:50m,100m,200m,400m,800m,1500m
Backstroke:50m,100m,200m
Breaststroke:50m,100m,200m
Butterfly:50m,100m,200m
Individualmedley:100m(shortcourseonly),200m,400m
Relays:4100mfreestyle,4200mfreestyle,4100mmedley

Healthbenefits
Swimmingisahealthyworkoutthatcanbedoneforalifetime.Itisalowimpactactivitythathasseveral
mentalandbodilyhealthbenefits,thatisarecreationalmotionforeveryone.Swimmingcanprovidealow
impactworkout.Swimmingbuildsendurance,musclestrength,andcardiovascularfitness.[38]
TheUSCensusBureaureportsthattwoandahalfhoursperweekofaerobicphysicalactivitysuchas
swimmingcandecreasetheriskofchronicillnesses.Alongwiththis,swimmingislinkedtobetter
cognitivefunction,lowerriskoftype2diabetes,lowerriskofhighbloodpressure,andlowerriskofstroke.
Peoplearetypicallyabletoexerciselongerinwaterthanonlandwithoutincreasedeffort,andminimaljoint
ormusclepain.[39]
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CommonInjuries
Duetocontinuousrotationandusage,theshoulder(rotatorcuff)isthejointmostsusceptibletoinjuryin
swimmers.Asopposedtoasingleincident,injurytotherotatorcuffinswimmersisaresultofrepeated
traumaandoveruse.Thejointismostpronetoinjurywhenthearmisrepetitivelyusedinapositionabove
thehorizontal.Thispositionoccursineachofthefourswimmingstrokesineverycycleofthearms.Ofthe
fourmusclesandtendonsoftherotatorcuff,theinjury,ortear,ismostlikelytooccurinthetendonofthe
supraspinatus.Rotatorcuffimpingementisduetopressureontherotatorcufffrompartofthescapulaas
thearmisraised.
Thebestwaytopreventinjuryistodiagnosetheissueearly.Typically,poortechniqueandexcessiveuse
withoutrestaretheprimarycausesofinjury.Throughcommunicationbetweenswimmers,coaches,parents,
andmedicalprofessionals,anyissuecanbediagnosedpriortomoreseriousinjury.Additionally,proper
warmupandstrengthtrainingexercisesshouldbecompletedbeforeanyrigorousmovements.
Intreatingarotatorcuffinjury,themostimportantfactoristime.Duetothenatureofthejointbeing
primarilystabilizedbymuscleandtendon,theinjurymustbefullyhealedtopreventrecurrence.Returning
toswimmingorotherdemandingexercisestoosoonwilllikelyresultindegenerationofatendon
eventuallyresultinginarupture.Duringtherehabilitationperiod,focusshouldbeplacedonrotatorcuffand
scapularstrengthening.[40]

Seealso
FINAWorldAquaticsChampionships
Lifeguard
Listofswimmingstyles
Listofworldrecordsinswimming
Sportsnutrition
SwimmingattheSummerOlympics
Swimwearandhygiene
UnitedStatesMastersSwimming
Georgianswimming
FreeColchian
Synchronizedswimming
Wateraerobics
Waterpolo

References
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5."Overviewofhistoryofswimmingpools".Swimmingpool.com.Retrieved20120814.
6."Whydoswimmersshavetheirbodies?".HowStuffWorks.RetrievedJuly24,2015.
7."SwimmingRules".Fina.org.Retrieved20130716.
8."SW8BUTTERFLY|fina.orgOfficialFINAwebsite".www.fina.org.Retrieved20160412.
9."ResultsoftheFrenchteaminRijeka,2008".Swimrankings.net.Retrieved20120814.
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10."FINAFacilitiesRegulations".
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13."FINAGeneralRules2013"(PDF).FINA.Retrieved20140806.
14.CoachSuzanne(20120428)."SwimmingTechnique,ScissorsKickDoAnkleBandsWork?".
Steelcityendurance.com.Retrieved20130716.
15.Hines,Emmett."SuckingWind(InaGoodWay)".USMastersSwimming.Retrieved2October2015.
16.Laughlin,Terry."4TipstoMasterYourBreathingTechniqueDuringtheSwim".Active.ActiveNetwork.
Retrieved2October2015.
17."FINAApprovedSwimwear"(PDF).Retrieved20120814.
18.http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdooractivities/triathlons/training/swimmersshavebodies.htm
19.Sharp,RLCostill,DL(October1989)."Influenceofbodyhairremovalonphysiologicalresponsesduring
breaststrokeswimming.".Medicineandscienceinsportsandexercise21(5):57680.doi:10.1249/00005768
19891000000013.PMID2691818.
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22."RECORD$5.5MILLIONINPRIZEMONEYAVAILABLEAT2015WORLDCHAMPIONSHIPS".
SwimSwam.17June2015.Retrieved15August2015.
23.http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/86efeb3b15cf4226b92d
8d22e04758c7/b.%20%20College%20Recruiting%20Timeline.pdf
24.http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=1729&mid=9576&ItemId=5108
25.http://collegeswimming.weebly.com/
26.http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/fc4b4ce754db462b8b4e
1ded733204c6/a.%20%20College%20RecruitingThe%20Steps.pdf
27.http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/SW15.pdf
28.http://swimswam.com/newncaaselectionprocesswillmakeforbettermeetwithbetterswimmers/
29.http://cdn.swimswam.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/PreChamps_DI_MW_SwimDive_201314.pdf
30.http://www.ncaa.org/championships
31."USASwimmingOpenWater".usaswimming.org.Retrieved20160412.
32."SwimmingBlock".Swimmaster.Retrieved20130716.
33."Starttrackpiscinecastiglione1.jpg".PiscineCastiglione.Retrieved20130716.
34.Allain,Rhett."OlympicsPhysics:NewPlatformIsNoChipOfftheOldStartingBlock|Playbook".Wired.com.
Retrieved20130716.
35."FINAHistory".Fina.org.Retrieved20120814.
36."FINAWorldRecordRule12.6".Fina.org.20100503.Retrieved20120814.
37."FINATechnicalRuleSW12.1and12.2".Fina.org.20090923.Retrieved20120814.
38.Swimminghealthbenefits(http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Swimming)
betterhealth.vic.gov.au
39.http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1249.pdf,
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/health_benefits_water_exercise.html#two(http://www.health.gov/pag
uidelines/guidelines/chapter2.aspx,)
40."Swimmer'sShoulder".physioworks.com.au.Retrieved20160412.

Externallinks
InternationalSwimmingFederation(http://www.fina.org)theinternationalgoverningbody.
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swimming_(sport)&oldid=721695912"
Categories: Swimming SummerOlympicsports Aquatics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_(sport)

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