Swimming

Swimming is the method by which living creatures move themselves through water in a method not involving simply walking on the bottom. Swimming is a popular recreational activity and a competitive sport. There are many health benefits of swimming, but it also entails risks if basic precautions are not taken.

Competitive swimming

Competitive swimming is swimming with the goal to maximize performance, usually the speed of swimming. Competitive swimming became popular in the 19th century, and is an event at the Summer Olympic Games. Competitive swimming's international governing body is FINA, which includes local sub groups such as USA Swimming (USAS) and United States Masters Swimming (USMS) in the United States, Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and Swimming Teachers Association (STA) in the United Kingdom. FINA regulates four swimming disciplines, swum over different distances.

Related Topics:
19th century - Summer Olympic Games - FINA - USA Swimming - United States Masters Swimming

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• Freestyle refers to "any style", and in competitive swimming places no restrictions on what action the competitors use, except during the freestyle portion of medley swimming. In practice, almost all freestyle events are swum using front crawl. Events are held at distances of 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m. Events are held in yards at distances of 50 y, 100 y, 200 y, 500 y, 1000 y, and 1650 y.
• Butterfly events require that the swimmer's actions retain bilateral symmetry (the left side of the body has to do the same as the right). Events are held at distances of 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m. Events are also held in yards.
• Breaststroke, from which the butterfly stroke evolved, places the additional restriction that the swimmer's hands must be pushed forward together from the breast and that the elbows must remain under the water. It is the slowest stroke in competitive swimming as well as the most physically demanding. Events are held at distances of 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m. This stroke, as well as butterfly requires great shoulder strength. Events are also held in yards.
• Backstroke places no symmetry restrictions, but swimmers must lie on their back at all times except during turns to perform the stroke. Backstroke is performed, in essence, as an inversion of the crawl — competitors swing their arms back over their shoulder, alternately, and pull through under the water to provide motive power, with a flutter kick. Events are held at distances of 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m. Events are also held in yards.

In the US all distances are swum in short course yards for NCAA and high school competition, except during Olympic years in which the NCAA championships are held in the short course meters format. Short course means that each length is 25 yards or meters. There are also world championships held in the short course meters format, however, it is not as publicised as the traditional long course (50 meters per length) world championships. The Olympic Games are competed exclusively in the long course meters format. World Championships are held each year, alternating between the traditional long course meters format and the less popular short course meters format. World records are tabulated separately for each event in both formats; world records are not recognized for the short course yards format.

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Backstroke and Freestyle are referred to as "long-axis" strokes because the body is in a much longer position than when performing breaststroke or butterfly, which are known as "short-axis" strokes.

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In addition to that there are a number of combination events in competitive swimming.

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• Relay, where a number of swimmers swim sequentially. Events are held at distances of 4×50 m freestyle, 4×100 m freestyle and 4×200 m freestyle.
• Individual Medley, where one swimmer swims Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle in this order. Events are held at distances of 100 m (short course 25 m pools only), 200 m, and 400 m.
• Medley Relay, where four swimmers swim Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle in this order. Events are held at distances of 4×50 m medley and 4×100 m medley.

Full rules are on the rules web page of FINA.

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Competitive swimming has traditionally been dominated by the United States, but recently that dominance has been challenged by Australia, where swimming is a hugely popular recreational activity, and participant and spectator sport. The success of Australian swimmers like Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim, Grant Hackett, and Kieren Perkins is reminiscent of Australia's previous golden age of swimming in the 1950s and 1960s, which saw the emergence of swimmers such as Shane Gould and Dawn Fraser. However, American swimmers, led by Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Kara Lynn Joyce have been holding off the Australians just like they did in the 2004 Olympics. Other countries with a great tradition in swimming are Russia (former Soviet Union: as to recent times, Alexander Popov was prominent in the fast races in the 1990s), Hungary, Poland, Germany and Sweden. Newbies which recently had scored relevant success include Italy and Japan.

Related Topics:
United States - Australia - Ian Thorpe - Michael Klim - Grant Hackett - Kieren Perkins - 1950s - 1960s - Shane Gould - Dawn Fraser - Michael Phelps - Natalie Coughlin - Kaitlin Sandeno - Kara Lynn Joyce - Russia - Soviet Union - Alexander Popov - 1990s - Hungary - Poland - Germany - Sweden - Italy - Japan

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There are also a number of other competitive swimming performances, for example a long distance 5 kilometer open-water event, which became part of the Olympic program in 2000, or long distance swims across the English Channel, or circumnavigating Manhattan Island. The world record for the longest nonstop swim is held by Martin Strel for swimming 504km nonstop in 2001 in the Danube River. He also swam the Mississippi River in 2002 in 66+2days, a total of 3885km. The current holder of the most world records for long distance swimming is Vicki Keith.

Related Topics:
Long distance - English Channel - Manhattan Island - Martin Strel - 2001 - Danube River - 2002 - Vicki Keith

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Swimming is also a crucial part of other sports, such as water polo, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon and triathlon. (See List of water sports)

Related Topics:
Water polo - Synchronized swimming - Modern pentathlon - Triathlon - List of water sports

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Championships

• Swimming at the Summer Olympics (include swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming)
• World Aquatics Championships (include swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming)
• FINA Long Course World Championships
• FINA Short Course World Championships
• Pan Pacific Swimming Championships