BSEE-II

SWIMMING
AUGUST 2015

PE 103

Table of Contents

Pages
Swimming

History of Swimming

Different Swimming Strokes/Styles

Butterfly Stroke

Back Stroke

Breast Stroke

Freestyle

Facilities and Equipment

Rules and Regulations

Freestyle

Back Stroke

Breast Stroke

Butterfly

References

Swimming
Swimming is an individual or team sport and activity. Competitive swimming is one of the most
popular Olympic sports, with events in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

History of Swimming
Evidence of recreational swimming in prehistoric times has been found, with the earliest evidence
dating to Stone Age paintings from around 10000 years ago. Swimming emerged as a competitive
recreational activity in the 1830s in England. In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool, St George's Baths
was opened to the public. By 1837, the National Swimming Society was holding regular swimming
competitions in six artificial swimming pools, built around London. The recreational activity grew in
popularity and by 1880, when the first national governing body, the Amateur Swimming Association, was
formed, there were already over 300 regional clubs in operation across the country.
In 1844 two Native American participants at a swimming competition in London introduced the
front crawl to a Western audience. Sir John Arthur Trudgen picked up the hand-over stroke from some
South American natives and successfully debuted the new stroke in 1873, winning a local competition in
England. His stroke is still regarded as the most powerful to use today.
Captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English Channel (between England and
France), in 1875. Using the breaststroke technique, he swam the channel 21.26 miles (34.21 km) in 21
hours and 45 minutes. His feat was not replicated or surpassed for the next 36 years, until T.W. Burgess
made the crossing in 1911.
Other European countries also established swimming federations; Germany in 1882, France in
1890 and Hungary in 1896. The first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna.
The world's first women's swimming championship was held in Scotland in 1892.
Men's swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902, the
Australian Richmond Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world. In 1908, the world
swimming association, Fdration Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Women's swimming
was introduced into the Olympics in 1912. Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant
of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952.

Different Swimming Strokes/Styles

Butterfly Stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving
simultaneously, accompanied by the butterfly kick (also known as the "dolphin kick"). While other styles
like the breaststroke, front crawl, or backstroke can be swum adequately by beginners, the butterfly is a
more difficult stroke that requires good technique as well as strong muscles. It is the newest swimming
style swum in competition, first swum in 1933 and originating out of
breaststroke. The butterfly stroke stands out among the competitive
strokes because of its unique and spectacular
technique. It uses a symmetrical arm stroke with an
above water recovery.
Butterfly is the second fastest
swim stroke after freestyle. It has a reputation of
being hard to learn and is quickly exhausting.

Back Stroke

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Backstroke is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated
style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not
being able to see where they are going. It is also the
only competition swimming style that has a different
start. The swimming style is similar to an upside
down front crawl. Both backstroke and front
crawl are long-axis strokes. In Individual medley
backstroke is the second style swum; in the team
medley it is the first style swum.
Backstroke
is
faster
than
breaststroke but slower than butterfly. Physicians
often prescribe backstroke swimming to people
experiencing back problems because it gives the
back an excellent workout.

Breast Stroke
Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso
does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water
a large portion of the time, and that it can be swum comfortably at slow speeds. In most swimming
classes, beginners learn either the breaststroke or the front crawl first. However, at competition level,
swimming breaststroke at speed requires comparable endurance and strength to other strokes. Some
people refer to breaststroke as the "frog" stroke, as the arms and legs move somewhat like a frog
swimming in the water. The stroke itself is the
slowest of any
competitive strokes and thought to be the oldest
of all
swimming strokes.
Breaststroke is often the first
swimming stroke taught to beginners. In fact,
many casual swimmers can only swim this
stroke. The advantage of breaststroke is that
beginners can keep their head above the water.
This avoids breathing and orientation issues.
More experienced swimmers however submerge
their head during the stroke cycle to improve

efficiency.

Freestyle
The Freestyle Stroke or front crawl is often the preferred stroke of seasoned swimmers. It
uses alternating arm movements with an above water recovery. The legs execute a flutter kick.
Freestyle is fast and efficient. In
fact it is the fastest of all swimming strokes.
it is used in freestyle competitions and in the
swimming leg of triathlons.

Thats why

Facilities and Equipment

Facilities
World Championship pools must be 50
meters (160 ft.) (long course) long and 25 meters (82
ft.) wide, with ten lanes labelled zero to nine (or one
to ten in some pools; zero and nine (or one and ten)
are usually left empty in semi-finals and finals); the
lanes must be at
least 2.5 meters (8.2 ft.) wide. They will be equipped with starting blocks at both ends of the pool and
most will have Automatic Officiating Equipment, including touch pads to record times and sensors to
ensure the legality of relay take overs. The pool must have a minimum depth of two meters.

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Other pools which host events under FINA regulations are required to meet some but not all of
these requirements. Many of these pools have eight instead of ten lanes and some will be 25 meters (82
ft.) long, making them Short course. World records that are set in short course pools are kept separate
from those set in long course pools because it may be an advantage or disadvantage to swimmers to have
more
or
less
turns
in
a
race.

Equipment
Equipment used on swimming are mainly personal equipment like suit, goggles, swimming cap,
towel, water bottle, fins, pull bouy, kick board and paddles.

Rules and Regulations

SW 5 FREESTYLE
SW 5.1 Freestyle means that in an event so designated the swimmer may swim any style, except that in
individual medley or medley relay events, freestyle means any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or
butterfly.
SW 5.2 Some part of the swimmer must touch the wall upon completion of each length and at the finish.
SW 5.3 Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall
be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of not
more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface.
SW 6 BACKSTROKE
SW 6.1 Prior to the starting signal, the swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with
both hands holding the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter or bending the toes over the lip of the
gutter is prohibited.
SW 6.2 At the signal for starting and after turning the swimmer shall push off and swim upon his back
throughout the race except when executing a turn as set forth in SW 6.4. The normal position on the back

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can include a roll movement of the body up to, but not including 90 degrees from horizontal. The position
of the head is not relevant.
SW 6.3 Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race. It is
permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance
of not more than 15 meters after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have broken the
surface.
SW 6.4 When executing the turn there must be a touch of the wall with some part of the swimmers body
in his/her respective lane. During the turn the shoulders may be turned over the vertical to the breast after
which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to initiate
the turn. The swimmer must have returned to the position on the back upon leaving the wall.
SW 6.5 Upon the finish of the race the swimmer must touch the wall while on the back in his/her
respective lane.

SW 7 BREASTSTROKE
SW 7.1 After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the
legs during which the swimmer may be submerged. A single butterfly kick is permitted during the first
arm stroke, followed by a breaststroke kick.
Interpretation: The first arm stroke begins with the separation of the hands.
SW 7.2 From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and after each turn, the body shall be on
the breast. It is not permitted to roll onto the back at any time. From the start and throughout the race the
stroke cycle must be one arm stroke and one leg kick in that order. All movements of the arms shall be
simultaneous and on the same horizontal plane without alternating movement.
Interpretation: A pause after the separation of the hands is not a violation of the rule.
SW 7.3 The hands shall be pushed forward together from the breast on, under, or over the water. The
elbows shall be under water except for the final stroke before the turn, during the turn and for the final
stroke at the finish. The hands shall be brought back on or under the surface of the water. The hands shall
not be brought back beyond the hip line, except during the first stroke after the start and each turn.
SW 7.4 During each complete cycle, some part of the swimmer's head must break the surface of the
water. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the
second stroke. All movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and on the same horizontal plane without
alternating movement.
SW 7.5 The feet must be turned outwards during the propulsive part of the kick. A scissors, flutter or
downward butterfly kick is not permitted except as in SW 7.1. Breaking the surface of the water with the
feet is allowed unless followed by a downward butterfly kick.
SW 7.6 At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously
at, above, or below the water level. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch,
provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during the last complete or incomplete cycle
preceding the touch.

SW 8 BUTTERFLY
SW 8.1 From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and each turn, the body shall be kept on
the breast. Under water kicking on the side is allowed. It is not permitted to roll onto the back at any time.
SW 8.2 Both arms shall be brought forward together over the water and brought backward simultaneously
through-out the race, subject to SW 8.5.

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SW 8.3 All up and down movements of the legs must be simultaneous. The legs or the feet need not be on
the same level, but they shall not alternate in relation to each other. A breaststroke kicking movement is
not permitted.
SW 8.4 At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously,
at, above or below the water surface.
SW 8.5 At the start and at turns, a swimmer is permitted one or more leg kicks and one arm pull under the
water, which must bring him to the surface. It shall be permissible for a swimmer to be completely
submerged for a distance of not more than 15 meters after the start and after each turn. By that point, the
head must have broken the surface. The swimmer must remain on the surface until the next turn or finish.

For the complete list of Rules and Regulations, please follow the link on the reference (third link).

References:
http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/swimming-strokes.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_(sport)
http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=82:swimmingrules&Itemid=184