About
About
Aim of the game
Swimmers must complete a set distance inside the pool, in some cases using a specific swimming style, in the shortest possible time
Why should you watch this?
Chad le Clos, Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps... the Rio 2016 Olympic swimming pool will be overflowing with world-class stars, which is a recipe for record-breaking thrills
Venues
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Dolphin kick
Perfected by Michael Phelps, this underwater move generates a vertical wave by flexing the legs. Sometimes referred to as the 'fifth stroke', it is only permitted at the start of a race or at turns
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Drafting
When one swimmer is just behind another in an adjacent lane and uses the slipstream generated by their adversary to gain an advantage
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Tumble turn
Underwater somersault performed at the end of a length in backstroke and freestyle that allows swimmers to push off against the wall with their feet for the start of the next length
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Strokes
Freestyle: in freestyle events, swimmers can use any stroke they wish, but in practice they all opt for the crawl, which is the fastest style.
Breaststroke: a slower swimming style in which an athlete’s movements are similar to those of a frog.
Butterfly: the swimmer rotates both arms simultaneously and flexes the body up and down in a manner reminiscent of a dolphin: indeed, the leg movement is known as a ‘dolphin kick’.
Backstroke: lying on their backs, swimmers count their strokes to stay aware of where they are in the pool, and towards the end of the length glance over at flags positioned 5m from the end wall.
Events
In addition to individual events for each of the four swimming styles, there are relay events contested by teams of four swimmers, and medley events (individual and relay) which combine all four styles in a single race.
Start
The pool is divided into eight competition lanes, each 2.5m wide. Most events start from starting blocks, the exception being backstroke, in which swimmers start from inside the pool.
Swimmers must not dive in before the starting pistol is fired – if this happens, a false start is declared and the swimmer at fault is disqualified.
In the event of a false start, a cord falls into the water 15m from the start, indicating to the swimmers that they should stop.
Kit
All swimmers wear a cap, goggles and a swimsuit – normally swimming trunks for men and swimming costumes for women.
Equipment
Electronic sensors sensitive to the lightest touch are fixed onto the end walls of the pool and provide precision timing to within a hundredth of a second.
Stats
Top Medalists
| Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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USA
Michael Phelps
|
18 | 2 | 2 | 22 | |
|
USA
Mark Spitz
|
9 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
|
USA
Matthew Biondi
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
USA
Jenny Thompson
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8 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |
|
USA
Dara Torres
|
4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | |
|
USA
Natalie Coughlin
|
3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | |
