In elite swimming, a broad range of methods are used to assess performance, inform coaching practices and monitor athletic progression. The aim of this paper was to examine the performance analysis practices of swimming coaches and to explore the reasons behind the decisions that coaches take when analysing performance. Survey data were analysed from 298 Level 3 competitive swimming coaches (245 male, 53 female) based in the United States. Results were compiled to provide a generalised picture of practices and perceptions and to examine key emerging themes. It was found that a disparity exists between the importance swim coaches place on biomechanical analysis of swimming performance and the types of analyses that are actually conducted. Video-based methods are most frequently employed, with over 70% of coaches using these methods at least monthly, with analyses being mainly qualitative in nature rather than quantitative. Barriers to the more widespread use of quantitative biomechanical analysis in elite swimming environments were explored. Constraints include time, cost and availability of resources, but other factors such as sources of information on swimming performance and analysis and control over service provision are also discussed, with particular emphasis on video-based methods and emerging sensor-based technologies.
Although swimmers with the lowest swimming class experienced the highest passive drag and vice versa, the inconsistent difference in mean passive drag between adjacent classes indicates that the current classification system does not always differentiate clearly between swimming groups.
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of swimming speed on leg-to-arm coordination in competitive unilateral arm amputee front crawl swimmers. Thirteen well-trained swimmers were videotaped underwater during three 25-m front crawl trials (400 m, 100 m and 50 m pace). The number, duration and timing of leg kicks in relation to arm stroke phases were identified by video analysis. Within the group, a six-beat kick was predominantly used (n = 10) although some swimmers used a four-beat (n = 2) or eight-beat kick (n = 1). Swimming speed had no significant effect on the relative duration of arm stroke and leg kick phases. At all speeds, arm stroke phases were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the affected and unaffected sides. In contrast, the kicking phases of both legs were not different. Consequently, leg-to-arm coordination was asymmetrical. The instant when the leg kicks ended on the affected side corresponded with particular positions of the unaffected arm, but not with the same positions of the affected arm. In conclusion, the ability to dissociate the movements of the arms from the legs demonstrates that, because of their physical impairment, unilateral arm amputee swimmers functionally adapt their motor organisation to swim front crawl.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between swimming speed (SS), stroke length (SL), and stroke frequency (SF) for competitive single-arm amputee front crawl swimmers and assess their relationships with anthropometric characteristics. Thirteen highly trained swimmers (3 male, 10 female) were filmed underwater from a lateral view during seven increasingly faster 25-m front crawl trials. Increases in SS (above 75% of maximum SS) were achieved by a 5% increase in SF, which coincided with a 2% decrease in SL. At SSmax, interswimmer correlations showed that SF was significantly related to SS (r= .72;p< .01) whereas SL was not. Moderate but nonsignificant correlations suggested that faster swimmers did not necessarily use longer and slower strokes to swim at a common submaximal speed when compared with their slower counterparts. No correlations existed between SL and any anthropometric characteristics. Biacromial breadth, shoulder girth, and upper-arm length all significantly correlated with the SF used at SSmax. These findings imply that as a consequence of being deprived of an important propelling limb, at fast swimming speeds SF is more important than SL in influencing the performance outcome of these single-arm amputee swimmers.
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