Reliability and Stability of Performances in 400-m Swimming and 1500-m Running

Abstract

A stable race profile was observed from the analysis of 5 events for 1500-m running and 3 events for 400-m swimming. Researchers and athletes can be more certain about the pacing information collected from 400-m swimming than 1500-m running races, as the swimming data are less variable, despite both events being of similar duration.

Increased Variability of Lap Speeds: Differentiating Medalists and Nonmedalists in Middle-Distance Running and Swimming Events

“…Running performances showed greater variation in lap speed during a race compared to swimmers as previously found. 19 All runners had a greater relative speed in the second half of the race compared to swimmers. The swimmers had a greater relative speed in the first half than runners and overall produced a more evenly paced pattern during races.…”

“…The swimmers had a greater relative speed in the first half than runners and overall produced a more evenly paced pattern during races. Runners share the same lane and therefore are more concerned with tactical considerations, 14 drafting benefits 31 and their opponents' pace, whereas swimmers are able to adopt a more consistent 19 self-selected race pattern, are less spatially affected by their opponents and are exposed to greater drag forces as speeds in the water increase. 32 The current study employed independent statistical tests even though some individual athletes appear in more than one finishing position in different races.…”

“…In total 48 performances were analysed from six international 400-m freestyle swimming final competitions which is one more event than has previously been reported as being needed to ensure reliability. 19 20 a preliminary assessment of data from events in 2008 and 2009 when polyurethane suits were legal was carried out. This suggested that pacing patterns were altered, in particular a significantly faster 3 rd lap was seen during these years (absolute mean time 57.24 ± 0.75 with a polyurethane suit vs. 57.75 ± 0.59 s with a standard suit; p=0.02) and therefore data from the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships were excluded, despite others finding no interaction between pacing pattern and suit use.…”

“…This suggested that pacing patterns were altered, in particular a significantly faster 3 rd lap was seen during these years (absolute mean time 57.24 ± 0.75 with a polyurethane suit vs. 57.75 ± 0.59 s with a standard suit; p=0.02) and therefore data from the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships were excluded, despite others finding no interaction between pacing pattern and suit use. 6 For 1500-m running, video recordings were obtained from public websites of 5 athletics final events which is the number of events reported to ensure a reliable sample 19 into Dartfish TeamPro v5 (Dartfish, Switzerland) and each athlete's lap times measured using a frame by frame playback method. 21…”

Underwater and surface strategies of 200 m world level swimmers

“…Successful elite swimmers are characterised by performing a fast start followed by a reduction of speed on the 50-100 m events (fast-slow profile) and a fast start followed by a transition to evenly paced laps on the 200 m races (fast-start even profile) (Robertson, Pyne, Hopkins, & Anson, 2009). In some middle distance races, mainly 400 m events, a fast end on the final lap has also been observed (Mytton, Archer, St Clair, & Thompson, 2014). The diminution of free swimming velocity from the beginning to the end of elite races is in the range of 5-7% (Huot-Marchand, Nesi, Sidney, Alberty, & Pelayo, 2005;Sidney, 1998;Thompson et al, 2000) although it depends on the event and the swimmers' level of performance.…”