Swimming
Swimming
Swimming
Nature of Swimming
• Swimming is moving your body through water (a moderately viscous fl uid) that’s either still
(as in a swimming pool), turbulent (as in the ocean), or somewhere in between.
• Swimming, in recreation and spor ts, the propulsion of the body through water by combined
arm and leg motions and the natural fl otation of the body. Swimming as an exercise is
popular as an all-around body developer and is par ticularly useful in therapy and as
exercise for physically handicapped persons. It is also taught for lifesaving purposes.
• Swimming can also burn a lot of calories, is easy on the joints, suppor ts your weight, and
builds muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fi tness, cools you
off and refreshes you in summer and is one that you can do safely into old age.
Definition and Terminologies
• The word “swimming” is derived from the Old English term “swimmin.”
• In the year 2000 BC Pompeii show men navigating water under their own power, and a bas-
relief in a tomb. It shows a swimmer doing what appears to be a crawl stroke.
• Records show that the competitive swimming began about 1837 in London. Early English
swimmers used the breaststroke and the sidestroke.
• In 1844 Nor th American Indians entered swimming meet in London. Flying Gull defeated
Tobacco by swimming the length of a 130 f t pool in thir ty seconds. The style of swimming
used by the Indians was similar to a windmill action. Each arm thrashed the water violently
in a circular motion while the feet beat the water in an up and down action. This type of
action was a form of crawl stroke.
Recognition of Swimming
• The National Swimming Society in England organized the competitions which grew
quickly in popularity. The very fi rst indoor pool in the history of swimming was
constructed in 1862 in England .
• Soon, more pools were built and another swimming organization was established in
1880. It was known as the Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain , an
organization with more than 300 member clubs. The main swimming styles utilized in
competitions were the breaststroke and the recently- developed sidestroke.
• In 1873, Arthur Trudgen introduces an overhand stroke using the scissors kick
which was to become known as the “Trudgen crawl”. J. H Derbyshire uses the
“Trudgen crawl” and swam 100 yards in sixty seconds for the world record.
This stroke has recently been restored to competitive swimming, and some
modern distance swimmers have set new records using it.
• In 1878, Frederick Cavill, an Englishman, went to Australia. After observing
that the natives flutter kick leg action resulted in exceptional speed, he
combined it with the double overhand stroke, and this stroke is known as the
“Australian Crawl.”
• He set a new world record of 58.4 seconds for 100 yards in the 1902 world
championships using this stroke.
• About 1905, Charles M. Daniels, a swimmer for the New York Athletic Club,
Introduced the “American Crawl” and used it to set a world record of 54.8
seconds in the 100 yard swim in 1910.
• The difference of “Australian and American Crawl” was that in the American
Crawl the kick was timed to the stroking of the arms – six beats of the legs for
every revolution of the arms.
•
Swimming History in the Philippines
• The American introduced swimming as a sport to the Philippines in the year 1900, and
by 1912, a number of local swimmers had emerged from diff erent parts of the country
who competed against each other in championships organized by the Americans.
• In the year 1928, saw the greatest achievement of a Filipino in the sport. Teofi lo E.
Yldefonso also known as “Ilocano Shark ”, won the Philippines its fi rst Olympic medal
by winning bronze in the 200 m breaststroke event at the 1928 Olympics in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands .
• He repeated this feat in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, California , when he won his second
bronze medal, becom ing the fi rst Filipino to win multiple medals in the Olympics.
• Artemio Salamat and Jacinto Cayco had won gold medals for the 200m and
100m breaststroke events in the first Asian Games that was held in New
Delhi, India in 1951.
• In 1954, Haydee Coloso and Jocelyn Von Giese both winning gold medals.
The programs that provided opportunities for Pinoy swimmers to develop
and enhance their skills were organized and promoted.
Facilities and
Equipment
Earplugs and Nose Clips
g o g g le s a l lo w s y o u t o s e e w h il e y o u r h e a d i s
i m m e r s e d i n t h e w a t e r, w i t h o u t h av i n g t o w o r r y
about chlorine irritation.
Sw i m C a p s
I t r e d u c e s d ra g t o i n c r e a s e s p e e d in t h e w a t e r.
Sw im c a p s a l s o k e e p h a i r o u t o f t h e f a c e , h e lp
r e d u c e t h e e ff e c t s o f c h l o r in e o n t h e h a i r a n d
h e l p s w i m m e r s r e t a in b o d y h e a t w h e n t h e y a r e
s w i m m i n g i n c o l d e r w a t e r.
Tool s for Training and Techni que
•Numerous pieces of swimming
equipment are designed to help in
strength training and technique while
swimming.
•For example pull buoy forces
swimmers to rely less on their legs to
push through the water and more on
the arms. Swim paddles develop arm
strength by increasing resistance in
the water, and they also help develop
proper stroke mechanics. Kickboards
switch the majority of work on the
legs when swimming to strengthen
the legs as well as help develop
proper kicking technique.
Recreational Swimming Equipment.