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Swimming coaches provide regular timed and technical feedback to swimmers and guide them efficiently in training sessions. Due to the complexity of swimmers' performance, which is not visible in qualitative observation, quantitative and objective performance evaluation can better assist the coach in this regard. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are used in swimming for objective performance evaluation. In this study, we propose a new performance evaluation feedback (SmartSwim) using IMU and investigate its effects on the swimmer's weekly progress. Measurements were conducted each week with 15 competitive swimmers for 10 weeks using a Sacrum IMU. The SmartSwim report included a comprehensive representation of performance based on goal metrics of each phase extracted from the IMU signals. The swimmers were divided into two groups: the experimental and control groups. The SmartSwim report for each swimmer in the experimental group was given to the coach, who used it to adjust the training accordingly. The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group when comparing each swimmer, each session and the whole sessions. At the level of each individual, more members of the experimental group showed significant downward trend of average lap time (Mann-Kendall trend test, 95% confidence level). While comparing the sessions, the experimental group showed significantly lower lap time than the control group from the sixth session onwards (p-value < 0.05 from t-test). Considering all sessions, the experimental group showed significantly higher progress, lower average lap time, and more consistent records (Mann-Whitney U test at 95% confidence level) than the control group. This study demonstrated that SmartSwim can assist coaching by quantitatively assessing swimmers' performance, leading to more efficient training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim was to predict and understand variations in swimmer performance between individual and relay events, and develop a predictive model for the 4x200-m swimming freestyle relay event to help inform team selection and strategy. Data and methods: Race data for 716 relay finals (4 x 200-m freestyle) from 14 international competitions between 2010–2018 were analysed. Individual 200-m freestyle season best time for the same year was located for each swimmer. Linear regression and machine learning was applied to 4 x 200-m swimming freestyle relay events. Results: Compared to the individual event, the lowest ranked swimmer in the team (-0.62 s, CI = [−0.94, −0.30]) and American swimmers (−0.48 s [−0.89, −0.08]) typically swam faster 200-m times in relay events. Random forest models predicted gold, silver, bronze and non-medal with 100%, up to 41%, up to 63%, and 93% sensitivity, respectively. Discussion: Team finishing position was strongly associated with the differential time to the fastest team (mean decrease in Gini (MDG) when this variable was omitted = 31.3), world rankings of team members (average ranking MDG of 18.9), and the order of swimmers (MDG = 6.9). Differential times are based on the sum of individual swimmer's season's best times, and along with world rankings, reflect team strength. In contrast, the order of swimmers reflects strategy. This type of analysis could assist coaches and support staff in selecting swimmers and team orders for relay events to enhance the likelihood of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing the psychosocial themes in a specific sport context allows us to understand athletes' experiences and informs approaches of coaches (Côté et al., 1995) and sport programmers (Danish et al., 2005). Few qualitative studies focus on psychosocial conditions of adult athletes in coached sport settings. The purpose of this study was to capture important psychosocial themes from the perspective of Masters swimmers involved in day-to-day coached swimming environments. Data were collected using semistructured open-ended interviews with 10 competitive swimmers (5 male, 5 female; M age = 53 years; age range: 45-65 years). Analyses revealed four over-arching themes that represented athletes' a) motives for swimming, b) perspectives on competition, c) experiences specific to being a Masters swimmer, and d) perspectives on being coached. Using a qualitative narrative approach (Denison, 2010), we developed three narrative profiles to depict how our Masters swimmers had different experiences relating to these themes. Our discussion focuses on how swimmers' understanding of the four over-arching themes depends on their profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adjustment period for first-year minority students at a predominantly White institution (PWI) can prove a little more difficult than most; and even more arduous for a Black student-athlete competing on an otherwise all-White team in what is considered a nontraditional sport for Black participants. Using case study method, a semistructured interview was used to explore the first year experience(s) of a predominantly White, Division I university's first and only Black female swim team member during the 2008-2009 academic school year. The principle investigator and two additional investigators found the participant, at times, felt lonely and disconnected from the team, encountered cultural/racial stereotypes, and had to negotiate cultural constraints to be a swimmer. Moreover, the participant found herself in a position of having to inform, and sometimes correct, her White (and Black) peers and coaches on the misconceptions they held about Black swimmers and Black culture over all. The never-ending quest to maintain individuality, culture, and be a leader proved overwhelming for the participant at times. Implications for cultural competency for coaches and players are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author talks about her National swimmer career and career in law in South Africa. Topics discussed include her selection for open water swim at the Senior African Champs in Morocco, her participation in the London Olympic Games and her swimming training under the guidance of National Head Coach Graham Hill.

The debate over low-volume, high-intensity training versus high-volume, low-intensity training, commonly known as Quality versus Quantity, respectively, is a frequent topic of discussion among swimming coaches and academics. The aim of this study was to explore expert coaches' perceptions of quality and quantity coaching philosophies in competitive swimming and to investigate their current training practices. A purposeful sample of 11 expert swimming coaches was recruited for this study. The study was a mixed methods design and involved each coach participating in 1 semi-structured interview and completing 1 closed-ended questionnaire. The main findings of this study were that coaches felt quality training programmes would lead to short term results for youth swimmers, but were in many cases more appropriate for senior swimmers. The coaches suggested that quantity training programmes built an aerobic base for youth swimmers, promoted technical development through a focus on slower swimming and helped to enhance recovery from training or competition. However, the coaches continuously suggested that quantity training programmes must be performed with good technique and they felt this was a misunderstood element. This study was a critical step towards gaining a richer and broader understanding on the debate over Quality versus Quantity training from an expert swimming coaches' perspective which was not currently available in the research literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The distribution of a swimmer's stamina in competitive 200 m race is very important. The performance depends not only on a swimmer's capability, but also on the strategy of stamina allocation across the four segments. In the present research, athletes who had participated in 200 m items in the 13th FINA World championships (2009, Rome) were allocated into three groups based on their performance, and these groups were top-elite swimmers (top 3 in finals), mid-elite swimmers (top 16 in heats) and lower-elite swimmers (bottom 12 in heats) respectively. Data of the segmental time and the time ratios (the percentage of segmental time in one's total time) of the three groups were analyzed. The results showed that the first and second segmental time ratios (STRs) of the top- and mid-elite groups were relatively larger than those of the lower-elite group. But the situation of the last two STRs was opposite. SONI Rebecca (a very famous USA breaststroke swimmer) missed medals of her strongest 200 m breaststroke event due to her too fast velocity in the first and second segments. These suggested that only the proper allocation of four STRs in 200 m items could bring athletes to their highest performance. So it is very important to optimizing the mode of time allocation during daily training, especially for the gifted swimmers lacking experiences. Based on the above research results, we developed a navigation system for regulating athlete's swimming speed during training. The system was composed of 15 watertight LED lamps laying on the bottom of the pool, a computer, a control unit, a starting unit with speaker, and other components. It can modulate the timing and duration of every LED lamp. The course of a swim training session could be guided by the lighting timing of each lamp in turn and therefore could be converted into a parameter file. Coaches could compile the parameter file to obtain desired training speed for the very athlete. And the athlete could regulate his/her speed according to the clue of the lamps controlled by the navigator. For instance, if the lamp ahead of the athlete was illuminated, it meant their speed was too low. If the illuminated lamp was just under the athlete's face, it meant the speed of the athlete was the desired one. All kinds of distance training course could be navigated by the system. It could not only guild a single training course, but could also perform several training sessions which demand strict intervals. It will save considerable amount of energy and time of coaches and improve their training efficiency. It has been authorized the invention [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper quantified the inter-analyst variability in the time at which a swimmer reached a certain distance in a race, which is a key measure in swimming competition analysis. Prior to this paper coaches had assumed that differences in these times were solely due to changes in the swimmer's performance. This assumption was tested by asking four trained and experienced British Swimming analysts to calculate the time at which a swimmer reached four distances in ten randomly selected 100 m races. The inter-analyst variability was found to be between 0.02 s and 0.34 s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Relay exchange times have been proposed as a training target to improve final placing in swimming competition. This study investigated that possibility by analyzing relay exchange times from the 2007 and 2008 USA NCAA Divisions I and II Swimming and Diving Championships. Exchange times from 1292 teams competing in 200 and 400 yard free and medley and 800 yard free relays were studied. The mean team exchange time for non-disqualified teams was .746 ± .232 (standard deviation) sec. Finish places were improved by faster relay exchange times for 205 (15.8% of 1292) teams - exchange times were faster than the next placing team by a time equal to or more than the difference in final times. It is recommended that swimming relay training include strategies to optimize exchange time. However, coaches and competitors must carefully weigh benefits against risks - 3.1% of the teams were disqualified for early relay take-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]