Olympic swimming uses four basic swimming styles or strokes. Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly (or all four within one race - that is called the IM or individual medley).
Olympic Swimming Competition - Swimming Pool and Open Water
There are 16 swimming pool events for men and women swimmers in the modern Olympic Games. In 2008 an open water, 10-kilometer race has been added to the Olympic Swimming program.Freestyle or Front Crawl
Freestyle is not specifically defined the way other strokes are - it is generally though of as front crawl, but any style could be used, including those not considered as competitive strokes. For competitive swimming purposes, everyone thinks of freestyle as the front crawl.- Freestyle is the fastest way to move from one end of the pool to the other (not counting underwater with kicking) and everyone in a freestyle race in the Olympics will use front crawl.
- In the individual medley and medley relay events, the freestyle portion must be done with a style that has not been used already - so no backstroke, breaststroke, or butterfly.
- Freestyle swimmers use an alternating arm action, an alternating leg action, and breath to the side.
- Freestyle swimmers use a forward start off of a starting block. They might do a few dolphin kicks or fish-kicks off the start before they surface and begin to swim.
- Freestylers do a flip turn at each wall. They might do a few dolphin kicks or fish-kicks off of each wall before they surface and begin to swim.
- Freestylers finish the race by touching the wall with some part of their body, usually a hand.
- During a freestyle swim, the swimmer's head must break the surface at or before 15-meters from the start and from each turn.
Backstroke or Back Crawl
Backstroke swimmers must be "belly-up" whenever they are swimming, with one exception (on their way into a turn). This is measured by comparing the position of the swimmer's shoulders.- The swimmers must have an alternating arm action, and will have an alternating leg action.
- Backstroke almost looks like upside-down freestyle.
- Since a backstroker's face is out of the water most of the time, breathing is easier. Most will use a breathing pattern of in on one arm pull, out on the other. Because of this greater ease of breathing, backstroke races are often "even-split" - the time it takes to do each length is about the same for an Olympic-level swimmers. If they are doing a 200 meter race, it might take 30-seconds for the first 50 meters (faster because of the start), then it might take 32-seconds for each of following 50 meter portions. They would split the race 30-32-32-32.
- Backstroke swimmers start in the water, with their feet against the wall, hands holding on to a starting grip. The swimmers must be rotated towards "belly-up" when their feet leave the wall, but they might be a little twisted, not 100% "belly-up" until they start their arms.
- Backstrokers do a flip turn at each wall, and do a few dolphin kicks or fish-kicks off the start or off each wall before they surface and begin to swim. The only time backstrokers are allowed to be "belly-down" is as they approach a turn. As part of the turning movement the swimmers rotates from "belly-up" to "belly-down" and do a flip turn (just like a freestyle flip turn), pushing off the wall on their backs ("belly-up").
- Backstrokers must finish "belly-up" (on their backs) by touching the wall with some part of their body, usually a hand.
- During a backstroke swim, the head must break the surface at or before 15-meters from the start and from each turn wall.
- The Stroke Rules - Freestyle or Front Crawl and Backstroke or Back Crawl
- The Stroke Rules - Breaststroke or Breast Stroke, Butterfly, Individual Medley or IM, and Relays
- The Swimming Pool Rules, Swim Wear Rules, Officials, and How Medals are Awarded
