Figure 3: Rex Velocity Video Analysis 2]. Improved lung capacity By utilizing the dolphin kick I found that aligning the hips and head through an almost vertical - Breathe training [Element X] throughout the under water phase of the break out, and minimizing plane, while maintaining lower body - Hypoxic drills [John Fowlie – AIS the flutter kick continues to be the height on or above the water level, coach] direction of increased 15 metre was the desired start position. velocity. 3]. Improved start body position This meant decreasing the angle Start Position: between the upper and lower leg A comparison of race skills for while in the “take your mark” Emily’s 100 metres Backstroke phase of the start. The optimum As a result of the “Rex” study, show an improvement from 2007 in angle range for all 3 swimmers my model of the Backstroke start both the under water component of was between 47-59 degrees. Starts position changed considerably. I the event, [Start-turn-finish] and that were with greater leg angles modelled our Backstroke starts overall free swim time. tended to result with slower block on 2 A.I.S male Backstroke’s, who times and less acceleration into were leading the world with fast the dolphin phase. At the other end The study has produced an ongoing short course swimming at the time, of the spectrum, starts with lower ‘Testing’ protocol to fine tune Rob Hurley and Ashley Delany. Both angles resulted in extremely poor break out skills for Backstroke these boys pulled their body high horizontal force. swimmers. I have similar data and out above the water line during profiles on 2 other International / the “take your mark” call of the National level swimmers, who show start cycle. To train this skill, I devised a the same, if not greater increases, simple strength set that could be in their break out results. incorporated into a series of 15 After experimenting with different metre break out efforts. positions, and reviewing numerous hours of video and still shot footage, Competition Event 15mt 50mt 100mt Turn S/C World Champ Trials 2006 100 Back 8.10 29.84 1.01.09 9.16 34-40 World Championships 2007 100 Back 7.74 29.68 1.00.52 8.81 32-39 World Championships 2009 100 Back 7.18 28.78 58.88 8.28 30-34 Commonwealth Trials 2010 100 Back 7.20 28.99 59.21 8.30 31-35 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 13 Starting Sequence – Emily Seebohm – February 2010: 14 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 1]. Hold in the Optimum Backstroke start position for 15 seconds – Set up with “Take your marks”. 2]. Relax the position down, for 5 seconds while the arms and legs are still “connected” to the blocks. 3]. Reset the start with “Take your marks”. 4]. Start and record data for the 15 metre break out. 5]. Swim off 85 metres This set would be repeated between 4 - 8 times in a set, and would be done up to 2 times in a weekly cycle. In summary, the Start position tended to give the swimmer the following advantages: Quicker reaction time off the block A more horizontal flight curve than traditional starts – [see Intro figure] More velocity throughout the under water dolphin stage All the above resulting in a much faster start [15 metre] time for the 3 swimmers tested. 14 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Photograph courtesy of Delly Carr (Sportshoot) - ASCTA Photographer of the Year She dropped from a 1.05.10 for This footage revealed in graphic Arm Stroke Pattern: the 100 Back at Age 17, down to detail, how the angles mentioned a National Age record of 1.01.81, above affect the catch and pattern Throughout my 24 years in 7 months later at Age 18. The during the Backstroke arm cycle. coaching I have always believed improved efficiency, [lower stroke that the approach to Backstroke rate and stroke count] was a direct arm patterning was the traditional result from the newly learned In Summary: “Arm wrestle” pull pattern. Then ‘Push” technique. along came Emily Seebohm into my • Eliminate all Backstroke / program. Flutter kick from the under water The main area of attack was on the phase of the backstroke start and angle of the upper and lower arm turn. [Can this be said for F/S/] As Emily developed as a junior when connecting into the “Push swimmer from the age of 10-13, phase” after the entry. If we could I noticed that she had an unusual lower the angle of the arm then • Higher and more vertical Body catch and pull. As she matured and a Push action could occur, rather position on the start in Backstroke starting making her first senior than the up and over, wide action teams at the age of 14, I had the that we all see today. The optimum • Align the head and hips vertically opportunity to take a good look at angle for the arm is approximately with toes well out of the water on what was happening under water 90 degrees. The majority of start by means of the QAS and AIS backstroke’s that I have seen tend resources. to hold the arm angle at anywhere between 110-150 degrees. • Decrease the upper & lower leg The major aspects I noticed were The male swimmers tend to have angle [47-59 degrees] off the wall how shallow she entered in the a greater ability to reproduce the on start water, the connection she made 90-100 degree angle where as the with setting her elbow and then the females, being a little less strong at • Decrease upper & lower arm ‘Push” action of the stroke. the range of motion necessary, don’t angle [closer to 90 degrees] during I had been teaching the “Arm seem to be able to attain let alone arm “Push” cycle wrestle” pattern up until this point. reproduce the action. That changed quite quickly with my immediate senior backstroke While taking part in a “propulsive Matthew Brown. Special swimmers, learning the “Push or study” carried out by Danielle thanks to Clare Jones and Upside F/S” action. Formosa, a PHD student at the AIS Biomechanics section in Canberra, all the QAS staff, and to We had immediate success with I was sent recent footage of both Danielle Formosa AIS. one of our 18 year old female Bobby Jovanovich and Emily swimmers. Seebohm, members of the Brothers swim program. SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 15 Photograph courtesy of Swimming Australia Limited Trials Time inin Adelaide Best of the Best chase Swimming's Holy Grail Ian Hanson, who has attended the last seven Olympic Games, provides ASCTA readers with this comprehensive look at the 2012 Australian Olympic Swimming Trials which will put the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide very much on the international swimming map between March 15 and 22. There will be jubilation and joy; heartache and heartbreak as the cream of Australia’s swimmers put everything on the line, chasing places on Australia’s London Olympic swimming team. It will bring together the best of the best with the new breed of Australia’s swimmers up against some of the sport’s biggest names of the past 15 years. The Trials will be just the start for some and the end for others at a meet like no other, when nerves can sink careers and drive others to greatness in a cut throat eight days of racing. The 40-strong team will be announced on Thursday, March 22 when Olympians of the past join in welcoming the class of 2012 to a very exclusive club. History beckons Leisel Jones who has the opportunity to become the first Australian swimmer to represent at four Olympic Games. She already has an extraordinary Olympic record of three gold, four silver and a bronze and is priming herself to add further medals to her amazing collection. But like everyone else: first she has to make the team and that’s what makes Olympic Swimming Trials as nerve-wracking for coaches and families as they are for swimmers. Here is a comprehensive event-by-event guide to the 2012 Olympic Swimming Trials. March 15-22, SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Adelaide 16 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Photograph courtesy of Delly Carr (Sportshoot) ASCTA Photographer of the Year 50m Freestyle A qualifying time: 22.11 Season’s best: Matt Targett (21.98) MMen en Contenders: Matt Targett, Matt Abood, Cameron Prosser, James Magnussen, James Roberts, Eamon Sullivan Outlook: Matt Targett remains the stand out performer going into the Trials after his PB 21.98 at the SA State Championships and only has to repeat that performance to waltz onto his second Olympic team. On his day Abood can pull out a big one and he’ll need to if he wants a place on his first Olympic team. His 22.15 behind Targett in Adelaide was a great indicator that he’s on target. No one else has shown anything this season’s that suggests they can break 22. Australia has never won an Olympic medal in this event since it was introduced in Seoul in 1988 – Maybe 2012 will see an Aussie on the podium. The big question? With the pressure of the Olympic Trials, can Targett and Abood both crack 22? 100m Freestyle Adelaide A qualifying time: 48.82 Best of the Best chase Swimming's Holy Grail Season’s best: James Magnussen (48.05) Contenders: James Magnussen, Matt Targett, James Roberts, Cameron Prosser, Kyle Richardson, Cameron McEvoy, Eamon Sullivan, Matt Abood, Michael Klim, Tommaso D’Orsogna, Ian Thorpe Outlook: On form, Magnussen is close to being the “Black Caviar” of the pool and if anyone wants to beat the world champion then they will have to break 48 and swim faster than they’ve ever swum.