It’s a little daunting to analyze a statement from one of the best swimmers the world has ever seen. But here goes. A few months ago, Ian Thorpe assessed the world of 200 freestyle, and declared that the everyone was swimming it wrong. Basically, he says that if swimmers don’t have his incredible last 50… Continue reading 200 Freestyle Analysis in Light of Ian Thorpe’s Comments
Tag: Michael Phelps
Swimming By The Numbers: How Strong is the US Olympic Team?
There's no question that the US Swimming Olympic Trials is one of the most exciting swim meets on the planet. The depth of talent, and the fierce competition between truly world class swimmers is staggering. Add to that the heartbreak of watching previous champions miss the team, and the sheer joy of watching new Olympians… Continue reading Swimming By The Numbers: How Strong is the US Olympic Team?
My Favourite Swim Race Videos of 2014-2015 (and Some Earlier Years)
The 2014-2015 season is basically behind us now. Below are some of my favourite racing videos from the year. Since this is my first time doing this annual review, I've also added some of my favourites from the past as well. Unfortunately, some of the races I watched during the World Championships feed are not… Continue reading My Favourite Swim Race Videos of 2014-2015 (and Some Earlier Years)
6 Things I Don’t Miss About Swimming in the 1970s
There is no doubt that swimming in the 1970s was exciting. Goggles had just been introduced in the late 1960s, and this allowed swimmers to train as hard as their bodies would allow, instead of training as hard as their eyes would let them. As a result, swimming records of every kind were broken on… Continue reading 6 Things I Don’t Miss About Swimming in the 1970s
Michael Phelps, and the Star – Role Model Problem
Everybody inside and outside of the swimming world will have probably heard of Michael Phelps' latest DUI problem. I'm not going to talk about that other than point out that Phelps is just another example of a star who is also a flawed human. And now, a dangerously flawed one. This raises the whole issue… Continue reading Michael Phelps, and the Star – Role Model Problem
How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?
How many hours of training should we put our youngest swimmers through? How intense should training be? When should we ask them to give up other sports and specialize in swimming? These are questions that have been around for a long, long time. And while the swimming world claims to divided on this topic, in… Continue reading How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?
Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 IM
It's the men's turn this time. Last week we looked at the 200 IM for women, and determined that it was slightly more oriented towards distance than sprinting, all seem to have strong butterfly splits and much wider split variations for the other 3 strokes, and the fastest tended to have the fastest freestyle splits.… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 IM
Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Butterfly
This time up: 200 Butterfly for Men. The first set of analyses involved the long axis strokes for men and women (here, here and here). We found clear indications of specific race profiles (Sprinter, Distance and Hybrid - see below) that made sense given the efficient nature of the strokes. The women's freestyle and backstroke… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Butterfly
Visualization and the Power of Thought
I recently posted on our Facebook page about a Youtube video, The Scientific Power of Thought, that beautifully describes how directed thought can change our brain, and even improve our motor skills. It's based on the incredible 2007 book, The Brain That Changes Itself, by Norman Doidge, MD (educated and now teaching at University of… Continue reading Visualization and the Power of Thought
Coach Rick - Mighty Tritons Swimming 