Tag: olympics

Swimming has a Serious Parity Problem
Coaching

Swimming has a Serious Parity Problem

Rick Madge2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve done a couple of posts regarding International parity in the world of swimming. With the Tokyo Olympics over, I’ve analyzed the competition and compared it to Rio 2016 and a random selection of World Championships between 1973 and 2019. So the big question here: Are just a few countries dominating swimming?… Continue reading Swimming has a Serious Parity Problem

Coaching

8 Strange Olympic Swimming Events

Rick Madge3 Comments

Something fun as a change from everything else that's happening.  Oh, and the picture above is the start of one of the Olympic races in the River Seine (1900).   8.  First Olympic Breaststroke event (1904) While it’s the earliest known type of swimming, Breaststroke didn’t make it’s Olympic debut until the 1904 Olympics in… Continue reading 8 Strange Olympic Swimming Events

A Nation’s Pride: 1976 and State-Sponsored Doping
Coaching

A Nation’s Pride: 1976 and State-Sponsored Doping

Rick Madge3 Comments

I must confess I haven't had the opportunity to watch the apparently excellent "The Last Gold" documentary about the 1976 women's US Olympic Team as they battled the overpowering but doped East German women. But having been a competitive swimmer back then, I am very familiar with the story and the emotions.  That the US… Continue reading A Nation’s Pride: 1976 and State-Sponsored Doping

Swimming By The Numbers: Age Analysis of Olympic Trials for 6 Countries
Coaching

Swimming By The Numbers: Age Analysis of Olympic Trials for 6 Countries

Rick Madge7 Comments

It's been a little while since I've done a Swimming By the Numbers blog post, and the recent Canadian Olympic Trials sparked an idea.  We had incredibly strong performances from the women, and NOT incredibly strong performances from the men.  A lot of theories were thrown around, one being that we are abandoning our older… Continue reading Swimming By The Numbers: Age Analysis of Olympic Trials for 6 Countries

Coaching

My Favourite Swim Race Videos of 2014-2015 (and Some Earlier Years)

Rick Madge1 Comment

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)

Coaching

More Than You Want to Know About Swimming Disqualifications

Rick Madge6 Comments

Disqualifications are an essential part of swimming. It's there lurking in the background of every race in every meet. But what's the real purpose of disqualifications? It might not be what you think. Disqualifications are not there to punish cheaters. The purpose of a disqualification is to prohibit certain movements or actions which have the… Continue reading More Than You Want to Know About Swimming Disqualifications

Coaching

Is Russia the New East Germany?

Rick Madge3 Comments

A few days ago a bombshell exploded in the sporting world. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, German broadcaster ARD aired a segment called "Top-secret Doping Dossier: How Russia produces it's Winners". It included a tremendous amount of evidence and on-camera testimony from Russian officials, coaches and athletes on massive and systemic doping, coverups and corruption… Continue reading Is Russia the New East Germany?