HISTORY OF SWIMMING

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the
Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive
swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

It was noted that Ancient Egypt had cave drawings of humans swimming in the nearby sea. They often depicted a form of
the breaststroke as the first type of swimming or something they used to call the front crawl. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian
and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Often reserved for the elite that used them as
relaxation pools and cleaning tubs.

It is noted by historians that swimming was also often used in battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers
and at the Battle of Salamis after a number of both Greek and Persian boats were destroyed it was said that all of the
Persians drowned due to their inability to swim while the Greek prevailed.

The history of swimming is much easier to understand than other sports. Without any equipment to speak of an individual
can take to the waters. Obviously those countries that had the most access to water were the first to adapt to swimming.
History did not have the spreading of the sport as many other sports had encountered because it was basically already
available. Either you adopted swimming as a means of life or you just chose not to swim.

The evolution of swimming history expanded during the middle ages. A number of individuals took it upon themselves to
write books about swimming. They were often focused on the ability to not drown rather than a perfect backstroke as you
would imagine. Life saving concepts and techniques began to form throughout the next few hundred years and around
the 18th and 19th century the sport began to evolve into more of a competition than just life safety. Swimming
Associations and Clubs popped up all over the world. Some of the first in swimming history were in China, Sweden and
Germany.

Schools began to believe that swimming was a natural part of any life education. Therefore, they began to teach
swimming in schools not just as a life safety course but as an extracurricular activity. Schools and Universities began to
adopt these practices and set up clubs and swim teams. Competitions began to arise around the mid 1800’s. England was
the first to modernize the sport and incorporate an indoor swimming pool with a swim team. They began to formulate
new swimming styles including the sidestroke. Shortly after this, variations of the freestyle began to form and credit can’t
really be given to one person as so many were responsible for developing this technique.

The Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens was the first real platform for the sport. There only men competed in a number of
events. Throughout the 1900’s the sport evolved and saw a number of stars arise. Johnny Weissmuller, the original
Tarzan completed his ten year career by never losing a race and winning five Olympic medals.

Science and technology began to play a part in the sport throughout the 1900’s as well. When scientist and coaches
began studying swimmers and there underwater techniques to improve times. The swimsuits began to change as well as
any form of resistance was under scrutiny from all competitors. Goggles, swim caps and different variations of training
have all evolved as well. The US has seen its share of great Olympians going back to Mark Spitz who won seven gold
medals in the 1972 Olympics.

The sport has evolved to a very competitive and fun sport for anyone. That has always been the great appeal that anyone
can swim and we have been for the past 3000 years…So goes the history of swimming.

Accredited Meet is a competition where there is a full complement of officials and all the rules of
swimming will be applied.
Automatic (Electronic) Timing (AOE) electrical equipment designed to measure the elapsed time
between the start and finish of a race in each lane.
ASA (Amateur Swimming Association): the governing body of swimming in England.
ASFGB (Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain): the governing body of swimming across
the whole of Great Britain.
Backstroke flags a line of flags (not bunting!) suspended above the pool 5 metres from each pool
end. Used to help backstroke swimmers judge when to turn.
Competitive skills - starts, turns, streamlining, start and finish speeds - all components of racing.
Consideration Time is a time for an event set by the meet organiser that swimmers must be faster than
in order to enter.
Converted Time a time calculated using tables to compensate for a change of pool length. A time swum
in a 25m pool can be converted into an equivalent time for a 50m pool and vice versa.
Disqualification (DQ) indicates the swimmer has broken a swimming rule.
Entry form/disk the page(s) or computer disk upon which the team's entries for a particular meet are
submitted to the meet host or designated committee.
Even Pace is a swim that is swum at the same pace for each section - e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th 50's of a
200m swim swum with equal times.
Event a race or series of races in a given stroke and distance.
FINA (Federation Internationale Natation Amateur): the world's governing body of swimming.
Final any single race that determines final places and times in an event.
Graded Meet - At a Graded Meet a time cap is applied and only those swimmers below the cap are
allowed to compete. Some graded meets may have both high end and low end caps.
Heat the division of an event in which there are too many swimmers to compete at one time.
Heat Declared Winner means that there will be no final and the winner of the event is determined by
times alone when all the heats have been swum.
I.M. (Individual Medley) is an event where all four competitive strokes are swum in one event by one
swimmer. Order: butterfly - backstroke - breaststroke - frontcrawl.
Kickboard - a flat rectangular (usually) piece of foam used when kicking in training.
Lane numbers: lanes are numbered from right to left as the swimmer stands facing the course.
Leg: the part of a relay that is swum by a single team member.
LEN (League European Natation) is the governing body of swimming in Europe.
Licensed Meet is a competition that has been approved by the SASA. Only times from licensed and
accredited meets can be used to enter most North District competitions.
Long Course means in a 50 metre pool.
Marshalling Area - the area where the swimmers meet ahead of their race
Medley relay is an event where all four competitive strokes are swum in one event with four swimmers
swimming in turns. Each swimmer swims one stroke. Order backstroke – breaststroke - butterfly –
frontcrawl. (Compare to IM)
NEASCA is the North East Amateur Swimming Clubs Association comprising 6 clubs – Broch Seals,
Deveron, Garioch, Huntly, Peterhead and Ythan.
Negative split: a pacing tactic where the swimmer performs the second half of a race faster than the
first half.
North District is the part of SASA that we belong to covering the North of Scotland and the islands.
Officials are volunteers who help to ensure that the rules of swimming are adhered to in swimming
events and time trials. Officials will usually wear white.
Open competition: a competition in which any affiliated club, organisation or individual may enter.
One Start Rule is a rule applied almost everywhere now and it means that a swimmer is automatically
disqualified if they fall or dive into the water before the starting signal
Over the top Starts this means that the swimmer should stay in the water after finishing their race,
holding on to the lane rope, until after the next race has started.
Pace Clock - normally a constantly running single arm (displaying time progression in seconds) clock
with different coloured ends - each pointing to 30 seconds apart & used to assist swimmers and coach to
 send swimmers off for each repeat swim in a swim set - e.g. 5 or 10 seconds apart & used by swimmers
for pacing or noting their swim times for particular swim sets.
Pacing an important procedure for distributing energy resources in a particular race to achieve the best
overall performance.
Paddles - flat pieces of plastic worn on the hands, usually during pull sets.
Personal Best (PB) This is the fastest time that a swimmer has recorded for a particular event.
Placing (order of finish): determined by either the automatic timing system when available or by the
meet officials when manual timing is used.
Programme (Start sheet) is a complete listing of all swimmers entered in the events at a competition.
Pullbouy - a piece of foam that goes between your legs and helps you float whilst swimming
without kicking during training.
Qualifying / Consideration time (QT) the time a swimmer must perform to enter a particular meet or
gain selection to a certain squad.
Recorder the official who records the results at a meet.
Referee the highest ranking official in overall charge of an accredited meet.
SAS (South Aberdeenshire Swimming) is a composite team made up of the 5 competitive clubs in
South Aberdeenshire – Banchory Beavers, Garioch, Stonehaven, Upper Deeside, Westhill & District.
SASA (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) the governing body of swimming in Scotland.
SASA National Championships: senior and age group competitions for all swimmers who make the
qualifying standard to determine the best swimmers in Scotland.
Session: any portion of a meet distinctly separated from other portions by time or type, i.e., heats and
finals, senior and age group.
Short Course is in 25 metre pool.
Speeding Ticket is what a swimmer receives for swimming too fast at a graded meet.
Split time the time(s) recorded within individual sections of a race.
Starter the official who starts the race.
Starting block / Plinth: a raised platform from which competitors dive at the start of freestyle, butterfly,
breaststroke and individual medley races.
Stroke judge the official who inspects competitors to determine that the stroke being used is legal.
Streamlining the method of aligning the body so as to reduce resistance in the water.
Swim off an additional race used to determine the finalists in the event of a tie in the heats.
Timekeeper is an official who operates a stopwatch to record a swimmer’s time.
Touchpad - a board at the end of the pool that acts as a stopwatch. When the swimmer
finishes and hits the touchpad, it records the time.

Turn Judge is the official who ensures that all turns are completed correctly in a race.

Timed finals / Heat Declared Winner: competition in which only heats are swum with final

Breath Holding
Breath holding spells are the occurrence of episodic apnea in children, possibly associated with loss of consciousness, and changes in

postural tone.

Breath holding spells occur in approximately 5% of the population with equal distribution between males and females. They are most

common in children between 6 and 18 months and usually not present after 5 years of age. They are unusual before 6 months of age. A

positive family history can be elicited in 25% of cases. It may be confused with a seizure disorder.

Mark Spitz
Spitz is the greatest swimmer in the history of swimming. With his 11 Olympic medals, he
became the fourth highest medalist in the Olympic history and jointly the highest in Men’s
Swimming. At the age of nine, this legendary
swimmer started to practice swimming at
Arden Hills Swim Club in California. By the ten,
he came in to the focus while he held 17
national age-group and one world record. He
attended his first Olympic Games in 1968
having been expected to win at least 6 gold
medals as he was the holder of ten world
records by then. The reality was different as he
could win just two gold medals and a silver
and bronze medal. It was then in 1972 Munich
Olympic Games, where he made history
winning 7 gold medals with new world records
in each. None of the Olympians, till today,
has same achievement in a single Olympic Games. He took retirement at the age of 22
surprisingly. In his post retirement age, he attended in some TV show including “The
Tonight Show”, “The Sony and Cher Comedy Hour” and “The Dean Martin Show”. He is a
member of International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Matthew ("Matt") Nicholas Biondi

Biondi is another great swimmer in the swimming history winning 11

Olympic medals including 8 gold. Appearing in three Olympics
Games, he could prove his skill and potential in swimming. His best
Olympic performance was 1988 in Seoul where he bagged 7
medals including 5 gold. In that time this was the second
example of winning 5 medals in an Olympic tournament just after
Mark Spitz. He was awarded by the Swimming World Magazine
as the Male Swimmer of the Year twice. He is also an inductee of
international Swimming Hall of Fame.

Johnny Weissmuller

Johnny_Weissmuller is another talented swimmer in the swimming history. This multi skilled
legend is also very famous for playing the role of Tarzan in the movie titled ‘Tarzan’, one of
the successful movies ever released in Hollywood. He acted in the 12 movies of Tarzan
series and could create an individual place in the Hollywood. In his swimming
career, he dominated the swimming world participating in the two Olympics
Games and bagging 6 Olympic medals in which 5 were gold. He extended his feat
in the water polo too and won the bronze medal with USA water polo team in
1924 Paris Olympic. His talent is rare in the world. His uniqueness was seen in
Tarzan where he showed his famous Tarzan Yell. Besides Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller also
acted in several movies and got fame in the Hollywood. For his artistic contribution in
theHollywood movies, he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After taking retirement
from Swimming he became the founder chairman of the International Swimming Hall of
Fame.
Ian James Thorpe
Nicknamed ‘Thorpedo’ he is one of the most popular swimmers in the present world.
Having participated in two Olympic Games, Thorpe bagged nine medals including five gold.
This Australian is stepping down the way of being in the same row
of the greatest swimmers. He has already been compared with
the legends of middle-distance swimmers. Thorpe holds two
world records in 200 m and 400 m Freestyle events. Besides
Olympic, he also got many success in World Championship, Pan
Pacific Championship and Commonwealth Games. He has
been World Swimmer of the Year for four times.

Michael Fred Phelps II

Phelps is another passionate American swimmer in the present world. He has showed his
talent and skill to be accepted as a legend in the swimming history. He first appeared in the
Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 at the age of 15, but he had to come back
without any medal. However, in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he
proved his talent and let the world realize that another great is coming. He
ended the competition with 8 medals including 6 gold. He became
the youngest world record holder in 2000 at the age of 15 years and 9
months while he broke the world record in 200 m Butterfly. He holds 4
world records now. His best events are Freestyle and Individual Medley.
Phelps dominates in other swimming competitions like World Championship,
Pan pacific Championship etc.

Jennifer ("Jenny") Elisabeth Thompson

Jenny Thompson is a great swimmer in the world swimming. Jenny could win 12 medals
participating in four Olympics Games. Her number of Olympic gold medal is 8 which
deserve her to be included in the list of one of the great Olympians.
Though she could not meet with the expectations created after she
won her first international gold medal in the Pan American Games at
the age of 14, she could win 3 medals including 2 gold in her first
appearance in the Olympic Games. In that competition she failed to
qualify in the 50 m Freestyle and finished second in the 100 m
Freestyle though she was the then world record holder of these
two events. In spite of such failure to meet the expectations around
her; she could continue winning medals in the following Olympic
Games and in other international competitions. In 1999, she became
the World Swimmer of the Year by the Swimming World Magazine.

Krisztina Egerszegi

This Hungarian great Olympian was a famous swimmer from the late 1980s to the
mid 1990s. Participating in three Olympics Games, she bagged 7 medals in which
5 were gold. This Backstroke queen still holds the world record for 200m Backstroke. She
won 4 gold medals in Backstroke event in Olympic Games. At present she is an inductee of
International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Dawn Lorraine Fraser

This Australian great swimmer is mostly famous for her

successes in the Freestyle event. She is the first women to finish
swimming within one minute in the 100m events. In her three
Olympic Games appearances, she could win 8 Olympic medals
including 5 gold. She became the Australian of the Year in 1965 and
got the award of Order of the British Empire in 1967. She was one
of the Olympic Torch bearers at the opening ceremony of the
Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. In her later life she became a
politician.

Shane Gould

Shane is another great Australian swimmer in the world swimming. It is still a mystery that
in spite of having a great skill and potential, she retired at the age of 16.
However, within her short appearance in the swimming pool, she could
able to show her ability to be one of the greatest in the history of
swimming. In her only Olympic games appearance in 1972
in Munich she won 5 medals including 3 gold. At that time she was just 15
years old. In that competition she became a part of the history of the
women’s swimming winning the three Olympic gold medals with world
record in each for the first time in women’s swimming. Her greatness
in swimming was proved in the way of her winning all of the Freestyle
events from 100m to 1500m with new world record in each. The
number of award she got in her short career can be another world
record (though I am not sure). She became the Best Sportswoman in the
World in 1971 and Australian of the Year in 1972. Later, Order of the British Empire and
Olympic Order adorned her award cage.

Kristin Otto

Kristin is the famous swimmer in the swimming world. This German swimmer appeared in
one Olympic Games in 1988 and she could prove the tale that great people does not need
two chances to show their greatness. In that tournament, she won 6 gold
medals. Swimming World Magazine named her the Female World
Swimmer of the Year for thrice. There is some other great swimmers in
the history of Swimming. These swimmers also deserve to be in
the same line with the swimmers included above. Some of such great
swimmers are as follows:Janet Elizabeth Evans, James Paul ("Jim")
Montgomery, Iain Murray Rose, Jeffrey ("Jeff") Norman Rouse, Tracy
Ann Caulkins, Ambrose ("Rowdy") Gaines IV, Janet Elizabeth Evans, Alfréd Hajós, Duke
Kahanamoku,Danyon Joseph Loader, Fu Mingxia etc.

Basic Swimming Skills

From your work toward Second Class rank, you know that a rescuer often does not
need to enter the water to save someone from drowning. Reaching or throwing rescue
devices usually work, but sometimes a rescuer must swim a float to an active
victim, or swim out and tow an unconscious person to safety. Such cases require
strong swimming skills.
First Class rank requirements start you on your way to becoming a good swimmer,
but you need additional skills to begin training for the Lifesaving merit badge.
You need to master the front crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, and elementary backstroke.
These are introduced in your Boy Scout Handbook and reviewed here, but
you will probably need formal instruction to master them. Do not assume that your
Lifesaving merit badge counselor will teach you swimming and lifesaving at the
same time. Your swimming skills need not be perfect, but you should know the
basic strokes before you tackle lifesaving.
An excellent way to prepare for the Lifesaving merit badge is to first earn the
Swimming merit badge. You also may take swimming courses from the Red Cross,
YMCA, or your local parks department. if you are a member of a swim team, you
can ask your coach for help with the noncompetitive strokes. You should contact a
counselor for the Lifesaving badge only after you are confident that you can perform
the prerequisite 400-yard swim with ease. if you can't quite make the distance,
get someone to review your strokes with you. At this stage, stamina is probably not
as critical as good form. That is, if you know how to do the strokes property, the
distance shouldn't be a problem.
Review the following stroke descriptions to refresh your memory. More detailed
descriptions and illustrations are in your Boy Scout Handbook and the Swimming
merit badge pamphlet. Note that lifesaving procedures will require you to modify
the strokes to carry equipment, to avoid obstructions, to keep an eye on the victim,
and, if needed, to tow the victim to safety. The front crawl and breaststroke are generally
used as approach strokes and to push objects. The sidestroke and elementary
backstroke are normally used to tow objects. You also will need to know the rotary
kick for holding a vertical position and surface dives to recover submerged objects.
Front Crawl
The front crawl combines a relaxed flutter kick with a rotary arm motion and rhythmic
breathing. It is the fastest stroke but can consume considerable energy. The
stroke is most efficient if the head remains supported by the water. The head is
turned to the side to inhale and rotated down to exhale. Power is improved if the
lower arm is bent and swept across the chest rather than rotated in a vertical arc.
The kick should generate enough power to push you through the water without
using your arms. The feet should not slap the surface of the water.
12 LIFESAVING
13 LIFESAVING
Breaststroke Elementary Backstroke
Coordination is the key to the breaststroke. Your legs power you forward as your
arms move to a glide position with your head down. Your arms power you while you
take a breath and prepare the legs for the next whip kick. Done slowly with a glide,
the breaststroke conserves energy and is appropriate for long distances.
The backstroke begins with arms at your sides and legs
together. Start the whip kick by slowly lowering the
heels beneath the knees. Then rotate the ankles outward
of the knees and return them to the start position
in a rapid, continuous circular motion. The knees separate
and follow the feet out do not lead out with the
knees. The arms are brought slowly up along the chest
and extended outward at shoulder level. They are used
to push water toward the feet while the legs are making
the circular ''whipping'' action. Raising the head and
bending at the waist are common mistakes that distort
the body position. The elementary backstroke is a restful
stroke suitable for long distances. A long glide is an
essential element of the stroke.
Sidestroke
The sidestroke uses a scissors kick in
which the heels are first tucked behind
the body. The top leg is then extended
forward and the bottom leg back. Power
is generated when the legs are snapped
back to a trailing position. The lower arm
pulls water past the chest while the upper
arm pushes from the chin toward the feet.
The stroke uses a glide to conserve
energy. Breathing is natural because the
head remains out of the water. A good
swimmer should be able to do the sidestroke
on both sides.
14 LIFESAVING 15 LIFESAVING

Stroke Use and Modification for Lifesaving Rotary Kick

The crawl is used as an approach stroke to cover distance rapidly when the
rescue aid can be trailed behind the swimmer-for example, when making a swimming
rescue using a rescue tube. For lifesaving, the crawl is normally done with
the head out of the water, and you should practice it that way. Although that takes
more energy and makes the stroke more difficult, the rescuer needs to keep track
of the victim's location and avoid obstacles or other swimmers. It is important that
you as rescuer pace yourself to prevent exhaustion. if you must swim a long dis-
At times during training for lifesaving, you will need to
stay in one position without a float and with your head
up; that is, you'll need to tread water. You have probably
already developed your own style of treading water,
such as sculling with your hands and using a combination
of kicks. Another option is to use the rotary, or eggbeater,
kick.
tance, you may choose to swim facedown and look up every few strokes. The rotary kick is done from a
sitting position with the knees apart. Rotate one
leg and then the other in a circular pattern. The motion is similar to that of the
whip kick used for the breaststroke and the backstroke. However, each leg moves
separately in the rotary kick. Try it first supported by a float or sculling with your
hands. As you get the feel of it, try it without using your arms. Kick only fast
enough to keep your head above water.
The breaststroke also is used in lifesaving with the head out of the water. It is
a more versatile approach stroke than the crawl. Rescue equipment may be trailed
behind, tucked under the arms, or pushed forward with one or both hands. If wind
and water are calm, the swimmer can push a float such as an inner tube or air mattress
ahead of him, then use his arms for stroking while catching up. The rescuer
also can propel a bodyboard, surfboard, or air mattress while lying on the device
and using his arms in a breaststroke fashion. Surface Dives The sidestroke is another option for an
approach stroke used to take a rescue aid
to a victim. The swimmer may tow the rescue aid with one hand, leaving the other
free for stroking. The sidestroke is slightly more awkward than the breaststroke for
seeing where you are going. (The backstroke is not normally used as an approach
Some drowning victims must be recovered from below the surface of the water.
Swimming downward for any distance is hard because your body is lighter than
water and will float upward. If you try to swim straight down, you will waste
energy and breath that are needed for victim recovery. Instead, practice the surface stroke because forward
vision is difficult.)
In waves, it may be easier to tow some aids rather than push them. You can
use either a regular scissors kick or an inverted scissors kick, depending on your
preference. In the inverted scissors kick, the top leg goes back rather than forward.
Some swimmers will use the regular scissors on one side and the inverted scissors
dives described in this section until you can easily reach bottom in 8 feet of water.
Take only one or two deep breaths before you dive. Breathing too deeply for
too long can lead to hyperuentilation. Your body uses the amount of carbon dioxide
in your blood to trigger the desire to breathe. After hyperventilation, it is possible
for you to run out of oxygen and black out underwater, before carbon dioxide levels
rise enough to warn that you need more air.
on the other.
After presenting the victim an aid, you'll choose a stroke for the return to safety.
if you've used a buoyant aid, one option is to let the victim kick toward shore while
you swim alongside. The sidestroke enables you to swim alongside the victim while
keeping the person in full view. If the victim needs help, then both the sidestroke
and the backstroke are useful for towing a conscious victim grasping a float. if the
float is large enough that the victim and the rescuer can hold to opposite sides, then
You probably have noticed a slight pain in your ears when you swim near the
bottom of a deep pool. The increased pressure of the water against your eardrums
causes the discomfort. The feeling may have disappeared if you swallowed or wiggled
your jaw. If air is free to travel from your lungs to your inner ear, then the pressure
will be equal on both sides of your eardrum and you won't feel any difference.
Some people equalize automatically; others, especially if suffering from a cold, cannot
equalize at all.
I

you can use the breaststroke to push the victim to shore.

if you've used a no buoyant aid or the victim is unconscious, you may do a
tow using the sidestroke or the backstroke. Such situations will be discussed in
more detail in later sections. For now, you will find it useful to practice the sidestroke
with the lower hand held at the side and the backstroke using just the kick.
If you are trying to recover a victim in deep water, you must return to the surface
if the pain in your ears becomes intense, even if the person is in sight. If you
ignore the pain, your eardrum might rupture. That could cause you to lose your
sense of direction and possibly to black out. Then there would be two people to
rescue instead of one.
16 LIFESAVING 17 LIFESAVING
Feetfirst Surface Dive
Use the feetfirst surface
dive whenever you can't
clearly see what is beneath
you. At the surface, begin
in a vertical position with
your arms extended outward.
Push down with your
arms while using a scissors
kick to push upward. Try to
lift your body as far out of
the water as possible. The
weight of your body out of the water will then
drive you downward. Straighten your legs and
push up with your hands as you start toward the
bottom. Do not lift your arms too quickly; they should
push against the water rather than break the surface.
Headfirst Surface Dive
You can use the headfirst surface dive
when the water is deep and clear. The
dive is easier to do if you begin while
moving forward with a breaststroke. As
you finish an arm pull, your hands will
be to the side and your legs straight
back. Without stopping, scoop downward
with your arms as you bend at the
waist and lift your legs into the air. Then
extend your arms in front of your head.
The object is to point your entire
body toward the bottom with your legs
above the surface. Again, the weight of
your legs above the water drives you
downward. The headfirst surface dive
also is known as a ''pike'' if you keep
your legs straight the entire time. It is a
''tuck'' if you bring your legs toward
your body while you bend downward
and then straighten them into the air.
Keep your arms extended to protect
your head as you dive.