Friday, April 29, 2011

VIDEO 3 – 200m Fly Rome 2009 - Best swimmer ever???

One might say that you have a strong case whenever you win an all-time record 8 gold medals in the same Olympic games (14 gold medals in total). He is also the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record at 15 years and 9 months. In the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Phelps took gold again in the 200m and 100m fly (in this one silencing trash talker Milorad Cavic).


Beginner tip: Two kicks (a small and a big one) for each stroke (nice slow motion underwater view at 5:29), feet are tight together.

Intermediate tip: Head enters the water before the arms after breathing, chin barely breaks the surface of the water.

Advanced tip: Similar to freestyle arms are brought to the direction of belly button to finish the stroke, upper body doesn’t move during the underwater kick after the start and turn (abs are tight). 

Thursday, April 7, 2011

VIDEO 2 - 200m Breastroke 2006 - Leisel Jones storms the world!

 At the age of 14 years old Australian Leisel Jones made her first Olympic Games appearance. Still a teenager she broke her first world record in the month leading to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Leisel is regarded as one of the best breastroker swimmer of all time, and in this video Jones smashes the world record in 2006.


Beginner tip: Perfect example of gliding, kicking technique and how the head movement is kept to a minimum.

Intermediate tip: Arms keep moving when she breaths, no stops. Nice example of open turns; both arms touching the wall, knees are brought to the direction of the belly button as the upper body turns sideways, one arm recovers under water while the other goes above it, push the wall in a streamline position, glide, perform an underwater pull-down, and glide again before surfacing and swimming normal breaststroke.

Advanced tip: One dolphin kick is now allowed in the underwater part after the start and turn.