S10 , SB9 , SM10 are para-swimming classifications used for categorizing swimmers based on their level of disability. Swimmers in this class tend to have minimal weakness affecting their legs, missing feet, a missing leg below the knee or problems with their hips. This class includes a number of different disabilities including people with amputations and cerebral palsy. The classification is governed by the International Paralympic Committee , and competes at the Paralympic Games.
69-528: This classification is for swimming . In the classification title, S represents Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly strokes. SB means breaststroke. SM means individual medley. Swimming classifications are on a gradient, with one being the most severely physically impaired to ten having the least amount of physical disability. Jane Buckley, writing for the Sporting Wheelies , describes the swimmers in this classification as having: "very minimal weakness affecting
138-418: A cycle of training in which the body is overloaded with work in the beginning and middle segments of the cycle, and then the workload is decreased in the final stage as the swimmer approaches competition. The practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition is called tapering . Tapering is used to give the swimmer's body some rest without stopping exercise completely. A final stage
207-509: A disadvantage when competing against people with amputations who do not lose coordination as a result of exertion. CP7 swimmers tend to have a passive normalized drag in the range of 0.6 to 0.8. This puts them into the passive drag band of PDB6, PDB8, and PDB9. CP8 swimmers tend to have a passive normalized drag in the range of 0.4 to 0.9. This puts them into the passive drag band of PDB6, PDB8, and PDB10. People with spinal cord injuries compete in this class, including F7 and F8 sportspeople. F7
276-450: A drag suit include the depletion of proper stroke. This is caused by the swimmer's own fatigue. When the swimmer becomes more fatigued, different muscle groups become more tired. Consequently, the swimmer will try to engage another group of muscle to do the same thing, which can cause the stroke efficiency to drop. Elite and international swimming comprises the highest level of competition available to swimmers, including competitions such as
345-492: A medical classified, two general classified and a technical classifier. In the S10 Freestyle Long Course, both the 50m and 100m women's world records are held by Canada's Aurélie Rivard , with Brazil's Andre Brasil holding both the men's world records. Swimmers who have competed in this classification include Robert Welbourn , Michael Anderson , Andre Brasil and Anna Eames who all won medals in their class at
414-505: A normalized drag in the range of 0.6 to 0.7. Swimming races available to people in this class include the 50m and 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley events. The classification was created by the International Paralympic Committee . In 2003 the committee approved a plan which recommended the development of a universal classification code. The code
483-526: A person's amputations in this class can effect their physiology and sports performance. Because of the potential for balance issues related to having an amputation, during weight training, amputees are encouraged to use a spotter when lifting more than 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Lower limb amputations affect a person's energy cost for being mobile. To keep their oxygen consumption rate similar to people without lower limb amputations, they need to walk slower. People in this class use around 7% more oxygen to walk or run
552-447: A race. Due to waves created by the swimmers, it can be an advantage to swim closer to the center of the pool during a race. Due to this, World Aquatics regulations specify which lane each swimmer competes in based on previous times. In a ten lane pool this is as follows: Competitive swimming, from the club through to international level, tends to have an autumn and winter season competing in short course (25 metres or yards) pools and
621-640: A rule that swimmers may not go farther than 15 metres underwater. In 2014, FINA rules that a single dolphin kick may be added to the breaststroke pullout before the first breaststroke kick. In the past decade, American competitive swimmers have made the most use of the underwater dolphin kick, notably Olympic and World medal winners Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte . World Championship pools must be 50 metres (160 ft) ( long course ) long and 25 metres (82 ft) wide, with ten lanes labelled zero to nine (or one to ten in some pools; zero and nine (or one and ten) are usually left empty in semi-finals and finals);
690-478: A sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports , with varied distance events in butterfly , backstroke , breaststroke , freestyle , and individual medley . In addition to these individual events, four swimmers can take part in either a freestyle or medley relay . A medley relay consists of four swimmers who will each swim a different stroke, ordered as backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Swimming each stroke requires
759-420: A semifinal or final. The clerk is also responsible for enforcing rules of the swim meet if a swimmer chooses to not show up ("No show" - NS, or "Did Not Swim" - DNS) to their events. Timekeepers : Each timekeeper takes the time of the swimmers in the lane assigned to them. Unless a video backup system is used, it may be necessary to use the full complement of timekeepers even when automatic officiating equipment
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#1732883607209828-516: A set of specific techniques; in competition, there are distinct regulations concerning the acceptable form for each individual stroke. There are also regulations on what types of swimsuits , caps, jewelry and injury tape that are allowed at competitions. Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport, such as tendinitis in the shoulders or knees, there are also multiple health benefits. Evidence of recreational swimming in prehistoric times has been found, with
897-530: A slight loss of function in one limb. They do a standing start and kick turns, but get less power than they might otherwise because of the leg impairment. F8 is standing wheelchair sport class. The level of spinal cord injury for this class involves people who have incomplete lesions at a slightly higher level. This means they can sometimes bear weight on their legs. In 2002, USA Track & Field defined this class as, "These are standing athletes with dynamic standing balance. Able to recover in standing when balance
966-549: A spring and summer season competing in long course (50-metre) pools and in open water. In international competition and in club swimming in Europe, the short course (25m) season lasts from September to December, and the long course (50m) season from January to August with open water in the summer months. These regulations are slowly being brought to competition in North America. As of right now, in club, school, and college swimming in
1035-461: A swimming related injury, at rates similar to their able-bodied counterparts. When fatigued, asymmetry in their stroke becomes a problem for swimmers in this class. The integrated classification system used for swimming, where swimmers with CP compete against those with other disabilities, is subject to criticisms has been that the nature of CP is that greater exertion leads to decreased dexterity and fine motor movements. This puts competitors with CP at
1104-606: Is World Aquatics , which was known until 2023 as the Fédération Internationale de Natation ("International Swimming Federation"), or FINA. In open water swimming , where the events are swum in a body of open water (lake or sea), there are also 5 km, 10 km and 25 km events for men and women. However, only the 10 km event is included in the Olympic schedule, again for both men and women. Pool and open-water competitions are typically separate events, except at
1173-629: Is Polyester. The main difference between competition and regular swimwear is that competition swimwear is tighter and compresses the muscles of the swimmers. Regular swimwear is easier to put on and more comfortable for leisure activities. The most used practice swimwear for men includes briefs and jammers . Males generally swim barechested . There was controversy after the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 when many Olympic swimmers broke records an unprecedented number of times using revolutionary swimsuits that covered their entire legs. To highlight
1242-538: Is an event at the Summer Olympic Games , where male and female athletes compete in 16 of the recognized events each. Olympic events are held in a 50-meter pool, called a long course pool. There are forty officially recognized individual swimming events in the pool; however the International Olympic Committee only recognizes 32 of them. The international governing body for competitive swimming
1311-523: Is challenged. Not more than 70 points in legs." In 2003, Disabled Sports USA defined this class as, "In a sitting class but not more than 70 points in the lower limbs. Are unable to recover balance in challenged standing position." In Australia, this class means combined lower plus upper limb functional problems. "Minimal disability." It can also mean in Australia that the athlete is "ambulant with moderately reduced function in one or both lower limbs." They have
1380-425: Is low – the 2015 FINA World Cup series has a total prize fund of $ 3,000 per race shared between the top three and the 2014–15 USA Grand Prix Series $ 1,800 compared to the 2015 World Aquatics Championships fund of $ 60,000 per race shared between the top eight. Peroneus muscles The fibularis muscles (also called peroneus muscles or peroneals ) are a group of muscles in the lower leg . The muscle group
1449-404: Is normally composed of three muscles: fibularis longus , fibularis brevis , and fibularis tertius . The fibularis longus and fibularis brevis are located in the lateral compartment of the leg and are supplied by the fibular artery and the superficial fibular nerve . The fibularis tertius is located in the anterior compartment of the leg and is supplied by the anterior tibial artery and
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#17328836072091518-400: Is often done on site at a sports training facility or competition. The second stage is observation in practice, the third stage is observation in competition and the last stage is assigning the sportsperson to a relevant class. Sometimes the health examination may not be done on site for amputees in this class because the nature of the amputation could cause not physically visible alterations to
1587-400: Is often referred to as "shave and taper": the swimmer shaves off all exposed hair for the sake of reducing drag and having a sleeker and more hydrodynamic feel in the water. Additionally, the "shave and taper" method refers to the removal of the top layer of "dead skin", which exposes the newer and richer skin underneath. This also helps to "shave" off mere milliseconds on your time. Swimming
1656-418: Is swum in two distances: 200 and 400 meters. Some short course competitions also include the 100-yard or 100-meter IM – particularly, for younger or newer swimmers (typically under 14 years) involved in club swimming, or masters swimming (over 18). Since the 1990s, the most drastic change in swimming has been the addition of the underwater dolphin kick. This is used to maximize the speed at the start and after
1725-417: Is used. A chief timekeeper assigns the seating positions for all timekeepers and the lanes for which they are responsible. In most competitions there will be one or more timekeepers per lane. In international competitions where full automatic timing and video placing equipment is in use timekeepers may not be required. Inspectors of turns : One inspector of turns is assigned to one or more lanes at each end of
1794-412: Is wheelchair sport classification, that corresponds to the neurological level S1- S2. Historically, this class has been called Lower 5. In 2002, USA Track & Field defined this class as, " These athletes also have the ability to move side to side, so they can throw across their body. They usually can bend one hip backward to push the thigh into the chair, and can bend one ankle downward to push down with
1863-481: The 2008 Paralympics . American swimmers who have been classified by the United States Paralympic Committee as being in this class include Don Alexander, Abbie Argo, Noah Patton and David Prince. Swimming (sport) Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in
1932-559: The Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships . Swimming creates a mix of levels, including: fully professional, semi-professional, and amateur. Fully professional swimmers will typically get a salary both from their national governing body and from outside sponsors, semi-professionals a small stipend from their national governing body, and amateurs receive no funding. Outside of these major championships prize money
2001-400: The deep fibular nerve . While all three muscles move the sole of the foot outward, away from the midline of the body ( eversion ), the longus and brevis extend the foot downward away from the body ( plantar flexion ), whereas the tertius muscle pulls the foot upward toward the body ( dorsiflexion ). The fibularis muscles are highly variable. Several variants are occasionally present, including
2070-601: The new stroke in 1873, winning a local competition in England. His stroke is still regarded as the most powerful to use today. Captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English Channel (between England and France), in 1875. Using the breaststroke technique, he swam the channel 21.26 miles (34.21 km) in 21 hours and 45 minutes. His feat was not replicated or surpassed for the next 36 years, until T.W. Burgess made
2139-499: The 1984 Summer Paralympics. It found there was no significant difference in performance in times between women in A4, A5 and A6 the 100 meter 100 meter freestyle, men in A4 and A5 in the 100 meter freestyle, men and women in A2, A3 and A4 in the 25 meter butterfly, women in A4, A5 and A6 in the 4 x 50 meter individual medley, and men and women in A4, A5 and A6 in the 100 meter backstroke. The nature of
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2208-414: The 19th century. The goal of high level competitive swimming is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in any given event. Swimming in competition should create the least resistance in order to obtain maximum speed. However, some professional swimmers who do not hold a national or world ranking are considered the best in regard to their technical skills. Typically, an athlete goes through
2277-542: The Art of Swimming and Joyful and Pleasant to Read ). Swimming emerged as a competitive recreational activity in the 1830s in England. In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool, St George's Baths was opened to the public. By 1837, the National Swimming Society was holding regular swimming competitions in six artificial swimming pools , built around London . The recreational activity grew in popularity and by 1880, when
2346-610: The Paralympic Games have the option of including the following events on the Paralympic programme: 50m and 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley events. For the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, the International Paralympic Committee had a zero classification at the Games policy. This policy was put into place in 2014, with
2415-405: The Paralympic Games. Because they have only a single leg, they have less area on a swimming starting block. The balance issues associated with this can make it more challenging to use a traditional starting position to enter the water. Swimmers in this class have a similar stroke length and stroke rate to able bodied swimmers. A study of was done comparing the performance of swimming competitors at
2484-519: The United States and Canada, the short course (25 yards) season is much longer, from September to March. The long-course season takes place in 50-meter pools and lasts from April to the end of August with open water in the summer months. In club swimming in Australasia , the short course (25m) season lasts from April to September, and the long course (50m) season from October to March with open water in
2553-655: The Western world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Women's swimming was introduced into the Olympics in 1912; the first international swim meet for women outside the Olympics was the 1922 Women's Olympiad . Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. FINA renamed itself World Aquatics in December 2022. Competitive swimming became popular in
2622-561: The World Championships and the Olympics. In competitive swimming, four major styles have been established. These have been relatively stable over the last 30 to 40 years with minor improvements. They are: In competition, only one of these styles may be used except in the case of the individual medley, or IM, which consists of all four. In this latter event, swimmers swim equal distances of butterfly, then backstroke, breaststroke, and finally, freestyle. In Olympic competition, this event
2691-399: The back for backstroke, etc.) If an official observes a swimmer breaking a rule concerning the stroke they are swimming, the official will report what they have seen to the referee. The referee can disqualify (or DQ) any swimmer for any violation of the rules that they personally observe or for any violation reported to them by other authorized officials. All disqualifications are subject to
2760-492: The body, which can present as asymmetry when they are in motion. People in this class tend to have energy expenditure similar to people without cerebral palsy. Because of the neuromuscular nature of their disability, CP7 and CP8 swimmers have slower start times than other people in their classes. They are also more likely to interlock their hands when underwater in some strokes to prevent hand drift, which increases drag while swimming. CP8 swimmers experience swimmers shoulder,
2829-574: The body. In Australia, to be classified in this category, athletes contact the Australian Paralympic Committee or their state swimming governing body. In the United States, classification is handled by the United States Paralympic Committee on a national level. The classification test has three components: "a bench test, a water test, observation during competition." American swimmers are assessed by four people:
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2898-670: The crossing in 1911. Other European countries also established swimming federations; Germany in 1882, France in 1890 and Hungary in 1896. The first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna . The world's first women's swimming championship was held in Scotland in 1892. Men's swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens . In 1902, the Australian Richmond Cavill introduced freestyle to
2967-457: The decision and discretion of the referee. Those who are disqualified may choose to contest their disqualification. In age-group level swimming, however, this is rare. Appeals are reviewed by a panel of officials instead of the deck referee or stroke judges who may have made the initial disqualification decision. Brands such as Arena , Speedo , TYR , and Adidas are popular regular swimwear brands. The most durable material for regular swimming
3036-673: The earliest evidence dating to Stone Age paintings from around 10,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC, with some of the earliest references to swimming including the Iliad , the Odyssey , the Bible , Beowulf , the Quran and others. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a Swiss–German professor of languages, wrote the earliest known complete book about swimming, Colymbetes, sive de arte natandi dialogus et festivus et iucundus lectu ( The Swimmer, or A Dialogue on
3105-432: The elbow or below the knee amputees. The Yass Tribune defined this classification in 2007 as "Athletes with a significant range of muscular tone and movement". This class includes people with several disability types include cerebral palsy and amputations. ISOD amputee A4 swimmers may be found in this class. Prior to the 1990s, the A4 class was often grouped with other amputee classes in swimming competitions, including
3174-440: The final answer to all questions relating to the actual conduct of anything regarding the meet, as well as the final settlement of which is not otherwise covered by the rules. The referee takes overall responsibility for running the meet and makes the final decisions as to who wins each race. Referees call swimmers to the blocks with short blasts of their whistles. This is the signal for the swimmers to stand next to their blocks. Then
3243-524: The first national governing body, the Amateur Swimming Association was formed, there were already over 300 regional clubs in operation across the country. In 1844 two Native American participants at a swimming competition in London introduced the front crawl to a European audience. Sir John Arthur Trudgen picked up the hand-over stroke from some South American natives and successfully debuted
3312-577: The foot. Neurological level: S1-S2." People with a lesion at S1 have their hamstring and peroneal muscles affected. Functionally, they can bend their knees and lift their feet. They can walk on their own, though they may require ankle braces or orthopedic shoes. They can generally change in any physical activity. People with lesions at the L4 to S2 who are complete paraplegics may have motor function issues in their gluts and hamstrings. Their quadriceps are likely to be unaffected. They may be absent sensation below
3381-440: The goal of avoiding last minute changes in classes that would negatively impact athlete training preparations. All competitors needed to be internationally classified with their classification status confirmed prior to the Games, with exceptions to this policy being dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Classification generally has four stages. The first stage of classification is a health examination. For amputees in this class, this
3450-619: The gold medal. The dolphin kick was rarely used in freestyle sprint races until 2008, when "technical" swimsuits were introduced to the sport at the European Short Course Championships in Rijeka, Croatia. Technical-suited Amaury Leveaux set world records of 44.94 seconds in the 100 m freestyle , 20.48 seconds in the 50 m freestyle and 22.18 in the 50 m butterfly, spending more than half of each race submerged, more than any of his competitors. Subsequently, FINA made
3519-479: The issue, in 2008, 70 world records were broken in one year, and 66 Olympic records were broken in one Olympic Games (there were races in Beijing where the first five finishers were swimming faster than the old world record). As of 1 January 2010, men are only allowed to wear suits from the waist to the knees. They are also only permitted to wear one piece of swimwear; they cannot wear briefs underneath jammers. This rule
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#17328836072093588-417: The knees and in the groin area. Disabled Sports USA defined the functional definition of this class in 2003 as, "Have very good sitting balance and movements in the backwards and forwards plane. Usually have very good balance and movements towards one side (side to side movements) due to presence of one functional hip abductor, on the side that movement is towards. Usually can bend one hip backwards; i.e. push
3657-655: The knees), regular length (shoulders to hips), and bikini style (two-piece). As of 1 January 2010, in competition, women must wear suits that do not go past the shoulders or knees. Drag suits are used to increase water resistance against the swimmer to help them train for competitions. Other forms of drag wear include nylons, old suits, and T-shirts: articles that increase friction in the water to build strength during training, and thus increase speed once drag items are removed for competition. Some swimmers practice in basketball shorts over their bathing suit, wearing two bathing suits, or wearing an extra bathing suit with holes cut in
3726-784: The lanes must be at least 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) wide. They will be equipped with starting blocks at both ends of the pool and most will have Automatic Officiating Equipment, including touch pads to record times and sensors to ensure the legality of relay takeovers. The pool must have a minimum depth of two metres. Other pools which host events under World Aquatics regulations are required to meet some but not all of these requirements. Many of these pools have eight, or even six, instead of ten lanes and some will be 25 metres (82 ft) long, making them Short course . World records that are set in short course pools are kept separate from those set in long course pools because it may be an advantage or disadvantage to swimmers to have more or less turns in
3795-471: The legs; Swimmers with restriction of hip joint movement; Swimmers with both feet deformed; Swimmers with one leg amputated below the knee; Swimmers missing one hand. This is the class with the most physical ability." In 1997, Against the odds : New Zealand Paralympians said this classification was graded along a gradient, with S1 being the most disabled and S10 being the least disabled. At this time, competitors who were S10 classified tended to be below
3864-465: The material. Many swimmers also shave areas of exposed skin before end-of-season competitions to reduce friction in the water. The practice gained popularity after the 1956 Olympics, when Murray Rose and Jon Henricks came shaved and won gold medals for Australia. Freshly shaven skin is less resistant when in the water. In addition, a 1989 study demonstrated that shaving improves a swimmer's overall performance by reducing drag. The disadvantages of using
3933-457: The pool. Each inspector of turns ensures that swimmers comply with the relevant rules for turning, as well as the relevant rules for start and finish of the race. Inspectors of turns shall report any violation on disqualification reports detailing the event, lane number, and the infringement delivered to the chief inspector of turns who will immediately convey the report to the referee. Judges of Stroke : Judges of stroke are located on each side of
4002-450: The pool. They follow the swimmers during their swim back and forth across the pool. They ensure that the rules related to the style of swimming designated for the event are being observed, and observe the turns and the finishes to assist the inspectors of turns. Finish judges : Finish judges determine the order of finish and make sure the swimmers finish in accordance with the rules (two hands simultaneously for breaststroke and butterfly, on
4071-447: The referee will blow a long whistle that will tell the swimmers to step on the block. For backstroke events, the long whistle is the signal for the swimmers to jump into the water. The referee will then blow another long whistle, signalling the swimmers to grab the gutter or the provided block handle. Finally the referee will hand over the rest to the starter by directing their hand to the starter. Starter : The starter has full control of
4140-472: The same distance as someone without a lower limb amputation. This class includes people with several disability types include cerebral palsy . CP7 and CP8 class swimmers are sometimes found in this class. CP7 sportspeople are able to walk, but appear to do so while having a limp as one side of their body is more effected than the other. They may have involuntary muscles spasms on one side of their body. They have fine motor control on their dominant side of
4209-511: The short course season if a swimmer wanted to compete in a stroke they had just learned, a 25-yard/meter race is available to them, opposed to the long course season when they would need to be able to swim at least 50 meters of that new stroke in order to compete. There are several types of officials, which are needed to manage the competition. Referee : The referee has full control and authority over all officials. The referee will enforce all rules and decisions of World Aquatics and shall have
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#17328836072094278-445: The start of a race with a loud noise (usually a beep or a horn) and flash from a strobe light. A starter sends the swimmers off the blocks and may call a false start if a swimmer leaves the block before the starter sends them. A starter may also choose to recall the race after the start for any reason or request the swimmers to "stand", "relax" or "step down" if they believe that (a) particular swimmer(s) has obtained an unfair advantage at
4347-492: The start. Clerk of course : The clerk of course (also called the "bullpen") assembles swimmers before each event, and organizes ("seeds") swimmers into heats based on their times. Heats are generally seeded from slowest to fastest, where swimmers with no previous time for an event are assumed to be the slowest. The clerk of the course is also responsible for recording and reporting swimmers who have chosen to "scratch" (not swim) their events after they have signed up or qualified to
4416-637: The summer months. Outside the United States, meters is the standard in both short and long course swimming, with the same distances swum in all events. In the American short course season, the 500-yard, 1000 yard, and 1650-yard freestyle events are swum as a yard is much shorter than a meter (100 yards equals 91.44 meters), while during the American long course season the 400 meter, 800 meter, and 1500-meter freestyle events are swum instead. Beginning each swimming season racing in short course allows for shorter distance races for novice swimmers. For example, in
4485-418: The swimmers from the time the referee turns the swimmers over to them until the race commences. A starter begins the race by saying, "Take your mark." At this point, the swimmers will get into stationary positions, sometimes known as "point zero", in which they would like to start their race. After all swimmers have assumed their stationary position, the starter will push a button on the starting system, signaling
4554-443: The thigh into the chair. Usually can bend one ankle downwards; ie. push the foot onto the foot plate. The side that is strong is important when considering how much it will help functional performance." F7 swimmers competing as S10 tend to have lesions at S1 or S2 that has minimal effect on their lower limbs. This is often caused by polio or cauda-equina syndrome . Swimmers in this class lack full propulsion in their kicks because of
4623-449: The turns in all styles. David Berkoff became the first to use it successfully; at the 1988 Olympics, he swam most of the 100 m backstroke race underwater and broke the world record in the distance during the preliminaries. Another swimmer to use the technique was Denis Pankratov at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he completed almost half of the 100 m butterfly underwater to win
4692-439: Was approved in 2007, and defines the "objective of classification as developing and implementing accurate, reliable and consistent sport focused classification systems", which are known as "evidence based, sport specific classification". In November 2015, they approved the revised classification code, which "aims to further develop evidence based, sport specific classification in all sports". For this classification, organisers of
4761-508: Was enacted after the controversy in the Beijing Olympics and Rome World Championships. Women wear one-piece suits with thicker and higher backs for competition, though two-piece suits can also be worn during practice. Backs vary mainly in strap thickness and geometric design. Most common styles include: racerback, axel back, corset, diamondback, and butterfly-back/Fly-Back. There are also different style lengths: three-quarter length (reaches
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