SUBMITTED BY:

SABLAY, JAMM CEDRICK B.

XII – GENTLENESS

SUBMITTED TO:
SIR. JERARD MARTINEZ
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
HISTORY

Swimming can be dated back to the Stone Age, but did not truly become an organized sport
until the early 19th century.

Swimming is an ancient activity that has taken place since both water and humans were on the earth.
Prehistoric drawings from the southwestern part of Egypt show original documentation of people
swimming. The images seem to show the dog paddle or breaststroke, but these may have been more
ritualistic than anything.

Prehistoric man learnt to swim in order to cross rivers and lakes – we know this because cave
paintings from the Stone Age depicting swimmers have been found in Egypt. Swimming was also
referred to in Greek mythology.

Based on a stroke used by native South Americans, the first version of the crawl featured a
scissor kick. In the late 1880s, an Englishman named Frederick Cavill travelled to the South Seas,
where he saw the natives performing a crawl with a flutter kick. Cavill settled in Australia, where he
taught the stroke that was to become the famous Australian crawl.

Swimming has featured on the programme of all editions of the Games since 1896. The very
first Olympic events were freestyle (crawl) or breaststroke. Backstroke was added in 1904.

Swimming joined the Olympics in 1896 as a men’s sport. They competed in the categories of
100-meter and 1500-meter Freestyle. These were held in open water. More Olympic events were soon
added during the history of swimming, including breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and individual
medley. The first few Olympic Games that featured swimming did not include women. It was not until
1912 that women’s swimming made its debut. There are now 16 races held for men and women,
totaling 32 altogether, in each Summer Olympic Games. The Special Olympics also has 22 swimming
categories for men and women, totaling 44 altogether.

ADVANTAGES OF SWIMMING

Swimming is one of the most popular sports in Australia. Our nation is surrounded by water
and swimming is one of our great passions. As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit,
stay healthy and make friends. Swimming is a healthy activity that you can continue for a lifetime. It
is a low-impact activity that has many physical and mental health benefits.

Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body against the resistance
of the water.

Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:

 keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body
  builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
 helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
 tones muscles and builds strength
 provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.

Swimming has many other benefits including:

 being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise
 alleviating stress
 improving coordination, balance and posture
 improving flexibility
 providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
 providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day
 being available in many places – you can swim in swimming pools, beaches, lakes, dams and
rivers. Make sure that the environment you choose to swim in is safe.

SWIMMING STROKES

1.) FREESTYLE/ FRONT CRAWL

- The most common swimming stroke is the freestyle or front crawl stroke. It is the most natural
to perform of all the different swim strokes and can be performed in a swimming pool or other bodies
of water. The freestyle stroke allows you to swim straight on your stomach by kicking your legs and
rotating your arms over your head. However, it is important to become comfortable with the breathing
technique, as your face will stay submerged for a few strokes.
 - Body position is important to the freestyle swim. Your back, neck, and head should be relaxed
and in line with each other in order to reduce any resistance. Because freestyle is fast and efficient, it
dominates swimming competitions where the choice of stroke is free, such as freestyle competitions
or triathlons.

2.) BREASTSTROKE
- One of the four major styles of competitive swimming is breaststroke. It is done with the
swimmer with his chest forward and facing towards to bottom of the pool, and not rotating his
torso. While the arms are breaking the water, the head is also up to get air. When the arms and
head are down in the water, the legs, which are always underwater, do a frog kick.

- This stroke is also called as the frog stroke because the movements of the legs and arms
resemble that of a swimming frog. This is the slowest stroke but the hardest swimming style to
master.

3.) BUTTERFLY STROKE

- The butterfly stroke is the second fastest swimming stroke, and is also quite exhausting to
swim.

- The butterfly stroke is one of the major swimming styles, swum on the breast, with both arms
moving simultaneously, accompanied by a "dolphin kick". This style is considered as one of
the hardest and is not highly recommended for beginners (unlike front crawl or freestyle). To
perfect this stroke, one requires efficiency, strength, and timing.

- The originator of the butterfly stroke is the Australian Sydney Cavill. He introduced it in the
early 1900s and starting 1956, this stroke has its own competition in the Olympics.

The butterfly stroke is one of the most difficult swim strokes to learn and master. The butterfly
stroke is broke down into three main segments:

 The Pull
 The Push
 The Recovery

4.) BACKSTROKE
- Backstroke is the only one of the four competitive strokes swum on the back. Backstroke in
swimming is the only competition that has a different start than the others.

- One of the advantages of backstroke is easy breathing; the disadvantage, however, is not
being able to see where they are going. This style has similar speed to butterfly. The speed
for backstroke can reach up to 1.89 meter per second. In backstroke swimming competitions,
there are three distances which are swum, these can be done in a 50-meter pool (long course)
or a 25-meter pool (short course), some of the events are 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter
backstroke, and 200-meter backstroke.

5.) TREADING WATER

 - Treading water or water treading is what a swimmer can do while in a vertical position to
keep their head above the surface of the water, while not providing sufficient
directional thrust to overcome inertia and propel the swimmer in any specific direction. As it
expends less energy than traditional strokes, it is often used by swimmers to rest between
periods of exertion without having to leave the water.

- Treading water is not necessarily a swim stroke, but it should be mastered before moving on
to learning swim strokes. Treading water helps to keep swimmers afloat when stopping a
swim stroke in deep water. You can also use kickboards to help you tread water and learn
swim strokes.

DIFFERENT FLOATING POSITIONS IN SWIMMING

SURVIVAL FLOAT
The survival float uses very little energy, making it ideal for situations when you don't know
how long you'll need to stay afloat. Lie on your stomach with your face underwater and your arms and
legs dangling. When you need to breathe, bring your head back up and out of the water while pushing
down with your arms and legs. After you take in a breath, hold it and relax completely for a few seconds
to drop back into the water. When you need to breathe again, exhale as you bring your face back up
out of the water.

HORIZONTAL BACK FLOAT

When performing the horizontal back float, you don't use much energy, and you stay fairly
comfortable. In the horizontal back float, you lie on your back in the water with your back slightly
arched, your arms out to the sides and your legs straight. Your face won't go underwater and your legs,
if relaxed, will float.

VERTICAL BACK FLOAT

In the vertical back float, as in the horizontal back float, your face remains above the water;
however, in the vertical back float, less of your body floats above the water. While your upper chest
and your face stay out of the water, your legs drop down below the surface. Keep your arms extended,
and kick only when it becomes necessary to stay afloat.
TREADING WATER
Although it's technically not a type of floating, treading water makes it easy to transition
between floating positions. Because your head remains completely above the water's surface, treading
water is ideal in situations where you need to look at your surroundings. Keeping your arms
outstretched, move them slowly just under the surface of the water while performing scissor kicks to
stay afloat.

POPULAR SWIMMER IN HISTORY OF SWIMMING

1) Michael Phelps - Most people will take it as no surprise that
we’ve deemed Phelps the top swimmer of all time. Phelps is
known for breaking the all-time record for the most Olympic
gold medals, with a total of 22 medals overall. Now considered
the most famous Olympic swimmer of all time, Phelps is also
the long course world record holder for the 100-meter
butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual
medley.

2) Janet Evans - One of the most accomplished female distance

swimmers of all time, Evans was setting national records by
age 11. She broke world records in several freestyle categories
and has shown the power of female athletes in the sport.

3) Kristin Otto - All six of her Olympic medals were golds from
the 1988 Games, and in doing so, she became the first female
to win six golds at a single edition of the Olympics. Otto also
set new world records in each of the 50m freestyle, 100m
freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly events, before
retiring from swimming in 1989.

4) Matt Biondi - Amazingly, Biondi did not start swimming year-

round until he entered high school. By the end of high school,
he had the national high school record in the 50-yard freestyle.
He’s an 11-time Olympic medalist who is remembered for
pushing the era of true professional swimming.
 5) Ian Thorpe - Nicknamed the Thorpedo, Thorpe is a retired Australian freestyle swimmer.
He was the first person to win six gold medals in one world
championship, and has won 11 world championship golds,
which is the second-highest of any swimmer. He is one of
Australia’s most popular athletes.

TERMINOLOGIES IN 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.

Beep: The starting sound from an electronic timing system.

Blocks: The starting platforms located behind each lane. Blocks have a variety of designs and can be
permanent or removable, but also incorporate a bar to allow swimmers to perform backstroke starts.

Bottom: The floor of the pool. In some pools, these are movable to allow variation in the depth and use
of the pool.

Breastroke: One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Breastroke is swim as the second stroke in the
Medley Relay and the third stroke in the I.M.

Butterfly: One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Butterly (nicknamed FLY) is swum as the third
stroke in the Medley Relay and first stroke in the I.M.

Cap: The silicone or latex covering worn on the head of swimmers.

Carbohydrates: The main source of food energy used by athletes.

Cards: Enry cards either handed to the swimmer or relay team by the coaches or meet runners and given
to the timer behind the lane.

Clerk of Course: Seeds swimmers into events and provides cards or info to deck officials.

Consolation: The second fastest heat of finals when multiple heats are held and are conducted before the
Championship heat.
Course: Designated distance for swimming competition. Can be long course (50 meters) or short course
(25 yards).

Deck: The area around the swimming pool reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches. Only
authroized persons may be on the competition deck during the meet.

Development: A classification of meet or competition. The purpose of a developmental meet is to allow

all levels of swimmers to compete in a lower pressure environment.

Disqualified: A swimmers performance is not counted and the time swum is void because of a rules
infraction.

D.Q.: A swimmers performance is not counted and the time swum is void because of a rules infraction.

Dive: Entering the water head first at the start of the race.

Dropped Time: When a swimmer goes faster than the previous performance they have "dropped time."

Eligible to compete: The status of a swimmer that means they are registered and have met all the
requirements.

Entry Fees: The amount per event a swimmer or relay is charged. This will vary depending on the meet.

Entry Limit: Each meet will usually have a limit of total swimmers they can accept befroe the meet will
be closed and all other entries are denied or returned.

Entry: An individual or relay declares their intention to swim.

Event: A race or stroke over a given distance.

FINA: Federation Internationale de National de Amateur, the international governing body of

competitive swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming.

False Start: Occurs when a swimmer leaves the starting block, or is moving on the block, before the
starter starts the race or before a relay leg has touched the wall.

Final Results: The printed or electronic copy of the results of each race of a swim meet.

Finals: The championship final of an event in which the fastest eight swimmers from the heats or semi-
finals compete.

Flags: Pennants that are suspended over the width of each end of the pool approximately 5 meters from
the wall to allow backstroke swimmers to determine where the end of the pool is.

Freestyle: One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Freestyle (or free) is swum as the fourth stroke int he
Medley Relay and fourth stroke in the I.M. There are no rules governing the form of this stroke.

Goggles: Eyewear worn by swimmers in the pool to protect the swimemrs eyes from the effects of
chlorine, the rays of the sun, and to improve underwater vision.
Heats: A division of an event when there are too many swimmers to compete at the same time. The
results are compiled by swimmers time swum, after all heats of the event are completed.

Individual Medley: All four competitive strokes in the order of Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and
Freestyle.
Lane: The specific area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim. Lanes should be numbered from right
(Lane 1) to left (Lane 8).

Lap Counter: The large numbered cards (or the person turning the cards) used during the freestyle events
500 yards or longer.

Lap: One length of the course.

Late Entry: Meet entries from a club or individual that are received by the meet host after the entry
deadline.

Leg: The part of a relay event swum by a single team member.

Length: Technically, a length is once across the pool; a lap is across and back. However most coaches
use the terms interchangeably to mean simply once across the pool.

Long Course: A 50 meter pool. The Olympic Games as well as all major international competitions are
conducted long course.

Lycra: A stretch material used to make competitive swim suits and swim caps.

Marks: The command to take your starting position.

Marshall: The adults or officials who controls the crowd and swimmer flow at a swim meet.

Medals: Awards given to the swimmers at the meets. They vary in size and design and method of
presentation depending on the competition and the host team.

Meet Director: The person in charge of the administration of the meet.

Mile: The sland referring to the 1500 meter or 1650 yard freestyle, both of which are slightly short of a
mile.

NT: No time. The abbreviation used on a heat sheet to designated that the swimmer has not swum that
event before.

Nationals: USA Swimming meet conducted seasonal throughout the year. Must make quailifying time to
attend.

Negative Split: The second half of the swim is swum faster than the first half.

Novice: A beginner or someone who does not have experience.

Official Time: The swimmers event time recorded to one hundreth of a second (.01)
Officials: The certified, or qualified adult volunteers, who operate the many facets of a swim competition.

Official: A judge on the poolside. Various judges that are certified through USA Swimming watch the
strokes, turns and finishes or are times and starters.

Olympic Trials: The USA Swimming sanctioned long course swim meet held the year of the Olypmic
Games to decide which swimmer will represent the US on our Olympic Team. Qualification times are
faster than Nationals.

PB: Personal Best. The best time a swimmer has done so far in a particular stroke/event.

Prelim: Short for preliminary. Those races in which swimmers qualify for the championship and
consolation finals.

Race: Any singel swimming competition. Preliminary, final or timed final.

Referee: The head official at a swim meet.

Relay Exchange: The exchange between the swimmer in the water and the next swimmer on the relay.

Scratch: To withdraw from an event after having declared an intention to participate.

Seed: Assign the swimmers heats and lanes according to their submitted times.

Shave Down: The process of removing all arm, leg, and exposed torso hair, to decrease the 'drag' or
resistance of the body moving through the water. Usually used only at national level meets.
Starter: The official in charge of signalling the beginning of a race and insuring that all swimmers have a
fair take-off.

Stroke Judge: The official positioned at the side of the pool, walking the length of the course as the
swimmers race. The stroke judge is required to determine that each swimmer is carrying out his or her
stroke within the rules, and will disqualify any who aren't.

Swim Off: In a heat/finals competition, a race after the scheduled event to break a tie. The only
circumstances that warrents a Swim-off is to determine which swimmer makes finals.

Timer: The volunteers sitting behind the starting blocks/finish end of the pool, who are responsible for
getting watch times on events and activiating the backup buttons for the timing system.

Touch: The finish of a race.

USS: United States Swimming, Inc., the national governing body for swimming in America.

Uniform: The various parts of clothing a swimmer wears to practice and to meets. May include: Parka,
warm-up jacket, team bag, team t-shirt, team pants or shorts, team suit, team cap, ect.

Unnofficial Time: The time displayed on a read out board or read over the intercom by the announcer
immediatly after the race. After the time has been checked, it will become the official time.

Warm Down: The loosening a swimmer does after a race when pool space is available. Used by the
swimmer to rid the body of excess lactic acid generated during a race.
Warm-up: The practice and loosening session a swimmer does before the meet or their event. Essential
to avoid injury, loosen muscles and prepare the body to go fast.