Olympic Viewing Guide
By Coach Doug Garcia
Every four years, in addition to presidential politics, we get the pleasure of watching the world’s best swimmers performing at their best. As we go into the Olympic viewing season, here are a few things to watch for during the games.
All events
Notice when the Olympians breathe, and how much they breathe. The shorter the event, the fewer breaths they take. Watch kicking, again the shorter the event, the stronger more forceful the kick. The longer the event, especially 800 meters plus, the kick serves more as a stabilizer than a strong propulsive force.
Butterfly
You’ve heard me say it before, your butt should pop out of the water with every butterfly cycle. The butterfly events are a good chance to see that being done. If you get a chance to view some butterfly underwater videos, you’ll notice their chest pressing down. Notice Michael Phelps’ breathing pattern on the fly; he breathes every stroke.
Backstroke
Hip rotation is key here and the best way to see this is during the underwater portion. Also notice how their elbows bend as they power through the stroke. Watch for a kick that breaks the surface but the swimmer’s knees do not, and finally, watch how their arms do not cross over the centerline of their body—this might be difficult to see because of the camera angles.
Breaststroke
The main point for breaststroke is to notice how each swimmer completely submerges their head on every stroke. While submerging the head is not a rule, it makes swimming breaststroke more efficient.