HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT
Researched, produced, and prepared by Brent S. Rushall,
Ph.D., R.Psy.
BROOKE BENNETT AT 130 m OF HER GOLD MEDAL 800 m RACE AT THE 2000 SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES
This stroke analysis includes a moving sequence in real time, a moving sequence where each frame is displayed for .5 of a second, and still frames.
The following image sequence is in real time. It will play through 10 times and then stop. To repeat the sequence, click the browser's "refresh" or "reload" button.
The following image sequence shows each frame for half a second. It will play through 10 times and then stop. To repeat the sequence, click the browser's "refresh" or "reload" button.
At the end of the following narrative, each frame is illustrated in detail in a sequential collage.
Each frame is .1 seconds apart. Brooke Bennett's time in this race was 8:19.67, the fourth fastest of all time.
Notable Features
The left arm pull is best displayed from this perspective. The entry in frame #8 is with the elbow already bent. The elbow remains high so that the propelling surface of the forearm and hand is positioned very quickly to provide a backward impulse. This entry has an interesting dynamic in that it occurs when the right arm is still pushing backward. By frame #9, left-arm propulsion begins as the right arm commences its exit. This means there is little to no inertial lag between strokes -- the swimmer being continuously propelled.
Propulsion from the left arm is directly backward and powered by strong adduction of the upper arm.
A two-beat kick occurs, each kick counterbalancing the entry of the opposite arm.
The swimmer demonstrates excellent streamlining with the head low in the water.
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