HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT

Researched, produced, and prepared by Brent S. Rushall, Ph.D., R.Psy.

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CAMERON VAN DER BURGH AT 75 m OF HIS GOLD MEDAL WORLD RECORD 100 m BREASTSTROKE RACE AT THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES

Cameron Van Der Burgh's time for this 100 m event was 58.46, a world record. Each frame is .1 seconds apart.

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.

Notable Features

A noteworthy feature of Cameron Van Der Burgh's swimming is that he moves very quickly. His stroke cycle takes 0.9 seconds, which is possibly the shortest duration among today's top male breaststrokers. Fast swimming comes from fast movements and he is a good example of that axiom.

It is not difficult to see why Cameron Van Der Burgh is the fastest 100 m breaststroke swimmer of all time.

  1. His streamlining is excellent. The total-swimmer arched streamlining is just as effective as and theoretically better than straight-line streamlining because it reduces the amount of water on top of the swimmer, much of which is pulled along with the swimmer for varying lengths of time.
  2. The propulsive phase of the arm pull (Frames #3 to #5) is short but apparently effective. The arm pull also provides force to elevate the head and shoulders in the breathing action.
  3. The speed of kick preparation and execution, the re-attainment of streamline after arm recovery and the return of the head and body into the water is the fastest yet shown on this web site.
  4. The overall reduction in resistance production by completing necessary but potentially harmful movements as fast as possible is worth copying, but only if effective force production following those movements is achieved.

Cameron Van Der Burgh

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