HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT

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

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. Inge De Bruijn's time for this semi-final race was 24.13 seconds, a faster swim than her winning final performance (24.32 seconds).

• Frame #1: The left arm enters as the right arm is directly below the lower rib cage (mid-pull). The right arm's propelling surface involves the hand, forearm, and possibly some upper arm. The swimmer has good streamline. The right leg kicks to counterbalance the left arm entry. The head has turned to the right to breathe.
• Frame #2: The left arm begins to reposition immediately after entry while the right arm continues to propel. This stroke timing minimizes any inertial lag (the period between strokes when effective pull does not occur). Right arm propulsion still occurs with the forearm/hand surface but adduction is complete. Streamline is still very good. Inhalation continues.
• Frame #3: The right arm exits very quickly. The left arm begins its propulsive pull from a long forward position. Although it is not obvious in this sequence because of the camera angle, the left arm does execute an "elbow-up" repositioning to initiate the stroke. The right leg kick is completed and the left leg begins its kick. Inhalation is completed. The shoulders and hips are aligned and have turned to the right.
• Frame #4: The left arm propels with the forearm/hand surface area, although not at an ideal vertical orientation to the line of propulsion. Adduction powers the left arm pull. The right arm recovers quickly. The left leg kick counter-balances rotation caused by the adducting arm. It stops after a short action. The head begins to return to a face down position.
• Frame #5: The right arm recovers rapidly as strong left arm adduction is executed. The head looks almost directly down and facilitates very good streamline.
• Frame #6: The right arm enters when the left arm is in mid-pull. The left leg kicks to counter-balance that entry. Streamline is excellent.
• Frame #7: The left arm extends backward and the right arm quickly repositions to commence propelling (the "elbow-up" position). The hips and shoulders rotate to the left in unison. The left leg kick is completed, with the foot not dropping below streamline.
• Frame #8: Very effective right arm adduction commences well in front of the swimmer. The right leg rises preparatory to kicking. Streamline is very good.
• Frame #9: The right arm rotates slightly outward because of adduction at the shoulder. The left arm recovers very quickly.
• Frame #10. Propulsion is with the hand/forearm surface and possibly the upper arm. The right leg kick counter-balances the lateral component of the movement and assists the hips to rotate in time with the shoulders. Streamline has been maintained for the whole stroke cycle.
• Frame #11. A position close to that displayed in frame #1 is achieved and the cycle begins.

This series of pictures demonstrates some excellent features of swimming technique and accounts for why Inge De Bruijn is so good. No other factor needs to be suggested to account for her excellence.

Throughout the whole stroke, Inge De Bruijn maintains excellent streamline. Her resistance level would be less than that expected of most swimmers (a feature that has been verified by the noted Dutch scientist, Professor Huub Toussaint). Two features are very noteworthy. Firstly, the alignment of the body segments along the horizontal axis is constant. There is no tendency to produce any unnecessary wave drag because of hip or torso sway. Secondly, the hips and shoulders rotate together causing the smallest cross-sectional profile to be presented to the oncoming water and thus, frontal resistance is minimized.

The swimmer's kicks are generally small. In a manner similar to Pieter van den Hoogenbond, some kicks do not drop below horizontal, their counter-balancing vertical forces being effected in the swimmer's torso shadow. There is no evidence of Inge De Bruijn "over-kicking", that is, executing unnecessarily deep kicks that increase resistance. An added benefit of her short kicks is that they require less time to execute and thus, support her high rate of arm stroking.

However, the strongest feature of her technique is her ability to reduce between-strokes inertial lags. When one arm is finishing its propulsion, the other starts. There is minimal to no negative acceleration between alternate force applications. Inge De Bruijn's timing is similar to that of Brooke Bennett, although she is the first sprinter to exhibit it so clearly. Along with her performances, her movement pattern suggests that other swimmers over-emphasize stroke length to the detriment of the maintenance of inertia. With the best female sprinter and distance swimmer both exhibiting an overlapping arm-stroke, it is suggested this is a feature that should be emulated by female crawl stroke swimmers.

Inge De Bruijn is so good because she is technically better than other female swimmers. No other reason for her superiority needs to be proposed.

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