HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT

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

JESSICAH SCHIPPER AT 170 m OF HER SILVER MEDAL 200 m BUTTERFLY RACE AT THE 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MONTREAL

Each frame is .1 seconds apart. Jessicah Schipper's time for the 200 m butterfly event was 2:05.64, three one-hundredths of second behind the new world-record winner, Otylia Jedrzejczak. The reason this non-winner is featured is that she was leading the race, as she had done all the way, at this stage but was passed and touched-out by the winner. Since an analysis was done on Otylia Jedrzejczak at the same stage in the race it was thought that perhaps the technique differences between the two swimmers might suggest why Otylia was swimming much faster at this stage.

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

Jessicah Schipper assumedly is very tired at this stage of her race. The almost half-of-a-second that she spends spreading her arms wide underwater at the stroke beginning does little to contribute to increasing her velocity. That could be a major reason why Otylia Jedrzejczak is swimming so much faster at this stage in the race. She does not exhibit an inertial lag of the same magnitude.

Not only does the outward push of the arms early in the stroke produce a delay before significant propulsion can be produced, the length of the stroke that results is shortened as well. Fully effective propulsion is not achieved until Frame #6, with the upper arms not having exploited the early stage of abduction in an optimally productive manner.

There are features of this stroke that could be changed with an expectation of improved results. Another feature would be to use a different, less turbulence-producing swim suit. Given the margin by which this swimmer lost the race, the suit alone probably cost Jessicah Schipper the title of world champion in this event.

Jessicah Schipper

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