Swimming

Swimming has been recorded since prehistoric times; the earliest recording of swimming dates back to
Stone Age paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest
references to swimming include Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible, Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1578,
Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, The Swimmer, or A
Dialogue on the Art of Swimming. Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using
breaststroke. In 1873, John Arthur Trudgen introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after
copying the front crawl used by Native Americans. Due to a British disregard for splashing, Trudgen employed a
scissor kick instead of the front crawl's flutter kick. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in
1896 in Athens. In 1902 Richard Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world. In 1908, the world
swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. The butterfly was developed
in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952.

Ancient times Cave paintings from the Stone Age were found in the "Cave of Swimmers" near Wadi Sora
on the Gilf Kebir plateau in southwestern Egypt, near the Libyan border. These pictures seem to show
breaststroke or dog paddle, although it may also be possible that the movements have a ritual meaning
unrelated to swimming. This cave is also featured in the movie The English Patient. An Egyptian clay seal dated
between 4000 BC and 9000 BC shows four swimmers who are believed to be swimming a variant of the front
crawl. More references to swimming are found in Babylonian bas-reliefs and Assyrian wall drawings, depicting
a variant of the breaststroke. The most famous drawings were found in the Kebir desert and are estimated to
be from around 4000 BC The Nagoda bas-relief also shows swimmers inside of men dating back from 3000 BC
The Indian palace Mohenjo Daro from 2800 BC contains swimming pool-sized 30 m by 60 m Written references
date back to 2000 BC including Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah
25:11), The Germanic folklore describes swimming, which was used successfully in wars against the Romans.

VALUES OF SWIMMING

1. Physical fitness
2. Hygienic purpose
3. Recreational
4. Safety and survival
Floating is the ability of a person to remain afloat on the water’s surface.

Kinds of floating skills

1. Prone float
2. Back float
3. Jellyfish float
4. Turtle float

SAFETY RULES

1. Always swim with a buddy – never alone. The ideal way to swim is not only with someone but also in the
vicinity of a trained rescuer.
2. Know your swimming limits and stay within them. Don’t try to keep up with a stronger swimmer and
keep an eye on weaker swimmers.
3. Alcohol and swimming don’t mix. Alcohol impairs your judgment balance and coordination.
4. Swim in supervised areas only.
5. Watch out for dangerous “toos” – too tired, too cool, too far from safety, too much sun.
6. Do not chew gum or eat while swimming. You could easily choke
 7. Obey “No Diving” signs that indicate the area is unsafe for first head entries. Always enter the water feet
first if you don’t know the depth. Also, learn the correct way to drive from a qualified instructor.

HAZARDS AND SAFETY MEASURES

1. Individuals should not swim in conditions that their ability and experience will not allow them to handle.
For inexperienced recreational swimmers, many safety hazards exist.
2. Misjudging a dive and hitting one's head at the bottom
3. Holding one's breath too long.
4. Becoming exhausted
5. Experiencing sudden cramps while too far from the shore or other swimmer.
6. In rivers and oceans, all swimmers should respect the power of nature. Powerful waves, tides, and
current can overpower even the most experienced swimmers, sweeping them out beyond safety or
throwing them into coral or rocks. Caves pose an additional danger because swimmers can be trapped
inside.
COMPETITIVE STROKES Survival/Resting Stroke
CRAWL STROKE ELEMENTARY BACKSTROKE
BACK STROKE SIDE STROKE
BREAST STROKE TRUDEN STROKE
BUTTERFLY STROKE

CRAWL
Is the fastest and most efficient swimming technique. It is also called the freestyle because swimmers
use it in freestyle events, which allow the use of any stroke. The leg move in Flutter kick, moving up and
down quickly and continually.

BACKSTROKE
It is the only stroke that is swum on the back with the swimmer looking up. Swimmers need no breathing
technique in this stroke and swimmers use the same kick with that a crawl stroke.

BREASTSTROKE
It is one of the easiest and relaxing strokes for a novice, but on the other hand, it uses more energy and
it is difficult to perform compared to crawl and backstroke if it is swimming at a fast pace. It uses Frog
kick.

BUTTERFLY
The Butterfly stroke is powerful, graceful, and fast. More than any other stroke it relies on good
technique. Each arm stroke is complemented by two Dolphin kicks.

ELEMENTARY BACKSTROKE
A swimming stroke that expends minimal energy with simple arm and leg movements

SIDESTROKE
It is used as a life-saving technique because the lifesavers head remains above the water at all times and
one arm stays free to help the distressed swimmer. It uses a scissors kick.

THE TRUDGEN
A variation of the Crawl stroke used by a rescuer on its approach to a swimmer in distress
TERMINOLOGY

1. Aquatic – water activities of all kinds of swimming, boating, sailing, etc

2. Bobbing – process of raising the head from beneath the surface and then submerging again in a
rhythmical pattern.
3. Buoyancy – property, and tendency of the body that makes floating possible.
4. Coordination – proper movements controlled accurately as to direction, force, and training to produce
efficient action.
5. Extension – to stretch out the entire body.
6. Flexion – bending of the body at a point.
7. Float – to sustain the body position with little or no movement
8. Stroke – a complete pattern of arms and leg movement which propels the body through the water.
9. Turn – a reversal of direction at the end of the pool or course
10. Flutter kick – a rapid beating of the legs up and down alternately.
11. Frog kick – a kick used especially in breaststroke, in which legs are first simultaneously bent, then
straightened, to push the swimmer along.
12. Dolphin kick – feet are kept together and brought down then up again, much like the motion of a
dolphin’s tail.

SWIMMING OFFICIALS

Referee, Form swimming referee, Clerk, Official scorer, Finish judges, Judges of form swimming, Judges of diving,
Timekeeper, Starter, Announcer, Turn and lane inspector