KINEMATICS OF TACTICS IN THE MEN'S 1500 M FREESTYLE SWIMMING FINAL AT THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain a knowledge on tactics of long distance swimming at the highest professional level. Eight swimmers - men, finalists of 1500 m distance of freestyle of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were investigated. The distribution of velocity of swimming for the entire distance based on 50 m segments was analyzed. Partial, halves and tierces velocities, velocity indexes and linear regression equations were calculated. It was revealed that better swimmers (placed 1 – 4) had their distribution of swimming as ascending line and with very small difference between segmental velocities and that of the entire distance, while the rest of swimmers had descending velocity line and higher dispersion of partial values.