SPECIFIC STRATEGY FOR THE MEDALLISTS VERSUS FINALISTS AND SEMI-FINALISTS IN THE WOMEN'S 200 M IM INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY AT THE SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES

Abstract

The performances of the women's 200 m individual medley (IM) at the Sydney Olympic games (final and semi-final) were studied using 12 video cameras. The four strokes velocities, stoke frequency, stroke length, and turn velocities were calculated using a specific competition analysis computer program. The medallists had a higher crawl velocity, turn 2 and 3 velocities than the non-medallist finalists. For the 16 swimmers, the final performance was mainly related to the second part of the race, breaststroke velocity (r = 0.83; p< 0.01), crawl velocity (r = 0.68; p < 0.01) and turn 3 velocity (r = 0.73; p < 0.01). From the stroke frequency and stroke length perspective, two different strategies were observed. However. they were not related to the final result.