Author(s): WIDMER, C., HERNANDEZ, J., ROMANN, M., TAUBE, W., BORN, D.P., Institution: SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF SPORT MAGGLINGEN (SFISM), Country: SWITZERLAND, Abstract-ID: 583

INTRODUCTION:
Given the relevance of start and turn performance in competitive swimming, race performance is typically examined using phase-specific analyses, often focusing on single race distances or competition rounds. Therefore, this study compared start, turn, and clean-swimming performance between junior and adult top-elite male freestyle swimmers across race distances from 50 m to 1500 m and all competition rounds (heats, semi-finals, and finals) to provide insight into age-related performance characteristics.
METHODS:
Video data were collected from male freestyle swimmers competing in heats, semi-finals, and finals at the European Junior Long-Course Championships 2021 (n = 304) and the European Adult Long-Course Championships 2022 (n = 263). Start and turn performance were quantified using both individualized sections defined by each swimmer’s breakout distance and fixed measures based on standardized distances. Age-group and qualification-level differences were assessed using two-sample t-tests and two-way ANOVA.
RESULTS:
Across junior and adult male freestyle swimmers, start, turn, and clean-swimming speeds declined from 50 m to 1500 m (start: juniors 2.72 to 2.40 m/s and adults 2.86 to 2.45 m/s; turn: juniors 2.06 to 1.86 m/s and adults 2.16 to 1.94 m/s; clean-swimming: juniors 1.96 to 1.55 m/s and adults 2.04 to 1.60 m/s), with performance plateauing from 400 m onwards. Among finalists, adults outperformed juniors across all race components. Significant age-group differences in start speed were observed only in 50 m (Δabs = 0.15 m/s) and 100 m (Δabs = 0.09 m/s). Turn speed differences followed an inverted U-shaped pattern, with the largest differences at 400 m (Δabs = 0.08 m/s). Clean-swimming speed showed the largest differences in sprint events (50 m: Δabs = 0.09 m/s; 100 m: Δabs = 0.06 m/s) and remained relatively constant from 200 m onward (Δabs = 0.04-0.05 m/s). Two-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects for several start, turn, and clean-swimming parameters, including 15 m-out start time, fixed total turn time, and mean clean-swimming speed. The most consistent effects were observed for turn and clean-swimming performance, and no significant interaction effects were observed. Individualized measures captured variations in breakout distance across race distances and age groups that were not reflected by fixed-distance metrics alone.
CONCLUSION:
The combined use of individualized and fixed measures provides a more detailed characterization of phase-specific performance across age groups and race distances. Overall, differences in top-elite male freestyle swimming performance varied by age group and race distance. Start and turn performance showed distance-dependent differences, whereas clean-swimming performance showed relatively stable differences across middle- and long-distance events.