| The Club has purchased two of the new Omega backstroke start ledges which will be used at this year’s Regional championships and increasingly at other high level competitions. The ledges are designed to be used in conjunction with the OSB11 starting platforms which means that Hemel is one of the few clubs in Hertfordshire able to install them. Having the ledges means that our top backstrokers will be able to practice before using them in anger at competitions. |  |
These ledges are not cheap and as they won’t be in widespread use in local competitions we decided to only purchase two for practice purposes; they will not be used for competitions at Hemel. Their purchase was funded by fund-raising independent of membership fees.
During a competition:
- The ledges will be installed and removed by the technical official working on that lane
- Use of the ledge is a personal choice – the swimmer can ask the official to remove it if they wish
The ledge is pre-set at water level – zero on the dial in the picture to the left. The swimmer can adjust the ledge to 2 or 4cm above or below the water by using the dial on the side of the ledge
Coaches and Swimmers are reminded of the FINA laws related to the use of ledges:
When using a backstroke ledge at the start, the toes of both feet must be in contact with the end wall or face of the touchpad. Bending the toes over the top of the touchpad/ ledge is prohibited.
The following video will be of use for those seeking further information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63C-zMOCAB0