Lois Moore is one of our Girls Captains and is now one of our senior and fastest swimmers. She recently swam in the Eastern Regional Youth Swimming Championships and thanks to some great photography from Nadine Mackie has shown how to swim a fabulous race from start to finish.
At many sessions you will hear your coach talking about the correct way to dive, the importance of a good breakout into your stroke and a strong finish – the following sequence of pictures demonstrates that when done correctly each element will mean you swim faster, so look and learn. Lois swam 50m Freestyle (Long Course) at a blistering 29.46 in this race.
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Ready for action – track start position with a firm grip on the blocks.
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Buzzer goes – looking up, arms coming up and legs driving forward.
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Reaching into streamline – still looking forward driving off the blocks (not down into the water) – compare body position with swimmer in the next lane.
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Preparing for water entry – dropping head and bringing legs together after track start
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Perfect entry – streamline position, feet together and toes pointed – note the swimmer in the next lane has entered the water sooner than Lois due to shorter dive.
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Tight streamline position – head down (nice fingernails !) at this stage the swimmer next to Lois appears to be ahead but Lois has better momentum which will carry her forward.
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Preparing for the breakout with a very strong first pull.
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Just about to breakout – nice bent arm using all the power in the shoulders to drive forward.
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Into the breakout – no breathing and building momentum.
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No breathing continuing the stroke nice high elbow.
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On to the next stroke still no breathing.
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The finish – powering into the wall, Hey where are the other swimmers – still finishing I guess !
Well done Lois !