The Effect of Underwater Distance and Speed on Performance in Freestyle and Butterfly Style Sprint Races

Authors : Ali Özüak
Pages : 514-522
Doi:10.15314/tsed.1810119
View : 49 | Download : 346
Publication Date : 2025-12-31
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of underwater distance and underwater velocity, measured from the starting dive, on the 25 m and 50 m swimming speeds of male swimmers in short-distance freestyle and butterfly events. Data were collected from swimmers aged 12.34 (±0.36) years, with a training age of 2.82 (±0.67) years, a body height of 153.20 (±7.55) cm, a body mass of 44.53 (±8.05) kg, and a body mass index of 18.90 (±2.47) kg/m². A total of 164 male swimmers voluntarily participated in the study (74 competed in both freestyle and butterfly, 37 only in freestyle, and 35 only in butterfly). Their race performances were recorded throughout the competition using three cameras positioned around the pool. The video footage was analyzed with Kinovea 2023.1.2 software to determine underwater distances and durations, the first and second 25 m split times. The data were normally distributed and analyzed using simple linear regression. Regression analyses revealed that, among fast freestyle swimmers, underwater velocity (R² = .564, p = .001) and underwater distance (R² = .361, p = .001) significantly contributed to 50 m race performance. Similarly, for fast butterfly swimmers, underwater velocity (R² = .345, p = .001) and underwater distance (R² = .272, p = .001) were identified as significant predictors of 50 m race speed. The findings indicate that underwater velocity is a key performance variable contributing to the 50 m race speed across all groups. However, among faster swimmers, underwater distance also provided an additional significant contribution. This suggests that elite swimmers not only exhibit higher underwater velocities but also make more efficient use of their underwater distance. It is recommended that researchers and coaches emphasize individualized optimization of underwater distance and velocity in training programs to enhance race performance in short-distance events. Keywords: underwater distance, underwater velocity, short distance, swimming race, performance
Keywords : depar, sualtı mesafesi, sualtı hızı, kısa mesafe, yüzme hızı

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