HISTORY OF SWIMMING IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES
According to the Oxford dictionary, the act of swimming is to ‘propel one’s body through water by using the limbs or other bodily movement’. Using this form to propel through water is now so technical and refined that it is classed as an individual or team sport as well as a recreational activity. One of the most popular sports of the Olympic Games today is swimming - highlighting events in different strokes like the butterfly, backstroke, freestyle and breaststroke. Competition is conducted both in a purpose built swimming pool as well as the open water. Olympic swimming is one of the most watched and oldest events, competitors from all over the world come together at a hosted city to race. They
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Not only paintings have been found but also written evidence referencing swimming. The first ever book of swimming was written by a German professor of languages, Nikolaus Wynmann in 1538 called ‘The Swimming or A Dialogue on the Act of Swimming’.
The country that was first to take part in swimming both as a competitive sporting activity and as a recreation was England in the early 18th century. The competitions with time gained popularity leading to the first indoor swimming pool opening for the public in 1828, at the St George Baths, London and operated by the National Swimming Society. Improvements made towards swimming as a sport led to numerous swimming organizations such as Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain with as many as 300 regional clubs operating throughout England. By 1882 other European countries had also established swimming federations with the first European amateur swimming competitions in 1889.
The style of swimming or stroke that was majorly used was the breaststroke until1844 where two Native American participants introduced the front crawl. Then in 1873 after winning a local competition, Sir John Arthur Trudgen debuted a new hand-over stroke - freestyle, which is still considered today as the most powerful strokes of all swimming styles.
The first women’s swimming championship was held in Scotland in 1892 but wasn’t introduced to the Olympic Games until 1912. Men’s
My parents tell me that I took to swimming like... a fish takes to water. It is a safe place where I can float free of worries. Driven by passion and dedication, I decided to begin swimming competitively. Competitive swimming requires an intense level of determination and discipline. Forcing myself to get out of my warm bed at 5:30 in the morning to put on a still-slightly-damp swimsuit and stand in 40-degree weather waiting for practice to start. Putting up with limited lane space and irritating swimmers who think they are faster. Making a conscious effort to work on my stroke form, turns, touches, and techniques. The water becomes a whirlpool of injuries, losses, wins, friendships, enemies, and sickness. The water becomes home.
332 B.C The first idea of SCUBA diving was in the year 332 B.C when Alexander the Great was lowered in a diving bell-like object. Alexander the Great went down in a glass diving bell so that he could see what was going on around him under water. Scyllis was a Greek during one of the many wars. He discovered that his enemies, the Persians, were going to attack his naval ship. To stop the Persians, he cut the ships from their mooring.
Founded in 1882, the Olympics is an event that brings the world together in a peaceful way. However, many factors, both positive and negative, have shaped the Olympics depending on the time and the country hosting it. Women, political, and economics are a few factors that have shaped the modern Olympic movement from 1892 to 2002. The establishment and growth of the modern Olympic games has been greatly affected by women.
In 1926 there was a woman who was the first woman to swim on the english channel and previously won the 1924 Olympics, her name was Gertrude Ederle.She was born October 23, 1906, she belongs to german immigrants who moved to New York City. Gertrude went the Olympics and got a gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay and a bronze 100 meter and 400 meter relay. June 1925 Gertrude was 19 years old when she beated the old swim record of swimming from New York Battery to Sand Hook, New Jersey.Gertrude’s first attempt to swim on the english channel was shot down because there was a technicality.Her first coach, the one that was with her the first time, told Gertrude to stop because there was too much salt water going into her mouth and he was worried
"Swimming instruction, which in time became swimming practice, was grueling, but there was the deep pleasure of doing a stroke with increasing ease and speed" (Martell 10).
began as a demonstration of strength and swimming skill in late 19th century England and Scotland. It was one of the first sports introduced into the modern Olympic games in 1900. It can be played both outdoors and indoors. The sport has become more popular in the United States in the past decades, yet most people don't have a clue as to how to play or even understand it.
The Olympics is one of the few activities that brings the world together. The Olympics first started in the ancient times, dating back to 776 BC. They were first dedicated to Olympian gods, but modern games are to give athletes an opportunity to show their skill, and for others to enjoy watching them (“History”). The first modern world wide olympics was held in Athens, Greece in 1896, having 14 countries participate, with over 200 total athletes.
The olympics have been around for ages and almost a thousand years in ancient times. According to many people the olympic of ancient times can be traced back to 776 b.c and goes all the way to 393 A.D. The records state that the games were played in the island of pelops. The Games were dominated by the cult followers of zeus. Religion and the games were also stated to be very close in relation.
The journey of competitive swimming started at the age of eight for my local `neighborhood team. I exhibited great potential for the future, for I won nearly all my races. This seemed like the sport
As I previously mentioned, I will describe the four basic strokes that swimming consists of, such as the freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly
Thesis/main topic – Learning how to swim is essential for being around water, it will help strengthen a person confidence, improve your physical fitness, and provide an area for stress release.
While there are clear contrasts between the ancient and the modern Olympics there is still the respect for the athlete striving to perform at the highest level. Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest carnival of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are displays of nationalism, commerce, and politics. These important elements of the Olympics are not a modern invention, as the first Olympics was in 776 BC in Ancient Greece. After 1503 years, in 1896 the Olympic Games were recreated as what we know today. The Ancient Games were once dedicated to the Olympian God, Zeus Olympios and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia, which is also how the word ‘Olympics’ originated from. The modern Olympics is the largest international sporting event, which feature both summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of respectable athletes from over 200 different nations compete against one another. There are clear contrast between the modern and ancient forms of the Olympic Games regarding uniforms, participants, religion, events, politics and the concept of amateurism. However both the Ancient Greeks and the people in the modern world still respect and admire the athletics achievements of the participants making the Olympics the most highly regarded contest in sport.
In swimming, there are different strokes or a different kind of swimming like synchronized
The beginning of swimming in the Olympics dates back to the year 1896 in Athens. This is when swimming was introduced to the Olympic community as a competitive sport. Only men were allowed to compete against each other in four different freestyle events in open water. These events are
Swimming is also a valuable tool outside competition and recreation. Knowing how to swim can me survival in emergencies. Swimming can also aid in physical therapy and is a general exercise. Many muscles in the body are utilized.