Meldred Bustamante BPED 2

Assignment: Ped 109 Swimming and Aquatics

History and Development of Swimming

The history of swimming and it's precursor, bathing, may be traced in fact and fiction in the
literature and art of ancient civilizations. Accounts of the aquatic art take us back some 4,000
years in Egypt. There it is recorded that swimming instructors were known upon the banks of
the Nile, for a nobleman of the middle kingdom (2160-1780 B.C.) left testimony to the fact that
his children and the children of the king took their swimming lessons together. The nature of
these instructions is unknown and to estimate how long swimming had been in vogue prior to
these dates would be hypothetical. A relief of Egyptian history shows the soldier of Rameses ll
(1292-1225) swimming the Orontes River in an effort to escape the Hittites. Other reliefs show
that the Assyrians were acquainted with swimming; although it would appear that they were not
as proficient in the water as the Egyptians, for whenever it was possible they made use of
inflated skins to buoy them up, propelling themselves with one arm.
The illustrations in relief suggest an over-arm movement in most cases. The legs appear to drag
and do not picture any definite stroke or action. It therefore seems suppositional to infer that the
Egyptians and Syrians were acquainted with the modern crawl.

https://doi.org/10.1080/23267402.1936.10761757

Timeline of Swimming and Important Dates of Swimming

Swimming has been a popular form of exercise and recreation for thousands of years.
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all enjoyed swimming as a way to cool off in
hot weather or to train for battles. Competitive swimming began in the 19th century, with
the first recorded swimming race taking place in England in 1837. Over the years,
swimmers have broken records and pushed the boundaries of what was once thought
possible, such as Michael Phelps winning 28 Olympic medals. Today, swimming is
enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, with many using it as a low-impact way to
stay healthy and active.

● April 5, 1800
Competitive Swimming Starts in Europe, 1800s-mostly used the stroke Breakstroke
● Aug 5, 1896 First Time Swimming is competed in the Olympics- The very
first events were the freestyle stroke and the breakstroke stroke. They swam in
the Mediterranean sea.
● April 5, 1900 Competitive Swimming Starts to be come Popular, 19th century
● April 8, 1904 The stroke Backstroke added to the Olympics
● July 9, 1908 The Federation internationale de Natation (FINA)
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE NATATION FOUND IN 1908
 Fina administers aquatic competition throughout the world. It overseas five
different aquatic sports currently (swimming, diving, synchronized swimming,
water polo and open water swimming.)
● April 8, 1912 Womens Swimming added to the Olympics First Olympics that
the women swam in was the Stockholm olympics since. It has pretty much the
same events as the men except for one. The women swim the 800 and then men
swim the 1,500
● August 11, 1912 Electronic Timing Starts Electronic Timing first started being
used. This made this times swimmers got more accurate.
● April 8, 1922
Johnny Weissmuller the first person to go under One minute in 100m
Freestyle Used a six kick per pull stroke method. See

● December 9, 1923
Swimming became an NCAA Sport The first meet was held March 24th, 1924
100 athletes competed in five swimming events and one diving event. 14 school
were represented. National championship added in 1937. ● April 10, 1924
50m Pools with lanes first used in the Olympics
● April 8, 1930
The Stroke Butterfly was Developed, 1930’s
● August 10, 1935 First topless swimsuits The US men first wore swimsuits that
did not include a top portion in 1935
● April 8, 1956
Butterfly was the first swam in the Olympics- First swam in the games in
Melbourne
● August 10, 1972
Mark Spitz 1972 Olympics
Mark Spitz came to the 1972 Olympics to win 6 medals. But he ended up winning
a whooping 7 He won’t every event he swam. He also set a world record in all of
them. He won the 100 and 200 freestyle, the 100 and 200 butterfly, and then 2
relays. His record of 7 gold medals in a single games was not broken until 2008.
● August 10, 1976
Goggles first used Goggles were first used in the 1976 Olympics. Goggles are
used to protect the swimmers eyes from the chlorine in the pool.
● April 10, 1981 Swimming a Womens NCAA Sport Swimming was one of the
12 sports added for women in the 1981-1982 season.
● Period: April 11, 1990 to April 11, 1998 Doping in China
Between 1990 and was 1998, 28, Chinese swimmers were tested positive for
performance inhancing drugs.
● April 12, 1991 SCM Records In 1991 FINA started to recognize world records
for SCM. It is short course meters. It is the short way you swim in the pool.
● August 13, 2002 Natalle Coughlin Feat
Natalle Coughlin, 10 days before her 20th birthday, became the first woman to
swim the 100m backstroke (LCM) in under one minute.
● August 9, 2008 Micheal Phelps 2008 Olympics
At the 2008 Olympics Michael Phelps made history. He won a total of 8 gold
medals, breaking swimmer Mark Spitz’s previous record of 7. He won gold
medals in the 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 200 and 400 individual medley
and won them in 3 relays.
● January 1, 2010
Suits banned Swimmers had been wearing bodysuits that were made out of
polyurethane or/ and other non-textile materials. They were very useful for
swimmers other than other, depending on physiquie, so they were banned.

Important People Behind Swimming

Ian James Thorpe born 1982 (nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey) is a
retired Australian freestyle swimmer. He has won five Olympic gold medals,
the most won by any Australian, and, at the 2001 World Aquatics
Championships, he became the first person to win six gold medals in one World
Championship. In total, Thorpe has won eleven World Championship golds, the
second-highest number of any swimmer. Thorpe was the first person to have
been named Swimming World Swimmers of the Year four times, and was the
Australian swimmer of the year from 1999 to 2003. His athletic achievements
made him one of Australia’s most popular athletes, and he was recognised
as the Young Australian of the Year in 2000.

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Popov born 1971 is a Russian former Olympic gold-

winning swimmer, widely regarded as one of the greatest sprint freestyle
swimmers of all time. He holds four gold medals and five silver medals at the
Olympic Games, six gold, four silver, and one bronze medal at the World
Championship, and an impressive 21 gold, three silver, and two bronze medals
at the European Championships.

Pieter Cornelis born 1978 Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband (nicknamed
The Flying Dutchman and Hoogie) is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple
Olympic champion. He began competeing in the olympic games at the age of 18,
and throughout his career achieved three gold, 10 silver, and four bronze olympic
medals.

Grant Hackett born 1980 is an Australian former swimmer most famous for
winning the men’s 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer
Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This
achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance
swimmers in history. He also collected a gold medal in Sydney for swimming in
the heats of the 4×200 m freestyle relay. He is well regarded for his versatility,
being the world record holder in the 1500 m and formerly in the 800 m freestyle,
and 2nd and 4th in the 400 m and 200 m freestyle respectively. He has
dominated the 1500 m event in the past decade, being undefeated in the event in
finals from 1996 until the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. His four World
Championship gold medals in the event make him the only swimmer to have won
a world title in one event four times, and in total, he has won 10 World
Championship gold medals.

Krisztina Egerszegi born 1974 is a Hungarian former world record holding

swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern
era. She is a three time Olympian (1988, 1992 and 1996) and five time Olympic
champion; and one of two individuals to have ever won the same swimming
event at 3 consecutive Summer Olympics.

Deborah Elizabeth born 1952 Meyer is a former American swimmer who won
the 200, 400, and 800 m swimming events at the 1968 Summer Olympics in
Mexico City. While still a 16-year old student at Rio Americano High School in
Sacramento, California, she became the first swimmer to win three individual
gold medals in one Olympics. Meyer is still the only woman Olympian to win
three individual freestyle swimming gold medals in one Olympics, namely the
200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle events. No swimmer has ever done this in
any other combination of distances.

Kristin Ottoborn 1966 is a German Olympic swimming champion. She is most

famous for being the first woman to win six gold medals at the 1988 Seoul
Olympic games. Otto was also the first woman to swim the short course 100
meter backstroke in under a minute, Â doing so at an international short course
meet at Indiana University in 1983.

Developments of Swimming Before and After in Swimming

Before the modern era of swimming, the sport was primarily focused on basic
survival skills and recreational activity, with limited technique refinement, while
after significant developments occurred including the evolution of specialized
strokes, advanced training methods, high-tech swimsuits, improved pool
facilities, and a strong emphasis on competitive racing, leading to significantly
faster times and more streamlined techniques; essentially transforming swimming
from a basic water activity into a highly technical sport with a strong focus on
performance optimization.

The Governing Body for Swimming

The governing body for swimming is World Aquatics, which was previously
known as the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA). World Aquatics is
responsible for governing all aquatic sports worldwide.
National governing bodies
Philippine Aquatics Incorporated
The national governing body for aquatic sports in the Philippines, including
swimming, diving, and water polo
USA Swimming
The national governing body for swimming in the United States, which selects the
US Olympic Swimming team
Other governing bodies
World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA)
An international body that provides support and resources for swimming coaches
American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA)
A professional service and mentoring program for swimming coaches in the
United States

The Rules and Regulations of Swimming

Swimming rules include how to perform strokes, how to turn, and how to start.
Swimmers who break the rules may be disqualified from an event.
Strokes
Freestyle
Swimmers must touch the wall with their feet on turns.
Backstroke
 Swimmers must keep their backs straight, except when turning. They must touch
the wall with their back.
Breaststroke
Swimmers must keep their bodies on their breast, and bring their arms forward
together and back simultaneously. They must touch the wall with both hands at
the same time.
Butterfly
Swimmers must move their arms and legs simultaneously. They must touch the
wall with both hands at the same time.
Turns
Swimmers must touch the wall on turns in every stroke.
Swimmers can remain underwater for up to 15 meters after a turn.
Swimmers can somersault as they reach the wall in freestyle and backstroke.
Starts
Swimmers start from the starting block, side of the pool, or in the water.
Swimmers may use a forward-facing dive in freestyle races.
Other rules
Swimmers cannot push off the bottom of the pool or pull on the lane lines.
Swimmers cannot pace-make.
Swimmers cannot use devices that pace-make.
Apr 5, 5800
Competitive Swimming Starts in Europe, 1800's

Apr 5, 1800
Competitive Swimming Starts in Europe, 1800'
Competitive Swimming Starts in Europe, 1800'sApr 5, 1800

Competitive Swimming Starts in Europe, 1800's