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So I read this and the study did not take into account physiology, or more specifically height when measuring underwater kicking performance.
I would be curious if shorter swimmers can underwater kick as fast or faster than taller swimmers and if they should work to exploit this more than the typical effort given to underwater kicking.
Phelps is 6'4" and his underwaters were pretty good as I recall.
According to a DVD about his performance in the Olympics in 2008, Phelps is both perfectly tall and perfectly short. His torso and wingspan are long, but he's got relatively short legs. If I recall correctly, his torso is that of someone about 6'7" and his legs of someone about 6'. (My memory on this seems decent, based on a quick Googling: www.theguardian.com/.../michael-phelps-olympics)
Phelps is 6'4" and his underwaters were pretty good as I recall.
According to a DVD about his performance in the Olympics in 2008, Phelps is both perfectly tall and perfectly short. His torso and wingspan are long, but he's got relatively short legs. If I recall correctly, his torso is that of someone about 6'7" and his legs of someone about 6'. (My memory on this seems decent, based on a quick Googling: www.theguardian.com/.../michael-phelps-olympics)
