K, so I have a hurt shoulder but not from swimming (imagine that!). By now I wanted to have goal races for December SCM NE Champs but I'm still mostly kicking with a bit of 1 arm drill. I may or may not be better by then but I want something to focus on now to keep me going.
I've been practicing a LOT of SDK (although I'm mostly unable to streamline the hurt shoulder) and a lot of breaststroke kick with gentle sculling. I'm doing other stuff, too but a lot of dolphin & whip kick drills. I did some open water swimming this weekend (30 minutes without a set distance) completed as 5 x 1 arm fly, 5x *** kick with sculling (not a legal pull). And it got me thinking...I could race...anything.
So I was thinking:
50 M free as 1 arm Fly
100 M free as 1 arm ***
200 M Free as 1 arm IM or 1 arm Free
All with in water starts.
Except the tricky part being *** isn't quite legal for Freestyle - I do go under a tiny bit and certainly would with a 1 arm stroke. Is it possible to get 1 arm *** for time in a breaststroke event if you keep that arm by your side and don't use it the whole race? I mean, I'll get a time no matter what but not get DQ'd? Would it be possible?
Nope, you'd get DQed:
"All movements of the arms shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement."
Actually, that makes me think it might be legal. It says MOVEMENTS of the arms. I wouldn't move that arm at all. Not one bit, glued to my side.
I know you know your swimming stuff...but what would an official say?
I wouldn't move that arm at all. Not one bit, glued to my side.How would you turn or finish? “the touch shall be made with both hands separated and simultaneously” so to turn you will need to unglue the arm. Also during the swim “The hands shall not be brought back beyond the hip line, except during the first stroke after the start, and each turn.”
Medical exceptions are allowed for disabilities, where “Disability is defined as a permanent physical or cognitive disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
The legal way to deal with this is to swim streamlined (hands out front). As long as your hands separate once per kick this is a legal stroke cycle (one arm stroke and one leg kick in that order). Our rules don’t say how far the pull needs to go, so tiny sculling should be permitted. I suggest making the referee aware of your intent so they don’t see the small arm stroke as no arm stroke.
Actually, that makes me think it might be legal. It says MOVEMENTS of the arms. I wouldn't move that arm at all. Not one bit, glued to my side.
Movement must be simultaneous to me means BOTH arms must be doing the same thing at all times during the stroke cycle.
The rules (at least in Canada) allow for medical exceptions to be allowed at an official's discretion with a letter from a medical practitioner. I don't know if this would be accepted but could be worth trying.
I have seen a disabled swimmer swimming all strokes with one arm. With the exception of free, all of her strokes are technically illegal, but she is never DQ'd, so I believe that there is some accomodation for disabilities. (Her participation and perseverance is just amazing!) Whether that applies to temporary disabilities is another question. I believe I have also seen one armed fly several times, including a 200 at Summer Nationals last week.
I raced breaststroke with an easy dolphin kick last December due to a hip injury (labral tear). My surgery was scheduled for a few days after the meet just to give you an idea of the seriousness of the injury. I checked with Ed Saltzman (Chief Official at Nationals and the official of the December meet) ahead of time, and he said as long as I had a doctor's note, he would allow it.
Get a doctor's note detailing your injury and limitations, and have your doctor state that you must swim breaststroke with one arm.
I raced breaststroke with an easy dolphin kick last December due to a hip injury (labral tear). My surgery was scheduled for a few days after the meet just to give you an idea of the seriousness of the injury. I checked with Ed Saltzman (Chief Official at Nationals and the official of the December meet) ahead of time, and he said as long as I had a doctor's note, he would allow it.
Get a doctor's note detailing your injury and limitations, and have your doctor state that you must swim breaststroke with one arm.
I knew there might be some way to get it ok'd if needed. It's not like I'd be going out for guts and glory with a 1 arm *** - gee, I'd just love to go (if I'm lucky only 10-15 seconds) slower. It's just I feel the *** kick is one of the few things I can do and I'm getting quality work in on and so it would be nice to see what it could do.
The short scull would be an option if I could get that arm up but right now I can't keep it up - the sculling I've been doing is at my sides. Perhaps this would be possible in a few more weeks but right now it's not happening.
How would you turn or finish? “the touch shall be made with both hands separated and simultaneously” so to turn you will need to unglue the arm. Also during the swim “The hands shall not be brought back beyond the hip line, except during the first stroke after the start, and each turn."
The touch would be a problem. In order to do a touch it would have to come unglued thereby making the second rule a problem. Hands brought back to me implies movement. I need to do an in water start, so I wouldn't have ever "brought it back". It just wouldn't have entered the race. But if it needs to move just to touch the wall, then it would be "brought back". :-/
Is it possible to get 1 arm *** for time in a breaststroke event if you keep that arm by your side and don't use it the whole race? I mean, I'll get a time no matter what but not get DQ'd? Would it be possible?
Nope, you'd get DQed:
"All movements of the arms shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement."
